Big city, small home: How millennials face an urban squeeze amid rising rents in Asia-Pacific

Bianca Popa

Swopping space for savings has become a reality for many young adults who desire the convenience of city living but grapple with rising costs. CNA’s Money Mind discovers how three individuals have learned to embrace, and endure, their cramped quarters. TOKYO/MANILA/SYDNEY: Kazuki Hirata’s Tokyo flat may be 9 square metres — about the size of six tatami mats — but it is home nonetheless, at a monthly rent of 83,000 yen (S$720). The 31-year-old has learned to sleep diagonally on his futon and