Moving to Australia from Japan
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Japan to Australia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Japan to Australia, you would find that Australia is 95.4% more expensive than Japan overall. A ¥12,124,875 salary in Japan would need to be roughly A$158,939 in Australia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Japan to Australia.
What does your salary buy?
¥12,124,875 → A$158,939
To maintain the same standard of living in Australia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 2.4 times more
Groceries
pay 10.3% more
Transportation
pay 10.1% more
Housing
pay 91.4% more
Childcare
pay 3.0 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.6 times 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.
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 Australia cost about 43% more than cities in Japan.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Japan to Australia, based on official data.
Who's moving to Australia?
Top countries of origin for Australia's foreign-born residents.
- 1,285,149
- 653,232
- 611,266
- 579,264
- 286,303
- 269,812
- · · ·
-
31.54,136
Japan
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Japan to Australia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Japan performs 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
Japan generally does better on environment, though Australia 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
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: National Tax Agency Japan, 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 | Tokyo | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Tokyo | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) |
| Feb | 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) |
| Mar | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) |
| Apr | 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) |
| May | 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) |
| Jun | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) |
| Jul | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) |
| Aug | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) |
| Sep | 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) |
| Oct | 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) |
| Dec | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) |
Japan Meteorological Agency
Bureau of MeteorologyVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Japan and Australia. To live, work, or study long-term in Australia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Australia's immigration authority.
Japan passport holder visiting Australia
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Australia passport holder visiting Japan
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 Australia than Japan?
No — Australia is on average about 47% more expensive than Japan. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Australia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly A$39,735 in Australia on a ¥12,124,875 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Australia?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Australia has 35.1 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 Australia safe for expats?
Japan performs better than Australia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Australia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.2 in Japan.
How is healthcare in Australia compared to Japan?
Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Japan leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 39.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Australia, compared to 26.1 in Japan. Australia scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Japan: 83).
What's the weather like in Australia compared to Japan?
The average high temperature in Canberra is 67°F, compared to 69°F in Tokyo. Canberra receives around 24.8 in of rainfall per year, while Tokyo gets 62.9 in.
What language do they speak in Australia?
The official language in Australia is English. In Japan, the official language is Japanese.
