The short answer
A furnished apartment can reduce the cash and work needed to move in. An unfurnished apartment can become less expensive over a longer stay if its monthly saving outweighs setup and exit costs. Neither wins without two complete quotes for the same dates and household.
For: people comparing housing for a move to Japan, especially a first stay in Kanto. Not a fit: comparing an entire family apartment with one room in a shared house as if they were equivalent, or deciding whether a particular contract will be accepted.
Put both quotes on the same basis
First match location, usable space, private or shared bathroom and kitchen, household size, and move-in date. The comparison below is our editorial checklist, not a universal fee schedule.
| Category | Furnished | Unfurnished |
|---|---|---|
| Non-refundable setup | Registration, contract and other quoted fees | Key money, agency, guarantee, insurance and other quoted fees |
| Monthly total | Rent, management, support and utilities; do not assume utilities are included | Rent, management and utility/internet contracts |
| Furniture and appliances | Written inventory; bedding and replacements may be separate | Items you actually need, plus delivery and installation |
| Renewal and departure | Renewal, notice, early departure and damage terms | Renewal, cleaning, moving and appliance disposal |
| Refundable deposit | Cash tied up; record expected refund separately | Cash tied up; do not assume a full refund |
If the quote includes a deposit deduction, enter it once: either reduce the expected refund or record it as an exit charge, not both. Keep refundable cash separate from non-refundable charges. The MLIT housing materials · www.mlit.go.jp ↗ include multilingual checklists and sample contracts; your own signed terms determine the arrangement.
Compare two housing quotes
All amounts are yen, including applicable tax. Blank means unknown; enter 0 only when confirmed not applicable. Values stay in this page’s memory and disappear on reload. Nothing is saved or sent by this tool.
A · Furnished
Move-in cash: Incomplete
Net cost of stay: Not yet comparable
Unconfirmed: Non-refundable initial fees; Monthly rent, service fees and utilities; Furniture and appliances; Delivery and installation; Renewal fees during this stay; Move-out, disposal and cancellation fees; Refundable deposit paid; Expected deposit refund.
B · Unfurnished
Move-in cash: Incomplete
Net cost of stay: Not yet comparable
Unconfirmed: Non-refundable initial fees; Monthly rent, service fees and utilities; Furniture and appliances; Delivery and installation; Renewal fees during this stay; Move-out, disposal and cancellation fees; Refundable deposit paid; Expected deposit refund.
Formula and limits
Move-in cash = initial fees + first month + furniture + delivery + deposit. If more rent is prepaid, add those extra months to your cash plan separately; do not count them again in total cost.
Net cost = initial fees + months × monthly costs + furniture + delivery + renewal + exit + deposit − expected refund. Enter only the renewal fees falling within the chosen period; revise this field when changing months. Future sale proceeds and travel-to-work costs are excluded. Refunds remain estimates until settled.
How the length of stay changes the answer
Fictional calculation example: A has ¥50,000 setup, ¥90,000 monthly and ¥30,000 exit costs. B has ¥150,000 setup, ¥70,000 monthly, ¥120,000 furniture, ¥15,000 delivery, ¥30,000 exit, and a ¥70,000 deposit with an assumed ¥50,000 refund. Renewal fees are assumed zero only for this illustration.
| Stay | A net cost | B net cost |
|---|---|---|
| 3 months | ¥350,000 | ¥545,000 |
| 6 months | ¥620,000 | ¥755,000 |
| 12 months | ¥1,160,000 | ¥1,175,000 |
Move-in cash is ¥140,000 for A and ¥425,000 for B under these assumptions. B saves ¥20,000 each month but starts with ¥255,000 more net fixed costs: the arithmetic crossover is 12.75 months. That is not a contract recommendation; renewal, notice or furniture replacement can change the result.
A checked provider example: XROSS HOUSE
Provider facts checked 20 September 2026: its English pricing page separates shared housing from furnished apartments. For furnished apartments it lists a ¥50,000 initial fee and ¥1,500 support fee, with electricity, gas, water and internet arranged separately. Its move-out FAQ lists ¥55,000 including tax for furnished apartments, compared with ¥16,500 for shared housing. Damage can create additional charges. These are published general terms, not a quote for an available room.
The contract FAQ states a minimum one-month stay and one month’s move-out notice within a one-year contract. Match these terms to the property and agreement offered to you. Published rent figures differ across its pages, so no current rent or availability is assumed here. Sources below link to the exact pages.
When it may not fit: you need a family-sized property, a specific accessible layout, or terms not confirmed for the room. A furnished apartment and a private bedroom in shared housing are different products. An unfurnished lease, accommodation arranged by an employer or school, keeping existing furniture, or postponing a purchase are alternatives worth putting in the comparison.
Finish with one written request
English: “For my intended stay, could you separate non-refundable initial fees, the full monthly total, the refundable deposit, renewal charges and move-out charges? Which furniture and appliances are included, and what notice is required?”
日本語:「予定している入居期間について、返還されない初期費用、月額総額、返還対象の敷金、更新費用、退去費用を分けて教えてください。家具・家電の内容と、退去予告の期限も確認したいです。」
Finished when: you have two quotes on the same basis, a cash requirement, a net-cost estimate and a list of unanswered items. If furnishing is the deciding cost, use the used-appliance delivery and installation checklist.
When the terms fit, you can view the existing furnished-housing advertisement in our housing guide. That section contains affiliate links; this site may earn a commission. No purchase or application is needed to use the comparison.
Sources and limits
Checked 20 September 2026. Editorial comparison and fictional calculations are our own. Provider pages describe general terms; neither acceptance nor availability has been verified for an individual reader. Next source review: 20 October 2026.