Moving to California from Japan
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Japan to California — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Japan to California, you would find that California is 2.3 times more expensive than Japan overall. A ¥12,131,633 salary in Japan would need to be roughly $133,484 in California to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. What to expect for your wallet after moving from Japan to California. What does your salary buy? ¥12,131,633 → $133,484 To maintain the same standard of living in California Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day Restaurants pay 2.8 times more Groceries pay 46.4% more Transportation pay 8.4% more Housing pay 3.4 times more Childcare pay 3.9 times more Entertainment and Sports pay 96.1% 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 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 California cost about 109% more than cities in Japan. Compare cities head-to-head We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes. How many people actually move from Japan to California, based on official data. people moved from Japan to United States · OECD (latest data available) Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents. Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Japan to California. share of adults with obesity Japan performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics. share of households with internet California performs significantly better than Japan across all infrastructure metrics. percentage of the labour force without work a broad measure of economic output per person share of people below the poverty line California generally does better on employment & economy, though Japan leads in unemployment rate. average years of life at birth Japan performs better than California across all family life metrics. Data: The World Factbook Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Short-stay tourist visa rules between Japan and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority. Japan passport holder visiting United States United States passport holder visiting Japan Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements. No — California is on average about 78% more expensive than Japan. City-level variation matters. Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $33,371 in California on a ¥12,131,633 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees). Usually fine from major cities in California. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries. Japan performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics. The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 69°F in Tokyo. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Tokyo gets 62.9 in. The official language in California is English. In Japan, the official language is Japanese. How Far Will Your Money Go?
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Tokyo Sacramento Jan–Mar 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) Apr–Jun 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) Jul–Sep 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) Oct–Dec 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) View all months
Month Tokyo Sacramento Jan 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) Feb 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) Mar 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) Apr 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) May 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) Jun 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) Jul 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) Aug 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) Sep 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) Oct 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) Nov 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) Dec 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) Visitor Visa Requirements
Frequently Asked Questions
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Japan Meteorological Agency
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