Moving to Japan from Albania
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Albania to Japan — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Albania to Japan, you would find that Japan is 10.0% more expensive than Albania overall. A ALL6,100,000 salary in Albania would need to be roughly ¥13,100,000 in Japan to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Japanese. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Japan cheaper than Albania?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 31.8% less
Groceries
pay 42.3% more
Transportation
pay 7.7% less
Housing
pay 15.2% more
Childcare
pay 2.2 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 16.6% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Japan?
What does your salary buy?
ALL6,100,000 → ¥13,100,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Japan
Calculate with your salary →Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Japan cost about 13% less than cities in Albania.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Japan
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Albania to Japan, based on official data.
Who's moving to Japan?
Top countries of origin for Japan's foreign-born residents.
- 775,893
- 456,203
- 335,668
- 275,252
- 204,814
- 58,340
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Albania to Japan.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Japan performs significantly better than Albania across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Japan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Albania leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Albania generally does better on environment, though Japan leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Albania generally does better on infrastructure, though Japan leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Japan generally does better on employment & economy, though Albania leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Japan performs significantly better than Albania across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Albanian Taxation Office (2016), National Tax Agency Japan (2016), The World Factbook (2013). How we calculate this
Can you move from Albania to Japan?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Albania and Japan. To live, work, or study long-term in Japan, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Japan's immigration authority.
Albania passport holder visiting Japan
Visa Required
Japan passport holder visiting Albania
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Japan than Albania?
No — Japan is on average about 10% more expensive than Albania. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Japan?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly ¥3,275,000 in Japan on a ALL6,100,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Japan?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Japan has 38.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Japan safe for expats?
Japan performs significantly better than Albania across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Japan is 0.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.4 in Albania.
How is healthcare in Japan compared to Albania?
Japan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Albania leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 26.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Japan, compared to 18.8 in Albania. Japan scores 83 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Albania: 64).
What language do they speak in Japan?
The official language in Japan is Japanese. In Albania, the official language is Albanian.
