Originally Posted by
CALlegacy
That is a tough question to answer because the service and the geography are not apples-apples comparable to Tokyo-London-NY, etc. The literal answer is $1.75-$2.25 single cash fare throughout the entire metropolitan area including all transfers that can be executed in any direction within 21/2 hours of initial fare payment. A 31-day all hours, all routes, unlimited pass is $85 or less than $3/day.
Now the rub is that most destinations most of the time are more efficiently reached by car and outside downtowns and the airport are free parking. Assuming a typical journey in the area of 10 miles RT and $.30/mi all in and two people a trip would cost $3.00 by car and $7.00 by transit. The trip would also take 20min by car and 40min to never by transit. In Tokyo I expect a trip to a comparable type destination might be 400 yen each person each way for 1600 yen or about $16 (all very rough, of course). By car the Tokyo trip would not be possible or at least not very easy.
You are correct that the service and geography aren't comparable. To make them comparable, I'll tell you for (pretty much) a fact that if where you lived had Tokyo's public transport infrastructure, you would not need a car at all. So given your 10 mile RT requirement, you would need a 190 yen ticket on the subway (which would take you for a maximum of 11 kilometers, or about 7 miles) each way, for 380 yen RT. Two people, it would be 760 yen, and take 20 minutes or so. Using JR or the private lines is even cheaper, the subway is relatively more expensive. If you took a bus, it would cost 200 yen per person each, end to end, which can be a lot more than 5 miles.
And I think you are underestimating the cost of the car. I take it you have free parking at both ends? No such thing in Japan anyway.