Once upon a time, Japan was eye-wateringly expensive for Australian travellers.
But that has certainly changed – in fact, earlier this year, the Yen hit a 34-year low. At the time of writing, $1 AUD buys you around 105 yen.
The cheap yen has had a huge impact on travelling and eating out in Japan. The Post Office Travel Money’s report of the world’s cheapest destinations last month, now surprisingly lists Tokyo at number 4 on the list!
The yen has been weak against most currencies for some time now, as interest rates in Japan are negative as the Japanese central bank attempts to stimulate higher economic growth.
At a time where the cost of living crisis is impacting many Australians, and our relatively weak dollar won’t get you far on holidays to the USA or Europe, that makes Japan an even more enticing destination for Australian travellers.
Eating out in Japan
Tokyo came in at number 4 on Post Office Travel Money’s report of the world’s cheapest destinations last month.
The combined average price of a local coffee, beer, cola, glass of wine, bottle of water, sunscreen, insect repellent, and a three-course meal? Just $AUD 114.13.
The numbeo cost of living calculator also highlights the difference between the cost of living in Japan and Australia.
On average, a three course meal for two people at a mid-range restaurant in Japan costs $60.89. In Australia it’s $132.50.
A 500ml bottle of local beer is $4.54 in Japan. In Australia it’s $11.
Flying to Japan
Data recently released from Flight Centre shows Japan has the highest seat capacity (130 per cent) from Australia compared to pre-pandemic capacity.
The fact that flight costs have come down in the past year has certainly helped as well – there has been a 21 per cent dip in airfare costs from Q1 2023 to Q1 2024, with an average outbound fare in the first quarter of 2024 costing around $1,560.