You can live in Tokyo (even within the 23 Wards) without breaking the bank. One way to do this is to look for apartments near smaller stations that are within an easy commute of a major hub (such as Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, or Shinagawa).
Your commute will be a few minutes longer, but it can save you hundreds of dollars a month in rent.
Here are some examples of what you can rent in Tokyo for $500 (53,000 yen) or less this week.
Article updated June 13, 2016.
Studio Apartment, 2-min direct to Shinjuku
- Where: Hatsudai Station, a 2-minute direct ride to Shinjuku on the Keio Line
- Rent: ¥47,200 ($447) per month
- Size: 16.83-sqm (181-sqft)
- Key Money: None
- Deposit: 1 Month
- Agency fee: 1 Month
- Minimum lease term: 2 Years
- Notes: This is an excellent location for getting to Shinjuku quickly, so you can enjoy the perks of living near one of Tokyo’s major hubs, without having to pay Shinjuku rents. It is also an easy ride to Shibuya from here, or if you like exploring Tokyo on foot, just a 30-minute stroll. There are lots of budget restaurants and shops near the station.
This listing is a good example of how you can live inexpensively in a convenient location. Choose a smaller station (in this case, Hatsudai) that is linked to a major hub: Shinjuku Station.
Video guide to Hatsudai neighbourhood below:
Furnished Apartment, no key money, no deposit, no agency fee
- Where: Kosuge Station on the Tobu Skytree Line. Just one stop from Kita Senju, one of the major hubs in northern Tokyo. Kita Senju is also served by the Hibiya subway line and Tsukuba Express. Convenient location for commuting in northern and eastern Tokyo and to Saitama.
- Rent: ¥47,500 ($448) per month
- Size: 13.03-sqm (140-sqft)
- Key Money: None
- Deposit: None
- Agency fee: None
- Minimum lease term: Please inquire with agent
- Notes: Furnished studio with low move-in costs and short screening (application process).
Private Room in a Vintage-Style Women-Only Share House
- Where: 3-minute walk from Meidaimae Station, 7-minute direct ride to Shinjuku on the Keio line. Lively, student-friendly area with excellent access to Shinjuku.
- Rent: ¥49,000 ($462) per month
- Size: Private 10-sqm (108-sqft)
- Key Money: None
- Deposit: None
- Agency fee: None
- Minimum lease term: Please inquire with agent
- Notes: This is a women-only share house. Your private room is equipped with a bed, fridge, and air conditioner. Please click through for lots of photos.
Studio Apartment, 7-minute direct ride to Shinjuku
- Where: Nakano Sakue Station on the Marunouchi line, 7-minute direct ride to Shinjuku. This is a residential area with great access to the rest of the city: 16 minutes to Roppongi, 23 minutes to Tokyo, 16 minutes to Shibuya
- Rent: ¥47,000 ($443) per month
- Size: 16.56-sqm (178-sqft)
- Key Money: None
- Deposit: 1 Month
- Agency fee: 1 Month
- Minimum lease term: 2 Years
- Notes: This is a residential area with excellent access to the rest of the city. Building is near a coin laundry.
Studio Apartment, 8-minute direct ride to Takadanobaba
- Where: 3-minute walk from Numabukuro station on the Seibu Shinjuku line and 8-minute direct ride to Takadanobaba station on the Yamanote line. Takadanobaba is a student-friendly area with lots of budget Japanese and ethnic restaurants/shops and near Waseda University.
- Rent: ¥52,000 ($491) per month
- Size: 20.41-sqm (220-sqft)
- Key Money: None
- Deposit: 1 month
- Agency fee: 1 month
- Minimum lease term: 2 Years
- Notes: Excellent access to Takadanobaba on the Yamanote line.
You may also be interested in: What can you rent in Osaka for $500?
Top photo: Osamu mural in Takadanobaba, Tokyo
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