Moving to Illinois from Japan
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Japan to Illinois — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Japan to Illinois, you would find that Illinois is 74.1% more expensive than Japan overall. A ¥12,000,000 salary in Japan would need to be roughly $133,000 in Illinois 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. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Chicago averages 59°F vs 69°F in Tokyo, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Illinois cheaper than Japan?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.3 times more
Groceries
pay 18.1% more
Transportation
pay 12.1% more
Housing
pay 2.5 times more
Childcare
pay 2.6 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 47.2% 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 Illinois?
What does your salary buy?
¥12,000,000 → $133,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Illinois
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 Illinois cost about 55% more than cities in Japan.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Illinois
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Japan to Illinois, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Japan to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
29.319,968
Japan
Key Indicator Comparison
How Japan and Illinois stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Japan performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Illinois performs significantly 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
Illinois 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 better than Illinois across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), The World Factbook (2013), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Illinois vs Japan
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Tokyo | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) | 38°/22°F (3°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) | 70°/48°F (21°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) | 80°/60°F (27°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) | 48°/32°F (9°/0°C) |
View all months
| Month | Tokyo | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) | 31°/17°F (-0.6°/-8.6°C) |
| Feb | 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) | 35°/20°F (1.8°/-6.6°C) |
| Mar | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) | 47°/29°F (8.1°/-1.6°C) |
| Apr | 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) | 59°/39°F (15.0°/3.8°C) |
| May | 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) | 70°/48°F (21.1°/9.1°C) |
| Jun | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) | 80°/58°F (26.5°/14.5°C) |
| Jul | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) | 84°/64°F (28.9°/17.7°C) |
| Aug | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) | 82°/63°F (27.7°/17.2°C) |
| Sep | 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) | 75°/54°F (23.8°/12.4°C) |
| Oct | 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) | 62°/43°F (16.8°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) | 48°/32°F (9.0°/0.2°C) |
| Dec | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) | 35°/21°F (1.6°/-6.3°C) |
Japan Meteorological Agency
National Weather ServiceCan you move from Japan to Illinois?
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
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States 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 Illinois than Japan?
Day-to-day costs in Illinois run about 74% higher than Japan on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Illinois?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ¥12,000,000 comparable salary, that's around $33,250 in Illinois for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Illinois?
Working remotely from Illinois's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Japan and Illinois.
How is healthcare in Illinois compared to Japan?
Japan performs better than Illinois across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Illinois compared to Japan?
The average high temperature in Chicago is 59°F, compared to 69°F in Tokyo. Chicago receives around 36.9 in of rainfall per year, while Tokyo gets 62.9 in.
What language do they speak in Illinois?
The official language in Illinois is English. In Japan, the official language is Japanese.
