Originally Posted by
snorton
Really interesting and informative to read here. Because maybe I'm planning a trip to Japan: Is it expensive in general, I mean in terms of consumer prices? Let's say compared to the U.S.? Due to these
statistics on cost of living, Tokio and Osaka Kobe are the most expensive cities on this planet...
Back to the OP's question: It doesn't have to be expensive. If you don't require luxury, you can travel quite reasonably. The JR Pass is a great deal if you are going to be making a round trip between Tokyo and Kyoto or the equivalent. If you can't find a meal in a mom-and-pop restaurant for ¥1500 or less, you aren't trying. If you are content with an adequate but small and non-luxurious hotel with tiny private bath, you can find it in Tokyo for between ¥8000 and ¥10000 and as little as ¥5000 in small towns. Public transit in the larger cities is charged by distance traveled.
In fact, I think you get more for your money in Japan than in the UK or Scandinavia. Certainly I would hesitate to stay in a hotel that charged the equivalent of US$80 a night in a major US city, but not so in a major city in Japan.