So what sort of rates can you be expecting to pay for rent in Tokyo and what sort of apartments are available?

Prices depends on which part of Tokyo you are looking at, size of apartment, distance from the nearest train station, how much daylight an apartment receives, which way the apartment is facing, whether the apartment is on the 2nd floor or higher etc etc.

This site will give you the average prices of rent in Tokyo which you can sort by area. A one room apartment in Minato-ku can cost 140,000 yen per month - or the lowest for a decent location in Chofu at 60,000 yen per month. Any lower than that and you are going to end up in the sticks or with a battered up apartment - or are very lucky.

If you want a decent sized apartment for 2 then you will want a 2LDK - the "2" is the number of rooms and the LDK is "Living Dining Kitchen." I recommend starting of having a look in the Setagaya area where the average price of a 2LDK is 180,000 yen. Remember that these are average prices.

Whats the average cost of rent like in your region?

What we are going to do now is to look at some videos of apartments available below and then look at the apartments that I have been living in since I moved to Tokyo.

Below: Typical apartment in Tokyo - this one in Azabu.

Another apartment - in aoyama.