Moving to Iowa from Japan
What to Expect
Considering a move from Japan to Iowa? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Japan to Iowa, you would find that Iowa is 51.8% more expensive than Japan overall. A ¥12,000,000 salary in Japan would need to be roughly $116,000 in Iowa 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.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Iowa cheaper than Japan?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 2.4 times more
Groceries
pay 9.2% more
Transportation
pay 11.4% less
Housing
pay 2.0 times more
Childcare
pay 2.1 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 49.2% 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 Iowa?
What does your salary buy?
¥12,000,000 → $116,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Iowa
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 Iowa cost about 50% more than cities in Japan.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Iowa
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Japan to Iowa.
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
The numbers behind daily life in Iowa compared to Japan.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Japan performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Iowa 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
Iowa 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 Iowa 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 Iowa vs Japan
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Tokyo | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) | 39°/21°F (4°/-6°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Tokyo | Des Moines |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) | 31°/14°F (-0.6°/-9.8°C) |
| Feb | 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) | 36°/19°F (2.3°/-7.3°C) |
| Mar | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-1.3°C) |
| Apr | 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| May | 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) | 72°/52°F (22.4°/11.2°C) |
| Jun | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) | 82°/62°F (27.6°/16.7°C) |
| Jul | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) | 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.3°C) |
| Aug | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) | 84°/65°F (28.8°/18.2°C) |
| Sep | 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) | 76°/55°F (24.5°/12.9°C) |
| Oct | 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) | 63°/43°F (17.3°/6.1°C) |
| Nov | 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.8°C) |
| Dec | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) | 34°/18°F (1.1°/-7.8°C) |
Japan Meteorological Agency
National Weather ServiceCan you move from Japan to Iowa?
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 Iowa than Japan?
On average Iowa is around 52% pricier than Japan, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Iowa?
Budget about $29,000 for 3 months in Iowa (based on a ¥12,000,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Iowa?
From major Iowa cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Japan and Iowa are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Iowa compared to Japan?
Japan performs better than Iowa across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Iowa compared to Japan?
The average high temperature in Des Moines is 60°F, compared to 69°F in Tokyo. Des Moines receives around 36.0 in of rainfall per year, while Tokyo gets 62.9 in.
What language do they speak in Iowa?
The official language in Iowa is English. In Japan, the official language is Japanese.
