America, 24, pays $ 238 a month for its apartment in Japan

In 2024, Lixi Smith24, she was working as a teacher in Atlanta, Georgia, when she decided that she was ready to change the scene.

Smith began exploring the possibility of teaching English abroad and working with XPLORE ASIA, an organization that helps individuals obtain a TEFL certificate (teaching English as a foreign language) to work and study abroad.

“I didn’t completely like the school system because there was an arrogant administration that could not have had difficulty living on my salary,” CNBC told CNBC. “When I discovered that I could teach abroad for a much easier life and the ability to see more culture, I had to jump on it.”

Smith obtained a TEFL certificate and taught English as a foreign language in the United States a little while Xplore ASIA has worked to find an employer abroad.

Ultimately, Smith obtained a teaching position in one of ICIOWA, a private school in English that focuses on the English language for the conversation, in Chiba Governorate in Japan and moved in March this year.

Chiba province is located on the East Pacific coast in Japan to the east of Tokyo. It is about four hours drive from the country’s capital.

“Living in the countryside in Chiba province is completely different from Tokyo. Things are much cheaper here. Culture is more respectful, and what you see when you look around is rice fields.”

One of Smith’s job privileges was that her employer was able to secure her apartment before she reached Japan. It is one bedroom apartment and one bathroom with a balcony and a wardrobe that is rented 35,000 yen or $ 238 a month. The apartment is also close to school where Smith knows.

Smith admits that she was tense from moving to the countryside, after she grew up in a city like Atlanta, but it was much easier transitional than she expected.

“I really moved here myself without knowing the language or anyone here. My family knows that I am a ground child, and I want to see the world. I am a free spirit, so they accepted her.” “They were somewhat nervous for me, but after almost interviewed my managers and seeing how well I was very ready, they no longer were about anymore.”

Smith’s employment contract includes its employer, which covers the costs of some expenses, such as the main money-one-time payment and non-refundable to the owner when renting an apartment or house. Smith was also not obliged to put out a security deposit, and this is usually the case in the United States, and its employer also drives the fire of fire.

The apartment also came with a carrier in her bathroom, and the balcony is used to dry her clothes. One of the unique aspects of the apartment is that it came with an emergency bag containing elements, such as a safety helmet, needed in the event of events such as tsunami, fire or earthquake.

Some other monthly expenditures include water, gas, electricity, health insurance and grocery stores, which number about $ 376 a month.

Although Smith enjoys her time in Japan, she already knows that she will return to Atlanta at the end of her contract for a year.

“There is a large part of me who wants to stay longer than a year in Japan, but there is a lot of the world to be seen. As I like Japan, I can’t wait to expand myself too to see the rest of the world as well,” says Smith.

“I miss my family. We are really firm, so it is difficult 7,000 miles away from them, but also to be a southern girl, I miss my soul a lot. Japan food is great, but there is nothing like good green color at the end of the day.”

Smith is still not sure what you will do when she returns to the United States, but she is considering obtaining a graduate degree or returning to teaching.

“I am not quite sure of what the future hides for me, but I am excited to take any path for it,” she says.

One of the ways that Smith is sure is that she gets the most beneficial from her experience in living in Japan is to document her journey on social media, and she started doing after three months of moving.

“I decided to start sharing my experience because people do not know what a normal life is. I feel that Tokyo gets a lot of viewers, but all Japan is not Tokyo. Many of us live in the countryside and live a regular life, and I wanted to share this with the world.

Since she started sharing her life in Japan on Tiktok, Smith says the reception was positive.

“Many people who live in Japan see themselves inside me. They feel that I am participating in the authentic Japanese experience and this means a lot for me that I can create this vision as it may not be present,” she says.

“For the other people who resemble me, (they can) also feel that they are able to do this as well. I feel that learn more about where you are going and seeing others do this can take some fear of taking this step.”

References from the Japanese yen to the US dollar were made using the 147 -yen -yen -yen convert rate to $ 1 on August 30, 2025. All amounts are brought to the nearest dollar.

Want to be your own boss? Subscribe to Smarter by CNBC, make it a new online course, How to start business: for the founders for the first time. Look for step -by -step guidelines to launch your first business, from testing your idea to the growth of your revenues. Register today with an early coupon code to get an introductory discount of 30 % of the price of the regular cycle of $ 127 (in addition to the tax). Saleh’s offer from September 16 to September 30, 2025.

plus, Subscribe to CNBC, make it the newsletter To obtain advice and tricks to work at work, with money and life, and Request to join our exclusive community on LinkedIn To communicate with experts and peers.