In a nutshell
- Tokyo is expensive — but there are still some genuinely affordable hotels in Tokyo if you know where to look. We’ve done the research so you don’t have to.
- You can stay in centrally located budget hotels, in lesser-known neighborhoods, or in capsule hotels. For each category, we have concrete recommendations ready for you.
- Our top value pick: the Via Inn Shinjuku — bright, cozy rooms right next to Golden Gai in one of Tokyo’s most popular neighborhoods.
- Book well in advance — at least 3–5 months before your trip. The earlier you book, the better the price. Last-minute bookings in Tokyo are almost always expensive.
Good Affordable Hotels in Tokyo with a Central Location
Good mid-range hotels in central Tokyo cost an average of around 200 euros per night for a double room. During the cherry blossom season in Japan, hotel prices often go up by 50–100 euros. That’s not exactly a bargain and can push your travel costs for Japan up quite a bit.
But we didn’t want to just accept that. We’re experts at finding the best budget hotels in popular cities, and we went searching for you — looking for places that aren’t just affordable, but actually good. After all, you should feel comfortable on your trip to Tokyo.
We found five hotels that are centrally located and still affordable even during peak season — especially if you book early enough. Two are in the trendy Shinjuku neighborhood, two in Asakusa, and one in Ueno. We also recommend all three neighborhoods in our full hotel guide for Tokyo.
Via Inn Shinjuku
Via Inn Shinjuku is our best value pick in Shinjuku. In the off-season, you can stay here for well under 100 euros a night, and even during cherry blossom season the rooms are still affordable.
Speaking of rooms: they’re bright and cozy. Nothing fancy — but that’s exactly why you’re paying less.
The location is seriously great. You’re basically right next to Golden Gai, one of the coolest highlights in Tokyo, and it’s about a 10-minute walk to Shinjuku Station. From there you can easily head out on day trips from Tokyo.
We recommend booking about 8–9 months in advance. This one fills up fast.
The Knot Tokyo
The Knot Tokyo is also located in the trendy Shinjuku neighborhood.
We really like this one. It has modern, stylish rooms and a huge variety of room sizes and types to choose from.
The Knot Tokyo is very affordable at certain times and a bit pricier at others — this can shift week by week. Just check how things look for your travel dates.
Landabout Tokyo
Landabout Tokyo is our top pick for families looking for cheap hotels in Tokyo. Even if you’re traveling as a group of four, you’ll pay only around 200 euros. Pretty amazing, right?
The rooms are simple but cool. The standout feature is the rooftop terrace, where you can see the Tokyo Skytree.
Breakfast is already included in the room rate. And it’s delicious.
Henn na Hotel Tokyo Asakusa Tawaramachi
Henn na Hotel Tokyo Asakusa Tawaramachi has a great location in Asakusa — perfect if you want to stay in old and authentic Tokyo. From the rooftop terrace, just like at Landabout, you can see the Tokyo Skytree.
There’s also a 7-Eleven right outside the front door. Super handy when you need to grab something quickly.
The rooms are bright and clean — exactly what you want at this price point.
Book Henn na Hotel Tokyo Asakusa Tawaramachi
Asakusa Kokono Club Hotel
Asakusa Kokono Club Hotel is our absolute favorite among the budget hotels in Tokyo. Just take a look at the rooms — you’ll instantly feel at home.
Some rooms have huge windows that flood the space with light, and the overall style is seriously impressive for this price range.
At Asakusa Kokono Club Hotel you can score real deals on certain days. It pays to be flexible with your travel dates for Japan — Tokyo especially rewards a bit of flexibility.
Book Asakusa Kokono Club Hotel
Affordable Neighborhoods to Stay in Tokyo
Shibuya and Shinjuku are the most popular neighborhoods to stay in because they’re super centrally located. That’s also why hotels here tend not to be cheap — especially in Shibuya.
Move just a short distance away from those two areas and you can find real deals and genuinely good, affordable places to stay in Tokyo.
Here are two neighborhoods that are right on the Yamanote Line — the most important train line for getting around Tokyo’s sights. Both are very well connected, yet noticeably more affordable than Shinjuku and Shibuya.
