Malia Yoshioka is a freelance Food & Travel Writer and ESL Tutor from Hawaii. She's slowly eating her way around the world, 43 countries and counting so far! Get behind the scenes news, travel tips and the best food stories from around the web in her weekly Savor the Journey newsletter.
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π The trade-off that lets me eat well anywhere
Published 11 days agoΒ β’Β 4 min read
π Greetings from Tokyo!
It feels like conversations about cost of living are everywhere right now. Housing is more expensive, travel feels harder to justify, and a lot of people are rethinking whatβs actually sustainable.
Ten years ago, I shared country-specific cost breakdowns during a long-term trip in order to be transparent about what life on the road actually cost me compared to staying in Hawaii. Iβve been getting similar questions again lately, so this time around Iβve been keeping notes too. β Hereβs the short version from the first couple of weeks of this trip. Right now, my day-to-day costs in Tokyo look roughly like this:
Housing + food: about $60/day
Monthly estimate: around $1,850β1,900
Itβs not cheap, but it is a reminder that there are still ways to make expensive cities work if youβre intentional about where you spend and where you save. For me, thatβs meant capsule hotels, simple meals and public transport, with a few splurges mixed in here and there!
Iβve also been easing into the language and culture through food, of course, including on another fantastic tour with Culinary Backstreets. I came away with four new food-loving friends and a soft spot for the small businesses of the Mozen Nakacho neighborhood.
Scenes from our tour of the Mozen Nakacho neighborhood with Culinary Backstreets
I hope that no matter where you are in the world, you and your loved ones are safe and warm.
Happy holidays,
π How will you be celebrating the holidays this year? Do you have any special traditions or dishes that will be on the menu?
β¨ New on Shoyu Sugar
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π Capsule hotels around the world
β In cities where hotels might be pricey, I keep my lodging simple so that I can splurge on food. (Priorities! π) Capsule hotels have been one of the easiest ways to make that trade-off work. Would you stay in one? β
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Enter for a trip for 2 to New York City to see Liberation on Broadway and meet Sara Bareilles! Enter by 12/30. Details here.
Turn your dream bucket list restaurant reservation into reality for you and three friends courtesy of Fine Dining Lovers and Pellegrino. Create your list and enter by 12/31. Details here
HGTV is offering a chance to win $5000 cash in their $5k for Holiday giveaway. You can enter once per day until 1/7. Details here.
After a few months break, our Savor the Journey Facebook Group is back! π₯³ Get a daily dose of travel and food stories and engage with like-minded travelers. Feel free to ask in the group for foodie recommendations for your upcoming travels!
Curious about using an eSIM to stay connected while traveling abroad? My go-to for most destinations is Airalo. Get $3 to try it out with code MALIA2345.
Culinary Backstreets has 15% off all their tours through the end of the year with code CBCHEER25. Their tours are limited to 6 people max to really get a personal experience, and they are always so well planned! Read about my experience in Istanbul below.
I'm a freelance food and travel writer and online ESL tutor from Hawaii, slowly eating my way around the world and sharing the flavors with you in these weekly updates and on ShoyuSugar.com. Happy you're here! =)
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Malia Yoshioka is a freelance Food & Travel Writer and ESL Tutor from Hawaii. She's slowly eating her way around the world, 43 countries and counting so far! Get behind the scenes news, travel tips and the best food stories from around the web in her weekly Savor the Journey newsletter.
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