For those of you who, while living outside Japan, often eat out, you might be curious about the cost of meals if you were living in Japan.
How much do employees in Japan actually spend when eating out? I will explain this based on several survey results that have been conducted.
Table of Contents
The Average Lunch Cost for Employees Is Around 600 Yen
First, let us look at the average cost of lunch outside the home for employees in Japan. According to the “2019 Office Worker Pocket Money Survey” conducted by the Shinsei Bank Group, the average lunch expense for male employees was 555 yen, while female employees spent about 581 yen.
Another survey shows a similar pattern. About 33 percent of respondents who eat lunch outside the home spend less than 500 yen. Meanwhile, 56 percent reported spending between 501 and 1,000 yen. Based on these results, the typical average comes to roughly 600 yen.
However, in large urban areas, there are not many meal options available for around 600 yen per lunch. In some cases, people would have to eat the same type of meal every day if they tried to stay strictly within that price range.
For this reason, the real situation is often slightly different. Some people manage their expenses strategically. For example, they might buy a 300 yen bento from the supermarket three times a week and use the remaining budget to eat out on other days. People who follow this type of pattern are still included among those who report that their overall average lunch cost is about 600 yen.
Another interesting point is that the average lunch cost for female employees tends to be slightly higher. One reason is that many women pay close attention to beauty and health concerns. As a result, they may avoid choosing cheaper meals such as gyudon or hamburgers that typically cost around 500 yen.
Even so, eating outside the home regularly can increase monthly expenses. Because of this, many employees bring their own lunch from home to reduce their spending.
Survey data shows that 34 percent of men and 53.5 percent of women bring homemade lunch boxes, commonly known as bento, to the office in order to save money. In addition, around 20 percent of people purchase ready made bento from convenience stores, supermarkets, and similar places.
The Average Cost of Dinner for Employees Is Around 1,500 Yen
On the other hand, based on a survey about eating out conducted by Hot Pepper Gourmet, people who eat dinner outside the home spend an average of about 1,491 yen.
Unlike lunch, which often comes with discounted set menus, dinner at most restaurants tends to be more expensive. In addition, dinner is usually a more relaxed occasion compared to lunch. Lunch breaks are short and often rushed, while dinner allows employees to spend more time enjoying their meal. Because of this, many people choose better restaurants when going out for dinner.
They often enjoy their meal at a leisurely pace. It is common to drink alcohol and sometimes order dessert as well. Naturally, these extra items can cause the total cost to increase.
It is also important to note that this survey targeted both men and women between their twenties and their sixties, including people who are not employees. For that reason, the average spending of office workers themselves may actually be higher than the figure reported in the survey.
The Average Cost of a Nomikai or Drinking for Employees Is Around 4,000 Yen per Person
For those who are already married, there is a good chance that they return home after finishing work and enjoy dinner together with their family. Because of this, survey data provides the following estimates for the average budget per person for dinner:
- Dinner at home with an ordinary menu: 626 yen
- Dinner at home with a special menu: 1,569 yen
- Eating out with an ordinary menu: 1,491 yen
- Eating out with a special menu: 3,826 yen
Although it is difficult to say with complete certainty, the figure of around 600 yen per person for an ordinary dinner at home likely assumes that some side dishes are purchased from outside. For example, someone who enjoys drinking beer every evening might spend about 200 yen on the drink itself. They might then spend around 100 to 200 yen on meat or fish for a single homemade meal. With this type of arrangement, a total cost of around 600 yen per person can still be considered relatively reasonable.
The category of “eating out with an ordinary menu” is generally assumed to refer to meals eaten alone or with close coworkers after finishing work. Meanwhile, “eating out with a special menu” can be said to include events such as a nomikai.
A nomikai is a social drinking gathering that often involves coworkers sharing food and drinks together after work. According to another survey, the average cost of a nomikai reaches about 4,000 yen per person.
If the occasion is a date, however, the required budget can vary widely depending on the atmosphere and the type of restaurant chosen. Naturally, all of these expenses are strongly influenced by different situations and personal circumstances.
The Average Monthly Food Expense for Someone Living Alone Is Around 40,000 Yen
By the way, the average monthly food expense for someone living alone is roughly 40,000 yen. For students, the average is about 20,000 yen per month.
However, it is important to understand that these figures are not planned budgets. They represent the actual amount of money people end up spending on food. Some individuals even feel that these amounts are quite high.
In Japan, food expenses are generally budgeted at around 15 percent to 20 percent of total monthly spending. For example, imagine that your monthly salary is 200,000 yen and you set aside about 30 percent, or 60,000 yen, for savings. This leaves about 140,000 yen for living expenses.
In this situation, allocating 15 percent for food would equal about 21,000 yen. If the allocation is 20 percent, the food budget would be around 28,000 yen.
Consider another example. If you spend around 500 yen on lunch every workday, the monthly lunch expense alone will exceed 10,000 yen.
If you eat dinner outside once a week at a cost of 1,500 yen, you would spend about 6,000 yen per month. If you also attend one nomikai each month that costs around 4,000 yen, your total food related spending would already reach about 20,000 yen.
Without careful planning, food expenses can increase quickly and become higher than expected.
Conclusion
The first survey mentioned earlier is called the “Pocket Money Survey,” and it may surprise some readers. In Japan, many families manage their finances by setting a household budget in advance. Within this system, separate pocket money is often allocated to each spouse, particularly to the husband. Because of this arrangement, when economic conditions become difficult, the amount of personal allowance may decrease. This reduction can directly affect spending on everyday items such as lunch.
The situation may be somewhat different for people who live alone. However, regardless of lifestyle, setting clear limits on dining expenses can be an effective way to control spending. For example, someone might decide that lunch expenses should not exceed 2,000 yen per week, or that dining out should be limited to 15,000 yen per month.