Tokyo rent among world's highest per square meter

A survey shows that single people living in rental housing in Tokyo must pay much more and live in much smaller quarters compared to their counterparts in major cities overseas.

An affiliate of Japanese information service company Recruit in July and August surveyed about 4,000 people living in rental housing in Tokyo, New York, London and Paris.

The floor space of single-tenant residences in Tokyo averaged 28.1 square meters -- less than half of that in London and New York.

Rent per square meter was about 30 dollars in Tokyo, roughly twice the cost in London and about 10 dollars higher than in New York and Paris.

The company that organized the survey says living alone in Tokyo is an economic challenge with possible negative psychological effects.