The cheapest option for fruits and vegetables is to shop at community fruit and vegetable stores. For example, cherries in supermarkets are sold by the box, costing several hundred yen for a small box, as shown on the left in the image below. However, at a cheaper community fruit and vegetable store, a large box of cherries, though a different variety, only costs 1000 yen, showcasing a significant price difference.

To find fruit and vegetable stores, simply search for "fruit and vegetable" on Google Maps. However, many community fruit and vegetable stores may not be registered on Google Maps, so it's best to keep an eye out for local shops during your daily routine.

Overall, vegetables and fruits in Japan are significantly more expensive than in Shanghai, while the price difference for protein sources is not as pronounced as indicated in the table (and the higher the quality of meat, the smaller the difference).

Transportation

This section's comparison is very realistic:

I'm not sure about Shanghai's monthly pass, but the single trip ticket and taxi prices are indeed much cheaper than in Japan. In addition, some supplemental information:

  1. In Tokyo, you can also use apps to call for rides. The cost depends on distance and demand, typically ranging from 300 to 500 yen in my area.
  2. If you have a driver's license, renting a car can be cheaper than taking a taxi. For example, in Tokyo, Times car rental costs about 220 yen for 15 minutes. So, if your destination has a rental car facility nearby, consider renting a car.
  3. Regarding buying a car, I think the comparison is unfair for the following reasons:
    1. Non-electric cars in Shanghai require a license fee, which is expensive.
    2. The mainstream in Shanghai should now be buying domestic electric cars, which have a price advantage if not considering Toyota or Volkswagen.

However, Japan does not impose tariffs on imported cars, so there is a price advantage for buying imported (i.e., European and American) and Japanese cars in Japan.

Public Services

Public services are generally superior to those in Shanghai, aligning with my expectations.

However, there are differences:

  1. For mobile phone plans, if you choose the cheapest option like Rakuten Mobile, the price can be as low as 2000 yen. The 3600 yen mentioned in the table is more like the lower-priced brands of major carriers—such as Softbank's YMobile's mid-to-low range prices.
  2. For broadband internet, some apartments now offer it for free, so there's no need for individual installation.

Below is my apartment's electricity bill for reference:

Education

The data in the table feels off to me.

Firstly, for private kindergartens in China, a 9000 yuan price point in Shanghai should get you a pretty good international kindergarten. Most residents wouldn't consider enrolling their children in international kindergartens.

Top

-tier international schools, I believe, don't differ much between the two, with an annual fee of 200,000 yuan being quite normal. Moreover, price is just one barrier; admission depends on many conditions.

I think one reason Tokyo seems cheaper in this table is that some international schools are indeed affordable... such as those established by Indians. They are in Japan, hence "international schools." Of course, if we limit it to English-speaking schools, I believe the prices are similar to Shanghai's.

Education is a complicated topic, which I may delve into more deeply if there's an opportunity later.

Renting

The table describes it as follows:

In my view, due to differences in social conditions between China and Japan, there's a significant disparity:

Firstly, the "city center" and "outside the center" mentioned in the text are debatable:

  1. Prices vary greatly between different districts, even within "Tokyo's 23 wards."
  2. Prices within the same district can vary greatly, influenced by many factors (e.g., walking distance to the subway station).

For example, the apartment I rented when I first arrived in Japan was 65,000 yen, while the one I moved to later was 95,000 yen. Although both were single-room apartments within Tokyo's 23 wards and similarly distant from subway stations (about a 10-minute walk), the price difference was significant due to the age and condition of the facilities.

Shanghai has similar scenarios. Living in Huangpu District compared to Songjiang, in new versus old buildings, or in commercial residences versus resettlement housing, obviously, cannot be generalized.

Secondly, the situation of "one-bedroom" apartments in Tokyo and Shanghai differs.

  • In Tokyo, there's a large number of "one-room apartments" designed specifically for single young people, known as "1K" or "1LK." Sharing a multi-room apartment among multiple people is less common.
  • In Shanghai, since most housing units are commodity houses, genuine "one-bedroom" apartments are rare in the rental market. Most single young people looking for affordable options might need to choose shared housing.

Therefore, the real rental situation might not be as the table suggests. Instead:

In Tokyo, single young people renting a "one-room apartment" might pay between 3000 to 7000 yuan, enjoying a better living experience; in Shanghai, single young people sharing an apartment might pay between 1500 to 4000 yuan, enduring a worse living experience.

However, if Shanghai's youth wish for a better living experience by renting a "one-bedroom" apartment, their expenses could be comparable to those of young people in Tokyo.

Furthermore, renting in Japan involves additional costs.

For example, the rent for the apartment below is 177,000 yen, measuring 45.97 square meters.

The terms "礼" (gift money) and "敷" (deposit) are listed to the right of the rent. They represent "gift money" given to the landlord and "deposit money," respectively:

  • "Gift money" is just that—a gift, non-refundable. Thus, the actual rent should include gift money, typically equivalent to one month's rent.
  • "Deposit money," though refundable, will deduct cleaning and repair fees. So, if there's damage to the property, expect to pay an extra month's rent.

Therefore, I believe it's more accurate to multiply Japanese rental expenses by 110%.

However, not all properties require gift money and deposits, and some new apartments may waive the first month's rent (like my current apartment), so specific situations vary.

Buying a Home

The table provides a fair assessment of home buying:

Overall, real estate prices in Tokyo are indeed much lower than in Shanghai—both in terms of unit price and interest rates.

In 2021, I looked at a new property near Ginza, priced at about 80,000 yen per square meter. In comparison, finding a property at this price in Shanghai's Huangpu District core commercial area would be challenging.

I've discussed the topic of home buying in "Living in Japan: How to Adapt, Tips, Challenges" and "Working in Japan for a Year: What It Feels Like". Given the complexity of some issues, feel free to contact me privately for more information.

Salary Income

Although I've previously discussed income topics in "Living in Japan: How to Adapt, Tips, Challenges", there's more to say.

Tokyo's Gini coefficient is relatively low, not only lower than Shanghai

and Beijing's first-tier cities but also lower than Hangzhou.

For instance, in the Zhangjiang IT Industrial Park, it's not uncommon for engineers to earn a monthly salary of 50,000 yuan. However, cashiers in the park's stores might only make about 5,000 yuan a month. In contrast, cashiers in Tokyo's convenience stores already earn over 1,200 yen per hour, equivalent to about 15,000 yuan a month.

Considering the similar cost of living in Tokyo and Shanghai, working as a cashier in Tokyo seems to offer a higher sense of happiness.

Similarly, hiring a maid for cleaning services in Tokyo costs about 6,000 yen (about 300 yuan) for two hours. In Shanghai, the price is roughly 100 yuan. Thus, while consumer spending on labor-intensive services in Japan is higher, it can also be argued that service industry workers in Japan earn more.

I'll share another story.

The first time I moved in Tokyo, I hired a Chinese driver, a man from the Northeast of China. Chatting during the drive, he mentioned he had been in Tokyo for over ten years and felt proud of China's growth in recent years.

I asked if he considered returning to the hometown.

He replied that despite his lack of education and cultural knowledge, his physical strength allowed him to earn money in Japan and afford a house here. If he returned, he'd make too little.

I agreed that staying in Tokyo was the better choice.