3 Days in Tokyo for less than 7,000 PHP

Tokyo, or should I say Japan in general, is a destination I didn't want to rush seeing. But unfortunately, I had to get back to attend graduate school, to catch up with work, and also because I didn't have much money with me. The costs are one of the factors that would make us hesitate to experience this beautiful place. Tokyo, for a couple of times, has been hailed as the most expensive place to live in according to some websites I've read a while back (I've read some news say now it's Singapore).

There might be no way to cut through expenses, but it doesn't mean that travelers won't be able to enjoy Tokyo on a budget. Here's how I did it.

Tip #1. Take the advantage of buying a Tokyo Metro Subway Pass.

Transportation in Tokyo can dig a deep hole out of your pockets. Normal fares don't go lesser than 100 yen per way. This pass is available for tourists only and they're surely a great help. These unlimited passes can be used to ride all Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway Lines and comes in 1 day, 2, or 3 consecutive days. I got the 3-day pass for 1500 yen at BIC Camera Yurakucho.

You can get guides like this from subway stations. :)

Was it worth it? Totally. I used the subway for innumerable times because there are a lot of connecting lines around to get you to where you want to go. Plus, if you get lost in between stations, you wouldn't need to worry because it lets you ride all you can. ;)

Tip #2. Water is gold.

You'll be doing a lot of walking and having water with you goes a long way. I didn't want to bother my host so I got my supply from trusty vending machines. The cheapest I found was at 110 yen for 550ml.

Tip #3. Eat Cheaply.

By cheap of course, I mean go local as you possibly can. While Japan is certainly a food haven, most good restaurants are over my budget. A single lunch meal in a mid-range restaurant can cost around 980-1400 yen. Dinners are far more costly.

Food Ticket Vending Machine

I have no idea what this is, but I think they call it Udon Soba

 So I tried this food stall outside Yurakucho Station and spent only 390 yen (153 php) for my breakfast. The picture looks small but the servings are actually good, like maybe, one and a half serving of batchoy. And coming from a big eater like me, they actually go a long way that I didn't even bother buying snacks.

Lunch at Asakusa: Soba (?)+ Rice Toppings for 560 yen!

Tip #4. Share a space.

If you don't really care much about where to stay in Tokyo, you'd actually save a lot more. Hotel costs are high, especially in the tourist areas so staying in a hostel dorm, or with an Airbnb host is practically great. Most hostels charge around 2000 yen at least and most likely it will be a mixed dormitory.

My bed for the first night~

As you might have known, the city is also home to a lot of the famed capsule hotels. You're most likely to find these near train stations. I believe they almost charge the same as hostels do.

On my last night, I chose to stay at Manboo Manga Cafe in Shibuya because I needed to use a computer to work on my literature assignment (lol!). I'll write about the experience on a separate post. :)

Here's a breakdown for how much I spent in Tokyo for three days:

This doesn't include shopping/pasalubong, although I didn't buy that much either. Note: 1 JPY = 0.39 PHP

But you know, if I had a wad of cash with me, I'd probably have spent more than this, LOL.