Moving to Japan from Australia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Australia to Japan — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Australia to Japan, you would find that Japan is 29.6% cheaper than Australia overall. A A$107,450 salary in Australia would need to be roughly ¥8,268,501 in Japan to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Japanese.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Australia to Japan.
What does your salary buy?
A$107,450 → ¥8,268,501
To maintain the same standard of living in Japan
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 58.1% less
Groceries
pay 0.3% more
Transportation
pay 2.4% less
Housing
pay 41.8% less
Childcare
pay 42.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 30.0% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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 30% less than cities in Australia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Australia to Japan, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Australia to Japan · OECD (latest data available)
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
- · · ·
-
16.11,572
Australia
Key Indicator Comparison
How Australia and Japan stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Japan performs significantly better than Australia 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
Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Japan 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
Australia generally does better on environment, though Japan leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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
Australia 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
Australia generally does better on employment & economy, though Japan leads in unemployment 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 generally does better on family life, though Australia leads in education spending.
Data: Australian Taxation Office, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Canberra | Tokyo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Canberra | Tokyo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) |
| Feb | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) | 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) |
| Mar | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) |
| Apr | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) | 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) |
| May | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) | 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) |
| Jun | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) |
| Jul | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) |
| Aug | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) |
| Sep | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) | 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) |
| Oct | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) | 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) |
| Nov | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) | 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) |
| Dec | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) |
Bureau of Meteorology
Japan Meteorological AgencyVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Australia 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.
Australia passport holder visiting Japan
Visa Free
Japan passport holder visiting Australia
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: 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 Australia?
Generally yes: Japan runs about 32% cheaper than Australia on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Japan?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a A$107,450 comparable salary, that's around ¥2,067,125 in Japan for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Japan?
With 37.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Japan can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Australia and Japan.
Is Japan safe for expats?
Japan performs significantly better than Australia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Japan is 0.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Australia.
How is healthcare in Japan compared to Australia?
Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Japan leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Japan, compared to 39.8 in Australia. Japan scores 83 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Australia: 87).
What's the weather like in Japan compared to Australia?
The average high temperature in Tokyo is 69°F, compared to 67°F in Canberra. Tokyo receives around 62.9 in of rainfall per year, while Canberra gets 24.8 in.
What language do they speak in Japan?
The official language in Japan is Japanese. In Australia, the official language is English.
