[Sangetsu]

In my area, a home costs between $50k and $300k depending on the size, location, age, etc. Gas (if your house comes supplied with it) will run about $50 per month. Electric will run about $100 per month. Phone service varies, you'll need to by your own line if you want a land line in your own home it will be about $400 for the line, and another $100 per month for service. A cell phone runs about $100 per month, though you can get a family plan where you can talk to your wife for free.

Income tax is about the same as in America, but lower than in Europe. Local tax varies significantly. My girlfriend's tax bill for 2007 was about $7000, but then her apartment cost $1,000,000, and is located in a more expensive district. I've yet to receive a bill, I expect it to be about $1000 for the year.

The costs of owning a car are not much worse than they are in the states, in many cases. If you are buying a home, it will more than likely include a space to park. Insurance and inspection fees can run from $600 to $1200 per year, depending on the make, model, and year of your car, and the number of drivers. Highway tolls are expensive running as much as 100 yen per kilometer in some places. You can often buy a car cheaply from another foreigner. Many foreigners here own cars, and then sell them before returning to their home countries. It is worth the trouble of finding a car that has a year or more of time left on it's inspection and insurance. Buying a car with no valid inspection or insurance will not save you money, you'll need to come up with at least $1000 to get it on the road legally.

The cost of food is about the same as in America, though the menu will be quite different. You'll find things beef and pork to be more expensive, but chicken is reasonable, and fish is rather inexpensive. Rice on the other hand is costly, running about 6 times what it cost in America. Produce is more costly, but this varies greatly according to the region where you live. Where I live, I find prices on most foods to be the same or often less than what I paid for it in America.

Things to keep in mind when shopping for a home, proximity to transportation. Being close to the train station is convenient, and taking the train will always cost less than driving. But try to find a place which is not too close to the station, the trains and the sounds of railroad crossing alarms are quite loud, and carry long distances. Parking is important if you are planning to own a car. If you are planning to finance a car, you'll be required to show proof that you have a place to park. As for the home itself, if it's an older home, beware of mold. It's hot and humid in Japan, and it rains a lot. You'll know by the smell as soon as you come inside the house whether or not there is a mold problem. Homes on alleyways are much more quiet than roads on streets. Unmuffled scooters are popular with teenagers here, no matter what part of the country you live in.