Studying Japanese in Japan: How Much Does It Cost?

Studying Japanese in Japan can cost less than many people expect for a short course and a lot more than they expect for a year, because the bill is only partly tuition. Rent, food, transport, insurance and one-off costs such as flights and deposits often add up to more than the school fees. This guide gives three worked scenarios in yen and euros, then breaks down each cost: tuition, accommodation, food, transport, insurance, materials, everyday expenses, one-off costs, monthly budgets, part-time work and the Japanese words you will meet on invoices and rental ads.

The short answer

All euro amounts use a planning rate of €1 = ¥170. That is our own assumption, a round number a little below the European Central Bank rate we used in our Kyoto cost-of-living post (€1 = ¥177.34 on 20 October 2026), so it is cautious: it makes euro totals slightly higher. Rates change daily, so check the real value with our currency converter before you commit. Everything below is an example or an estimate for planning, not a quote, and prices and rules were checked on 21 October 2026.

• The 2-week scenario uses a Tokyo school's published fee formula for 10 class days, a hotel at ¥7,000 a night and ¥3,000 a day for food.
• The 3-month scenario uses that school's published 3-month fee, a dormitory or share house at ¥60,000 a month and mostly self-catered food. It assumes your stay fits inside what your passport allows as a visitor, which we have not verified for any nationality.
• The 1-year scenario uses that school's published April fee for one year, a studio or share flat at ¥55,000 a month, move-in costs of three months' rent, and no part-time income.
• Flights are shown separately because they depend on the season and booking date. The ¥175,000 figure is an assumption (about €1,030 for a return trip from Portugal), not a fare we found.

These are budget-conscious figures outside the most expensive areas. If you want to know which route to choose first, read our guide to what level of Japanese you need before studying in Japan, which covers visas and paths, so we do not repeat that detail here. Two companion posts cover 2 weeks, 1 month or long term and whether beginners can attend a Japanese language school.

Tuition and enrolment fees

Tuition is the part you can compare most easily, but schools price it differently: by the day, by the term or as a one-year package. The official Study in Japan page gives an average first-year cost for Japanese language institutions of about ¥610,000 to ¥1,900,000, adding that fees vary by course and that teaching materials or practical training may be charged separately. The page does not say which year the figures are from. Two school fee pages that loaded on 21 October 2026 give concrete examples.

• Application or registration fee: usually paid once, often between ¥20,000 and ¥50,000 (our estimate). The Tokyo example charges ¥40,000.
• Enrolment or admission fee (入学金): paid in the first year only, according to Study in Japan.
• Materials fee: may be included in the price or charged separately, so ask.
• Facility or equipment fees, excursions and exam fees: often extra, depending on the school.
• School insurance: some long courses include a small student insurance charge in the fee.

Always request a written fee sheet that shows what is included, the refund rules and the payment deadline. If you plan to sit the JLPT while you study, see our guide to registering for the JLPT from Portugal for how entries work.

Accommodation

Housing is usually the biggest cost after tuition for a long stay. Study in Japan says about 70% of international students live in private houses or apartments, and the rest in dormitories. The JASSO 2023 lifestyle survey, quoted by Study in Japan, gives average monthly housing costs of ¥41,000 nationally and ¥57,000 in Tokyo. The other ranges in the table are our estimates.

Renting a flat brings costs that visitors rarely meet. A deposit (敷金) is a refundable security payment, which Study in Japan describes as equal to a few months' rent; part of it may be kept for cleaning. Key money (礼金) is a non-refundable thank-you payment to the landlord, which not every landlord asks for. An agent fee, commonly one month's rent, is paid to the estate agent, and some contracts add a guarantor company fee. Study in Japan says a joint guarantor is generally required, that school staff can sometimes act as guarantors for international students, and that you may not need one if the contract requires a guarantee charge. Our scenario assumes three months' rent at move-in (deposit, key money and agent fee at one month each, ¥55,000 × 3 = ¥165,000); real contracts vary.

For hotels, hostels and the other short-stay types, see our comparison of ryokan, hotels, capsule hotels and hostels in Japan, which is written for visitors and fits a one- or two-week course.

Food, transport and everyday costs

• Food: our planning figure is ¥3,000 a day for a short stay, with a mix of convenience stores, set meals and a few meals out, and ¥40,000 to ¥45,000 a month if you cook most meals. School canteens and supermarket discounts in the evening lower the figure.
• Transport: a commuter pass (定期券) is a pass for one fixed route that costs less than paying each trip. Its price depends on the distance and the length (one, three or six months). Our planning figures are ¥15,000 for a two-week course with sightseeing and ¥8,000 to ¥10,000 a month for commuting and a few trips. Ask your school whether it can issue the certificate that some rail companies ask for before they sell a student pass.
• Phone or eSIM: our figure is ¥3,000 a month for a data plan; a physical SIM with a Japanese number may require a residence card and a longer contract.
• Utilities in an apartment: electricity, gas and water, about ¥10,000 a month in our planning figure; they are higher in winter and summer.
• Laundry, toiletries and leisure: about ¥15,000 a month, which includes coin laundry if your building has no machine, and occasional days out.

