Travel on a Budget in Tokyo
Part of the Tokyo travel guide — see every topic in All Tokyo Guides.
Tokyo is not as expensive as many people think. Rooms are the big cost; food and trains can be cheap. Prices below are typical for 2026.
Where to sleep for less
A hostel bed costs about ¥3,500–6,000 and a capsule hotel about ¥4,000–7,000 a night. A small business-hotel room for two is about ¥12,000–25,000, more on Friday and Saturday nights and in cherry blossom season. Asakusa, Ueno, Kuramae and Ikebukuro have good-value rooms close to the trains. Book early for late March, early April, Golden Week (about 29 April to 5 May) and New Year. Tokyo adds a small accommodation tax per person per night on rooms above ¥10,000.
Eating well for about ¥2,500 a day
Beef-bowl chains such as Yoshinoya, Sukiya and Matsuya serve gyudon for about ¥450–700. A bowl of ramen is about ¥900–1,500, and conveyor-belt sushi plates start at about ¥120. Convenience stores sell rice balls for about ¥150–250 and bento boxes for about ¥500–800. Supermarkets and department-store food halls cut prices on fresh food after about 19:00. Water is free in restaurants, and there is no tipping.
Getting around cheaply
Most subway rides cost about ¥180–330. The Tokyo Subway Ticket for visitors gives unlimited Tokyo Metro and Toei subway rides for 24, 48 or 72 hours, for about ¥800, ¥1,200 and ¥1,500. It does not cover JR lines such as the Yamanote. Walk between close areas: Shibuya to Harajuku and Ginza to Tokyo Station are each about 15 minutes. Shared bikes cost about ¥150–200 for 30 minutes.
Free views and the tax-free change
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku has a free observation deck 202 m up. Yoyogi Park, the Imperial Palace East Gardens and the Sumida River walk are free. Since 1 November 2026, tax-free shopping works as a refund: you pay the full price with tax in the shop, keep your receipts, and get the tax back when you leave Japan after customs checks your goods. Since 1 July 2026 the departure tax is ¥3,000, usually added to your air ticket.
Travel on a Budget at a glance
| Hostel bed | ¥3,500–6,000 a night |
|---|---|
| Business hotel (2 people) | ¥12,000–25,000 a night |
| Cheap meal | Gyudon ¥450–700; ramen ¥900–1,500 |
| Subway pass | 24 h about ¥800 · 48 h ¥1,200 · 72 h ¥1,500 |
| Free view | Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, 202 m |
| Tax-free | Refund at departure since 1 Nov 2026; keep receipts and goods |
| Departure tax | ¥3,000 since 1 July 2026 |
| Daily budget | About ¥8,000–12,000 with a dorm bed; ¥25,000–40,000 mid-range |