What is the construction cost of residences in Japan in terms of unit price per square meter?
In this issue of the “Special Report on Construction Costs per Square Meter,” we will introduce the construction costs of residences in Japan in 2020 by focusing on the unit price per square meter.
By structure, wooden residences cost JPY 172,000 per square meter.
First, a look at the construction cost of residences nationwide in 2020 by structure shows that the highest unit cost per square meter was JPY 266,000 per square meter for steel reinforced concrete structures. This was followed by reinforced concrete, and steel structures at JPY 261,000 per square meter and JPY 249,000 per square meter, respectively. On the other hand, the unit price per square meter for wooden structures was JPY 172,000 per square meter and was the lowest among the four types of structures discussed here. (See figure below)
In the figure above, the average unit price per square meter for all structures is JPY 197,000 per square meter, which is in between the cost of wooden structures and steel structures. This is probably due to the fact that around 69% of residences are constructed as wood structures. (See figure below)
Residence unit price per square meter by prefecture
(1) Nagano and Yamanashi have the highest level of construction cost for wood residences
Looking at the level of construction costs for wood residences by prefecture shows the highest was JPY 193,000 per square meter in Nagano and JPY 186,000 per square meter in Yamanashi. This was followed by JPY 185,000 per square meter in Kagawa and JPY 184,000 per square meter in Kochi, Okayama, and Mie. The unit cost per square meter in Tokyo was JPY 177,000 per square meter. (See figure below)
On the other hand, the lowest unit price per square meter was JPY 161,000 per square meter in Osaka and Miyazaki, followed by JPY 162,000 per square meter in Saitama and Saga. Construction cost levels of wooden residences in each prefecture nationwide are generally between JPY 160,000 per square meter and JPY 190,000 per square meter.
(2) The unit price per square meter for reinforced concrete residences in Tokyo is notably high
Looking at the level of construction costs for reinforced concrete residences by prefecture shows the highest was JPY 325,000 per square meter in Tokyo, followed by JPY 293,000 per square meter in Kanagawa, JPY 285,000 per square meter in Nagano, JPY 281,000 per square meter in Yamanashi, and JPY 279,000 per square meter in Miyagi. Considering the fact that construction costs in regions other than Tokyo are under JPY 300,000 per square meter, it can be said that costs in Tokyo are notably high.(See figure below)
On the other hand, the lowest unit price per square meter was JPY 156,000 per square meter in Kochi, followed by JPY 164,000 per square meter in Tokushima, JPY 190,000 per square meter in Hokkaido, and JPY 191,000 per square meter in Kumamoto. The construction cost of reinforced concrete residences, unlike that of wooden residences, differs greatly depending on the prefecture.
(3) The construction cost of steel residences is high in Tokyo, Kanagawa, and Kyoto
Looking at the level of construction costs for steel residences by prefectures shows the highest was JPY 295,000 per square meter in Tokyo, followed by JPY 278,000 per square meter in Kanagawa, JPY 261,000 per square meter in Kyoto, and JPY 259,000 per square meter in Aichi. On the other hand, the lowest unit price per square meter was JPY 148,000 per square meter in Yamagata, JPY 182,000 per square meter in Nagasaki, and JPY 188,000 per square meter in Shimane. (See figure below)
Construction cost trends for residences in Tokyo and nationwide
(1) Construction cost trends of wooden residences
Looking at construction cost levels for wooden residences in Tokyo shows that construction cost levels for wooden residences in Tokyo generally remained flat between 2011 and 2020 by hovering around JPY 173,000 and JPY 177,000 per square meter. (See figure below)