For examples with source names, our cost of living in Kyoto guide gathers university and city figures, and our currency converter turns any yen price into euros.

Insurance

Study in Japan says international students who stay three months or more have to join the National Health Insurance (国民健康保険, often called kokuho), and that the insurance covers 70% of medical costs so you pay 30%. The premium is calculated from the previous year's income, and Study in Japan lists no amounts, so ask your ward office. For a first-year student the premium is usually small: the Kyoto post quotes ¥1,000 to ¥2,000 a month from a city source, and we use ¥1,500 a month in the yearly scenario. Some schools also add a student insurance charge in the fee.

For a stay shorter than three months you are treated as a visitor, not a resident, and you pay medical bills yourself unless you have private insurance. Buy a travel policy for the dates of your course and check what it covers, such as medical care, repatriation and baggage; our planning figure is ¥9,000 for two weeks and ¥24,000 (¥8,000 a month) for three months. Read what happens if you get sick in Japan as a tourist for how bills, clinics and the three-month rule work.

Materials

Schools choose their own textbooks. Common examples are Minna no Nihongo, Genki, Marugoto and Dekiru Nihongo, but yours will depend on the school and level, so wait for the school's list before you buy. We give no textbook prices, because we did not check retailers. Many short courses include materials in the fee, as the Tokyo example does with its ¥15,000 charge. Plan for extras such as a dictionary, notebooks and exam-preparation books: ¥5,000 for a short course, ¥8,000 for three months and about ¥30,000 over a year in our scenarios.

One-off costs

• Flights: the biggest single cost for short courses. Our scenarios assume ¥175,000 (about €1,030) and nothing more; check real fares for your dates.
• Student visa paperwork: the school usually applies for the Certificate of Eligibility on your behalf, according to Study in Japan, which also lists documents such as a savings balance certificate and an income certificate. Fees, photos, translations and courier costs vary, so we use ¥10,000 as a placeholder.
• Move-in costs: deposit, key money, agent fee and furniture or bedding, if you rent a flat (¥165,000 in the yearly scenario, excluding furniture).
• Residence card and local registration: required for long stays; ask your school what to bring.
• Insurance and a first-week buffer: keep cash or a card for the first week, before any payment arrives.

Monthly budgets

The JASSO 2023 survey quoted by Study in Japan puts average monthly spending of privately financed international students at ¥105,000, or ¥57,000 for housing in Tokyo. Our ¥135,000 is higher on purpose: it adds utilities and study materials and assumes a big-city rent, so treat the survey as a lower reference and your own city's rent as the biggest variable. Over a year, the apartment scenario is ¥135,000 × 12 = ¥1,620,000 of living costs plus ¥990,000 tuition, ¥165,000 move-in costs and ¥10,000 paperwork, which gives ¥2,785,000.

Part-time work on a Student visa

A Student visa does not allow work by itself. Study in Japan says you must apply to a regional immigration services bureau for permission to engage in activities other than that permitted by your status of residence, and that the permission is within 28 hours a week, up to eight hours a day during long school holidays. Check the current limits with the Immigration Services Agency before you accept a job, because they can change; we could not open an ISA page on this topic on the day. Study in Japan also gives an average monthly part-time income of about ¥81,000, which is a survey figure and not a promise, so do not budget a year on it. A short course on a visitor stay does not allow work at all.

Ways to save money

• Compare total cost, not tuition alone: a cheaper school with an expensive commute or a costly dormitory may cost more.
• Book a dormitory or share house through your school or a share-house company to avoid key money and a guarantor.
• Learn hiragana and katakana before you go, so class time and fees are not spent on the basics.
• Cook at home, use supermarket evening discounts and school or company canteens.
• Choose a commuter pass over single tickets once you have a fixed route, and live within cycling or walking distance of school if you can.
• Pick a cheap data plan or eSIM and use free Wi-Fi at school.
• Take a travel policy with the cover you need and nothing else.
• Keep a buffer of at least one month's living costs for repairs, medical co-payments and bad exchange-rate days.

Practice kana with the kana writing practice and work through the early lessons before you fly.

Japanese words for money and housing

Official information

We checked these pages on 21 October 2026: Study in Japan's academic fees page (first-year averages), living costs page (the JASSO 2023 survey), accommodation page (dormitory, apartment and guarantor information), insurance page (the three-month National Health Insurance rule and the 30% co-payment), part-time work page (28 hours a week) and immigration procedures page (the Certificate of Eligibility). The fee examples come from a Tokyo school's pricing page and a Kyoto language school's information page. The Immigration Services Agency home page loaded but gave no work-permission rules, so check it for current limits. Fees and rules change, so confirm them with your school.