Lifestyle Cost Comparison: Japan vs Australia

If you're moving from Australia to Japan, you might be wondering about the differences in costs for certain leisure events. What does it cost to go to the cinema here? An aquarium or zoo for the kids? What about a museum or special exhibition?

Here's a short rundown of what to expect price wise for some attractions here in Japan compared to back home. I'll use attractions in Melbourne, my home city, for reference - and I'll cost compare those same attractions in Tokyo.

A trip to the Zoo

Melbourne Zoo:

Adult Admission: $37 AUD (approximately 3045 yen)

Child Admission (4-15 years): $19 AUD (approximately 1565 yen), apart from weekends and holidays where children get free admission.

Ueno Zoo (Tokyo):

Adult Admission: 600 yen

Child Admission (0-12 years): Free

Students 13 to 15 years: 200 yen

An Aquarium Visit

Tokyo and the surrounding area have several different aquariums you can visit. For the purpose of this comparison I'm using Tokyo Sea Life Park.

Melbourne Aquarium:

Adult Admission: $42 AUD (approximately 3460 yen)

Child Admission (3-12 years): $28 AUD (approximately 2305 yen)

Tokyo Sea Life Park:

Adult Admission: 750 yen

Child Admission (0-12 years): Free

Student Admission (13-15 years): 250 yen

A museum visit

Melbourne Museum:

Adult Admission: $27.50 AUD

Child Admission (up to 16 years): $12 AUD

Tokyo National Museum:

Adult Admission: 620 yen

Child Admission: Anyone under 18 years of age is free.

A trip to the movies

Hoyts Cinemas, Melbourne Central:

Adult Admission: $21.50 AUD (approximately 1770 yen)

Child Admission: $16 AUD (approximately 1320 yen)

Toho Cinemas, Roppongi Hills:

Adult General Admission: 1800 yen

Child Admission: 1000 yen

As you can see, most attractions despite being in the heart of Tokyo are significantly cheaper in Japan than they are in Melbourne - the only one close to being at parity is the cinema admission. If you'll be living in Tokyo (or other parts of Japan!) it might be helpful and reassuring to know that many leisure activities will cost you less than they do back home.