On the other hand, a look at construction cost levels for wooden residences nationwide shows that they have been rising steadily year by year, from JPY 158,000 per square meter in 2011 to JPY 172,000 per square meter in 2020. In the past 9 years, construction costs have risen by approximately 8.8%, or around JPY 14,000 per square meter. (See figure below)
(2) Construction cost trends for reinforced concrete residences
Next, looking at construction cost levels for reinforced concrete residences in Tokyo from 2011 to 2020 shows that there was a sharp increase of around 49% from JPY 217,000 per square meter in 2011 to JPY 323,000 per square meter in 2017. Afterwards, costs dipped to JPY 310,000 per square meter in 2018 before rising again to JPY 325,000 per square meter in 2020. (See figure below)
Next, looking at construction cost levels for reinforced concrete residences nationwide shows that there was a sharp increase of around 35% from JPY 181,000 per square meter in 2012 to JPY 244,000 per square meter in 2017. Afterwards, costs dipped to JPY 243,000 per square meter in 2018 before rising to JPY 250,000 per square meter in 2019 and JPY 261,000 per square meter in 2020, showing a rising trend like that of Tokyo. (See figure below)
(3) Construction cost trends for steel residences
As in the cases of wooden and reinforced concrete residences, the construction cost levels of steel residences in Tokyo are rising. They have risen around 27% over the past 9 years from JPY 232,000 per square meter in 2011 to JPY 295,000 per square meter in 2020. (See figure below)
Similar to the situation in Tokyo, the construction cost of steel residences nationwide bottomed out at JPY 197,000 per square meter in 2011 before it went on an upward trend and jumped around 26% in 9 years to JPY 249,000 per square meter in 2020. (See figure below)
Thus, construction cost levels for residences have not changed significantly for wooden structures. However, significant changes were seen for reinforced concrete and steel structures. Construction cost levels for reinforced concrete and steel structures in Tokyo and nationwide have risen in 2020 compared to 2019 levels.
This article introduced construction costs per square meter for residences.
It is worth mentioning that acquiring construction costs using statistical data introduced in this column is suitable for grasping construction cost trends in a large market covering cities or the entire country, but is not as suitable for projects that are highly individualized or require high accuracy.
For more construction cost information, please click below.
- Construction cost for Apartment Complexes
- Construction cost for Detached Residences
- Construction cost for Rental Apartments
- Construction cost for Shared Residences
- Construction cost for Residences
- Construction cost for Office Buildings
- Construction cost for Factories
- Construction cost for Warehouses
- Construction cost for Commercial Stores
- Construction cost for Hotels
- Construction cost for Hospitals
- Construction cost for Welfare and Nursing Care Facilities
- Construction cost for Schools
Reference｜Data List
Construction Costs Per Square Meter in Japan｜Residences (wood structures)
| Prefectures in Japan | Construction Costs (Unit : Thousand yen per square meter) |
|---|---|
| Nagano | 193 |
| Yamanashi | 186 |
| Kagawa | 185 |
| Kochi | 184 |
| Okayama | 184 |
| Mie | 184 |
| Toyama | 182 |
| Hokkaido | 182 |
| Yamaguchi | 181 |
| Tottori | 181 |
| Niigata | 180 |
| Iwate | 179 |
| Ishikawa | 179 |
| Shizuoka | 178 |
| Shimane | 177 |
| Tokyo | 177 |
| Fukushima | 176 |
| Yamagata | 176 |
| Fukui | 175 |
| Okinawa | 175 |
| Kyoto | 175 |
| Kumamoto | 174 |
| Miyagi | 173 |
| Aichi | 173 |
| Nagasaki | 172 |
| Kagoshima | 172 |
| Ehime | 172 |
| Gifu | 171 |
| Akita | 171 |
| Ibaraki | 171 |
| Tokushima | 170 |
| Gunma | 170 |
| Aomori | 169 |
| Hiroshima | 169 |
| Tochigi | 169 |
| Hyogo | 168 |
| Chiba | 168 |
| Nara | 167 |
| Shiga | 166 |
| Fukuoka | 166 |
| Kanagawa | 166 |
| Oita | 165 |
| Wakayama | 165 |
| Saga | 164 |
| Saitama | 164 |
| Miyazaki | 161 |
| Osaka | 161 |
| Nationwide | 172 |
Source: Compiled based on the Statistical Survey of Building Starts (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) (as of 2020)
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