Moving to Japan from Colorado
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Colorado to Japan — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Colorado to Japan, you would find that Japan is 50.4% cheaper than Colorado. A $75,000 salary in Colorado would need to be roughly ¥5,840,000 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 Colorado?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 62.4% less
Groceries
pay 20.7% less
Transportation
pay 10.5% less
Housing
pay 70.5% less
Childcare
pay 62.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 38.3% 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.
What salary do you need in Japan?
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → ¥5,840,000
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 45% less than cities in Colorado.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Japan
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Colorado to Japan, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from United States 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
-
6.58,340
United States
Key Indicator Comparison
How Colorado and Japan stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Japan performs significantly better than Colorado across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Colorado performs better than Japan across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Colorado generally does better on employment & economy, though Japan leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Japan performs significantly better than Colorado across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), The World Factbook (2013), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Japan vs Colorado
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Denver | Tokyo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/21°F (9°/-6°C) | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/43°F (22°/6°C) | 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/55°F (29°/13°C) | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 53°/26°F (12°/-3°C) | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Denver | Tokyo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44°/17°F (6.7°/-8.1°C) | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) |
| Feb | 46°/19°F (7.9°/-7.3°C) | 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) |
| Mar | 54°/26°F (12.4°/-3.1°C) | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) |
| Apr | 62°/33°F (16.4°/0.7°C) | 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) |
| May | 71°/43°F (21.9°/5.9°C) | 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) |
| Jun | 82°/52°F (28.0°/11.3°C) | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) |
| Jul | 89°/59°F (31.9°/14.9°C) | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) |
| Aug | 87°/58°F (30.7°/14.4°C) | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) |
| Sep | 78°/48°F (25.8°/9.1°C) | 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) |
| Oct | 65°/37°F (18.5°/2.6°C) | 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) |
| Nov | 52°/24°F (11.2°/-4.2°C) | 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) |
| Dec | 43°/17°F (6.0°/-8.3°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) |
National Weather Service
Japan Meteorological AgencyCan you move from Colorado to Japan?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States 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.
United States passport holder visiting Japan
Visa Free
Japan passport holder visiting United States
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 Colorado?
Generally yes: Japan runs about 50% cheaper than Colorado 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 $75,000 comparable salary, that's around ¥1,460,000 in Japan for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Japan?
Working remotely from Japan's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Colorado and Japan.
How is healthcare in Japan compared to Colorado?
Japan performs significantly better than Colorado across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Japan compared to Colorado?
The average high temperature in Tokyo is 69°F, compared to 65°F in Denver. Tokyo receives around 62.9 in of rainfall per year, while Denver gets 14.3 in.
What language do they speak in Japan?
The official language in Japan is Japanese. In Colorado, the official language is English.
