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Plan · Budget

The budget,
line by line

A visitor from the United States stays 12 nights in Japan on average and spends about $180 a night there, shopping included. That's what the 2025 official survey measures.

12 nightsthe average US stay, against 9.5 for all visitors
≈ $180spent per night on the ground, shopping included
$6.36for 1,000 ¥, and $64 for 10,000 ¥: easy mental math

Per day and per person, three ways to travel

Budget≈ 9,000 ¥ · $57
Average≈ 22,700 ¥ · $144
Comfort≈ 27,000 ¥ · $172
LodgingMealsTransportSights

Flights and shopping excluded. “Average”: what a US visitor actually spends per night, intercity trains included (Japan Tourism Agency, 2025). “Budget”: dorm bed, konbini, metro pass. “Comfort”: half of a room at about 30,000 ¥, restaurants, a few taxis. These two are our estimates, for two sharing a room.

One night in Japan, for real

  • Lodging12,290 ¥ · ≈ $78
  • Food and drink5,801 ¥ · ≈ $37
  • Transport, trains included3,351 ¥ · ≈ $21
  • Entertainment and sights1,258 ¥ · ≈ $8
  • Shopping5,603 ¥ · ≈ $36
  • Total per night28,309 ¥ · ≈ $180

A US visitor, flights excluded: average spending per trip divided by 12 nights. Lodging is 43 % of the total. Average stay: 14.4 nights for the UK, 14.6 for Canada, 13.5 for Australia.

Sushi on a wooden boardSushi on a wooden board
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PlanJapan · Japan, the complete guide · 2026–20271
Plan · Budget

Everyday prices

The four main costs of the trip, from heaviest to lightest, with prices for one adult, taxes included, checked in October 2026. Lodging is detailed in “Where and how to stay”, budgets from 7 to 21 days in the appendix.

  1. 01
    Sleeping

    The biggest cost: 43 % of a US visitor's spending. Rough ranges from the japan-guide website (March 2025).

    dorm 2,000 to 5,000 ¥capsule 3,000 to 5,000 ¥business hotel 7,000 to 20,000 ¥ per roomryokan 6,000 to 60,000 ¥ per person, meals included
  2. 02
    Eating

    For takeout, sales tax drops from 10 to 8 %: the same bowl costs less.

    onigiri at 7-Eleven 196 ¥gyudon 498 ¥ to eat in489 ¥ to take outramen in Tokyo 620 ¥ on average
  3. 03
    Getting around

    In town, a few hundred yen a ride.

    Tokyo metro from 180 ¥24-hour metro pass 1,000 ¥Kyoto bus 230 ¥Tokyo taxi 500 ¥ for the first km
  4. 04
    Sightseeing

    Fushimi Inari and Senso-ji are free.

    Golden Pavilion 500 ¥Ghibli Museum 1,000 ¥ + 110 ¥ feeTokyo Tower 1,500 ¥
Shinkansen Nozomi
TokyoKyoto
Duration2 h 12Seatreserved, at the counter

Online, on smart EX: 200 ¥ less. Pass or single tickets: see “JR Pass and regional passes”.

Price14,170 ¥
PlanJapanPlan your trip · Budget
PlanJapan · Japan, the complete guide · 2026–20272