Affordable Hotels in Tokyo's Nippori Neighborhood
Nippori is a charming neighborhood with an old-town vibe and hardly any tourist crowds. In keeping with the area’s character, you’ll find many small family-run hotels and ryokans here — traditional Japanese accommodations with futon beds.
In Nippori you’ll find some lodging options that cost only around 100–150 euros even during peak season.
These are our picks in Nippori:
Hotel Mystays Nippori: close to the train station and with bright rooms.
Art Hotel Nippori Lungwood: simple, beautiful rooms. If you’re lucky, you can even see Mount Fuji from the window.
Affordable Hotels in Tokyo's Korea Town Shin-Ōkubo
Shin-Ōkubo sits right next to Shinjuku, making it a perfect base if you want to be close to the action while keeping your Tokyo accommodation costs down.
The neighborhood is also known as Korea Town. Many Koreans live here, and the streets overflow with K-pop stores, colorful neon signs, and delicious street food — it’s a really fun place to be based.
These are our affordable picks in Tokyo’s Korea Town:
Hotel Rio: cozy rooms and prices around 150 euros even during cherry blossom season.
Hotel Matsunoi: charming traditional rooms that feel a bit like a ryokan.
Recommended Capsule Hotels in Tokyo
In Tokyo, you pretty much get what you pay for. If you want to save money, you usually trade some comfort to do it.
That’s how capsule hotels work too. They’re a classic feature of Japan, and Tokyo has quite a few of them.
You sleep in tiny individual pods — called capsules — with shared bathrooms. Unlike a hostel dorm, you do have your own small, private space. But the overall vibe is fairly similar. Luggage is usually stored in dedicated lockers.
If that works for you, capsule hotels are one of the best ways to find truly cheap hotels in Tokyo.
These are the capsule hotels we’d recommend:
Book Tea Bed Shibuya: the best way to stay affordably in Shibuya.
Rembrandt Cabin: a solid capsule hotel between Shinjuku and Shin-Ōkubo.
Smart Stay Shizuku Ueno Ekimae: super affordable, even during cherry blossom season. It’s located in Ueno.
Extra Tips for Staying Affordably in Tokyo
Beyond the hotel picks themselves, a few simple strategies can help you save even more money when searching for somewhere to stay in Tokyo on a budget.
Here are our best pointers.
Book Early
This is one of the single best ways to save money on your accommodation search in Japan — especially in Tokyo.
If you book at least 3–5 months in advance, you’ll consistently pay less than with last-minute bookings.
For peak travel periods like cherry blossom season, we’d even recommend booking 7–8 months ahead — obviously only if the hotel already has availability by then.
Planning far enough ahead also lets you keep an eye on prices for a while before you commit. That’s never a bad strategy.
Affordable Travel Season for Tokyo
The time of year makes a huge difference to hotel prices — that’s true at almost every destination, and Tokyo is no exception.
During the off-season, hotels in Tokyo are noticeably cheaper. Compared to cherry blossom season, the difference is often at least 50–100 euros per night.
If you’re flexible, traveling in the off-season is one of the easiest ways to save money on where to stay in Tokyo. The off-season runs from mid-November to mid-December and from mid-January to early March. The weather is a bit cooler, but winter is honestly a really great time to visit — and you’ll have the best chances of seeing Mount Fuji.
June, July, and August can also be cheaper than spring and fall, since it’s very hot and humid then.
Travel to Tokyo on the Right Days of the Week
Weekend nights (Friday and Saturday) are typically significantly more expensive than weeknights — the difference is usually at least 30–40 euros.
Whenever possible, it’s worth avoiding weekend nights.
We’d suggest spending at least five days in Tokyo. You can easily schedule that between Sunday and Friday.
If you want to spend even more time there, you can always tack on a few extra days at the end of your trip around Japan.
Don't Book a Hotel Outside the City Center
As tempting as it may be, we really can’t recommend it.
Hotel prices outside the center are noticeably cheaper, but the big downside is that you’ll have to take public transit into the center every morning and evening. Trust us, you don’t want that.
You’d be sharing the train with millions of commuters heading to and from work. If you’ve ever seen a photo of people being packed into Tokyo’s trains like sardines, you’ll understand exactly why that’s not a good idea.
