An Indian expatriate has spent nearly ₹90,000 on essential utilities alone during his first 25 days in Japan, exceeding his initial budget before his first paycheck even arrived. Dev Vijay Vargiya shared his financial shock online after discovering his tenth bill in his mailbox in under a month, noting that this steep total completely excludes his primary monthly outlay for food and groceries.
“I literally haven’t even completed one month in Japan, and I’ve already received my tenth bill. Since I arrived, I’ve only been paying bills,” Vargiya said. He explained that after tallies for rent, electricity, gas, water, Wi-Fi, SIM, and transport, the total hit 150,000 yen. “And this is only for my house and basic expenses. I haven’t even added my biggest expense yet: food and daily groceries, which is where I spend the most here,” he added.
To illustrate the gap in daily living costs, Vargiya compared Japanese grocery prices to those in India, noting a litre of milk costs ₹168 against ₹50 in India, while a loaf of bread runs ₹100 compared to ₹20 back home. Other items included two onions for ₹150 and a single melon for ₹350.
However, Vargiya maintains a positive outlook on the financial transition, viewing the high prices as a trade-off for systemic benefits. He argued that local wages scale accordingly with the environment.
“We all know that the cost of living in Japan is very high. But salaries here are also much higher compared with India. I’m not just looking at the expenses,” Vargiya said. “I’m also looking at what we’re getting in return for these expenses. A clean, well-maintained surrounding, peace everywhere, greenery, air quality, everything. What more could you ask for?”
