Moving to India from Japan
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Japan to India — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Japan to India, you would find that India is 70.3% cheaper than Japan overall. A ¥12,000,000 salary in Japan would need to be roughly ₹2,180,000 in India to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English, Hindi and Tamil. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Delhi averages 88°F vs 69°F in Tokyo, making it significantly warmer.
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 Japan to India.
What does your salary buy?
¥12,000,000 → ₹2,180,000
To maintain the same standard of living in India
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 59.4% less
Groceries
pay 72.3% less
Transportation
pay 58.0% less
Housing
pay 77.3% less
Childcare
pay 86.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 57.9% 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 India cost about 52% less than cities in Japan.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Japan to India, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Japan and India 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 better than India 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
Japan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though India 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 India 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
Japan performs better than India across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Japan generally does better on employment & economy, though India leads in top income tax 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 India leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2011–2013), National Tax Agency Japan (2016), Ministry of Finance, Government of India (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Tokyo | Delhi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) | 76°/52°F (25°/11°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) | 101°/78°F (38°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) | 93°/79°F (34°/26°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) | 82°/56°F (28°/14°C) |
View all months
| Month | Tokyo | Delhi |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) | 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C) |
| Feb | 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) | 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.3°C) |
| Mar | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) | 85°/60°F (29.6°/15.4°C) |
| Apr | 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) | 97°/71°F (36.0°/21.5°C) |
| May | 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) | 104°/79°F (39.8°/26.2°C) |
| Jun | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) | 103°/83°F (39.4°/28.3°C) |
| Jul | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) | 95°/81°F (35.2°/27.0°C) |
| Aug | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) | 92°/79°F (33.6°/26.2°C) |
| Sep | 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) | 93°/76°F (34.0°/24.7°C) |
| Oct | 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) | 91°/67°F (32.9°/19.4°C) |
| Nov | 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) | 82°/55°F (28.0°/12.8°C) |
| Dec | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) | 73°/47°F (22.7°/8.4°C) |
Data:
Japan Meteorological Agency,
India Meteorological Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Japan and India. To live, work, or study long-term in India, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check India's immigration authority.
Japan passport holder visiting India
Visa on Arrival
India passport holder visiting Japan
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in India than Japan?
Generally yes: India runs about 70% cheaper than Japan on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to India?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ¥12,000,000 comparable salary, that's around ₹545,000 in India for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from India?
With 3.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, India can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Japan and India.
Is India safe for expats?
Japan performs better than India across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in India is 2.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.2 in Japan.
How is healthcare in India compared to Japan?
Japan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though India leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 7.2 doctors per 10,000 people in India, compared to 26.5 in Japan. India scores 63 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Japan: 83).
What's the weather like in India compared to Japan?
The average high temperature in Delhi is 88°F, compared to 69°F in Tokyo. Delhi receives around 28.2 in of rainfall per year, while Tokyo gets 62.9 in.
What language do they speak in India?
The official languages in India are English, Hindi and Tamil. In Japan, the official language is Japanese.
