[2026 Survey on Cohabitation in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area] About 1 in 3 People Are Dissatisfied with Rent Payments During Cohabitation...! Thorough Investigation into Fixed Costs and Daily Necessities Payments!

Crecari Inc. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Takahiko Masuda) conducted a survey on 'The Causal Relationship Between Financial Troubles and Payment Methods in Cohabitation/Living Together' targeting men and women in their 20s to 40s living with a partner or spouse in the Tokyo metropolitan area (Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa) who pay rent from their combined income.

'Cohabitation with a partner' or 'a new life after marriage.' While expectations for a new life grow, the extremely realistic issue of 'sharing living expenses' is unavoidable. Due to recent price increases, many couples are choosing to live together to reduce fixed costs and improve household efficiency. However, living under the same roof can reveal differences in values regarding management methods and payment rules. In today's convenience-driven world, how does the method of paying living expenses affect the relationship with a partner?

Therefore, Crecari Inc. (https://crecari.com/) conducted this survey on 'The Causal Relationship Between Financial Troubles and Payment Methods in Cohabitation/Living Together' targeting men and women in their 20s to 40s living with a partner or spouse in the Tokyo metropolitan area who pay rent from their combined income.

Survey Overview: Survey on 'The Causal Relationship Between Financial Troubles and Payment Methods in Cohabitation/Living Together' [Survey Period] Tuesday, April 28, 2026 – Sunday, May 3, 2026 [Survey Method] Internet survey via PRIZMA (https://www.prizma-link.com/press) [Number of Respondents] 1,019 people [Survey Target] Monitors who, at the time of the survey, lived in the Tokyo metropolitan area, were cohabiting/living with a partner or spouse, were in their 20s to 40s, and paid rent from their combined income. [Survey Source] Crecari Inc. (https://crecari.com/) [Monitor Provider] Sacrisa

Approximately 30% of people feel financial dissatisfaction with their partner or spouse during cohabitation. First, when asked 'How do you pay for each item?', the results were as follows. Overall, 'splitting' is the norm, with about half splitting variable costs like dining out, dates, and groceries. On the other hand, for fixed costs like rent and utilities, the proportions of 'splitting' and 'partner/spouse paying' were nearly equal. It was found that while daily small expenses are flexibly shared, for large fixed costs, one person, mainly the partner/spouse, often bears the total cost.

Rent, a particularly large burden among living expenses, can it cause friction between couples? When asked, 'Have you ever felt awkward or dissatisfied with your partner/spouse regarding rent payments?', about 30% answered 'Often (7.5%)' or 'Sometimes (21.8%)'. While many have never felt awkward or anxious, it became clear that about one in three people have experienced some dissatisfaction with their partner/spouse over rent.

What specific reasons lie behind this dissatisfaction with rent payments? Those who answered 'Often' or 'Sometimes' in the previous question were asked the reason for feeling awkward or dissatisfied. The most common response was 'I am the only one paying the rent' (37.9%), followed by 'My partner/spouse forgot to pay the rent' (22.5%) and 'The rent burden ratio does not match the income difference with my partner/spouse' (17.5%). The most common reason for dissatisfaction was the unfairness of 'being the only one paying'. 'Partner/spouse forgetting to pay' was also frequently mentioned, indicating that not only the financial burden but also the partner's carelessness and the hassle of management are major stressors. Furthermore, the notable opinion that 'the share is not proportional to income' suggests a need for a satisfactory sharing rule that matches each person's financial situation.

Comparison of Rent by Age in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area! About 30% Pay Rent by Credit Card While complaints about burden ratios and income differences were raised, what is the actual rent range for couples? When asked about 'current rent', the most common response was '100,000 to less than 150,000 yen' (36.5%), followed by '50,000 to less than 100,000 yen' (35.8%) and '150,000 to less than 200,000 yen' (15.3%). About 70% of couples in the Tokyo area pay rent in the '50,000 to less than 150,000 yen' range. Including those paying '150,000 to less than 200,000 yen', this reaches about 90%, showing that many couples spend a large amount on rent each month.

So, how are these monthly living expenses, including rent, actually paid? When asked about the payment method for each item (*for 'Dining out/Date expenses', options other than 'Bank transfer/Automatic debit' were selected), the results were as follows. For living expenses other than rent, 'Credit card payment' was the majority, exceeding half, indicating the prevalence of cashless payments. On the other hand, for 'rent', which should be the largest expense, 'Bank transfer/Automatic debit' accounted for about half, highlighting the fact that only rent has not yet shifted to credit card payments compared to other living expenses.

Why has credit card payment not become more common for rent? Those who did not answer 'Credit card payment' for rent in the previous question were asked the reason. The most common response was 'The property does not accept credit card payments' (64.0%), followed by 'I prefer cash payments' (8.0%) and 'There is a transaction fee' (7.1%). About 60% cited 'the property does not accept credit cards' as the reason, revealing that the rental property system and contract rules, rather than the resident's own preference, are the barrier to payment methods. 'Cash payment preference' and 'transaction fees' were each less than 10%, suggesting that for many people, paying rent by credit card is not a matter of 'choosing not to', but a structural situation where they 'cannot choose'.

Conversely, what reasons do those who pay rent by credit card have for choosing this method? Those who answered 'Credit card payment' for rent in the previous question were asked the reason. The most common response was 'To earn points or miles' (72.5%), followed by 'To save the trouble of preparing cash' (34.3%) and 'To make household budgeting easier' (20.2%). About 70% cited 'points