Where to live in Tokyo: Best stations for cheap rent, easy commutes and lifestyle, ranking

Wondering where to live in Tokyo? Kameari station in Katsushika City has been ranked as the best station in the Tokyo area for solo commuters thanks to its convenient living environment and comparatively cheap rents, according to a recent ranking. 

Kameari station came out top ahead of Kawaguchi and Kanamachi stations in the ranking which focused on stations in or near Tokyo which offer residents living alone lifestyle conveniences and easy commutes into commercial areas of the capital at single-occupancy rents that theoretically should be higher than they actually are.

Ranking creators, real estate and housing information website Lifull Home’s, targeted stations on the JR Yamanote Line and those within 20 minutes of each station on the busy Tokyo loop line.  

The ranking was based on comparisons between average rent prices and the creator’s own “theoretical rent price” - a calculated reasonable rent commensurate with the ease of living in the area surrounding each station.  

Theoretical rents were based on the average rent for a one-person household within a 15-minute walk of each station and the level of facilities available around that station.  

A “Walkability Index” was used to determine the area’s ease of living, issuing a score for the level of facilities accessible within a 15-minute walk from the station. Facilities included supermarkets, convenience stores, parks, restaurants, cultural facilities, childcare and educational facilities, and medical facilities, among others.

The index used data produced by first-of-its-kind research to index real estate location environments from the perspective of ease of living, jointly conducted by The University of Tokyo and Nikken Sekkei Research Institute.

No.1 ranked Kameari station on the JR Joban Line was found to offer convenient access to Otemachi (24 minutes), Tokyo (33 minutes), and Shinjuku (40 minutes) stations, according to the ranking.

With a well-developed station front, featuring the Kameari Ginza shopping street and Kameari North Exit Naka-dori shopping street, Kameari station scored 85 points out of 100 for ease of living. The area “is well-equipped with facilities that are ideal for those who live alone and are busy with work or school,” the ranking creators said. 

Kameari was also found to offer the greatest difference between theoretical single-occupancy rent prices (126,300 yen per month) and the actual average rent price (81,000 yen per month) - a difference of 45,200 yen.

Second-ranked Kawaguchi station (JR Keihin-Tohoku / Negishi Line), one of the main transportation hubs in the Saitama area, north of Tokyo, was found to offer passengers access to a number of large stations in the capital in around 30 minutes, including Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, and Shibuya.

As with Kameari station, Kawaguchi station also scored 85 out of 100 for its living environment, including high scores for the availability of restaurants, supermarkets and convenience stores. 

The ranking found the area around the station to have a theoretical rent price of 126,300 yen per month compared to an actual average of 82,600 yen - a difference of 43,800 yen.

Ranked third for access to Tokyo, ease of living, and cheap rents, Kanamachi station, in Katsushika City, was found to offer convenient transportation for commuters via three train lines - the JR Joban Line, the Keisei Kanamachi Line, and the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line. Despite boasting such convenience, average single-occupancy rent for the area was calculated at 76,800 yen per month, the second lowest of the highest 10 ranked stations. 

Four stations on the JR Joban Line featured in the ranking’s top 10. 

Properties targeted for the ranking were those apartments built in the last 40 years within a 15-minute walk of the station. Apartments were 1R, 1K, 1DK, and 10 to 45 square meters in size.

“As working styles diversify, the conditions that each individual places importance on when choosing a place to live have changed compared to life pre-corona,” Mika Narazaki, of Lifull Home’s Press, said. 

“With such a variety of lifestyles, the "low-rent, ease-of-living station ranking” project first targets daily commuters to the city center and attempts to visualize station areas that are close to the center, are convenient and easy to live in, and have as low a rent as possible.”

Top 10 ranked train stations for ease of living, low rents, and access to central Tokyo for single residents, according to the ranking from Lifull Home’s: 

1) Kameari (Katsushika, Tokyo)

2) Kawaguchi (Kawaguchi, Saitama)

3) Kanamachi (Katsushika, Tokyo)

4 Kawasaki (Kawasaki, Kanagawa)

5 Horikirishobuen (Katsushika, Tokyo)

6 Shin-Koiwa (Katsushika, Tokyo)

7 Kichijoji (Musashino, Tokyo)

8 Koiwa (Edogawa, Tokyo)

9 Ayase (Adachi, Tokyo)

10 Kita-Senji (Adachi, Tokyo)

Similar rankings are planned for release in January to help people looking for new areas of residence before the spring, according to Lifull Home’s.

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Do you have any advice on where to live in Tokyo for solo residents looking for affordable rents and easy access to commercial districts?  Share your tips in the comments.