Moving to Italy from Japan
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Japan to Italy — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Japan to Italy, you would find that Italy is 45.7% more expensive than Japan overall. A ¥12,183,450 salary in Japan would need to be roughly €88,759 in Italy to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Catalan and Italian. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Japan to Italy.
What does your salary buy?
¥12,183,450 → €88,759
To maintain the same standard of living in Italy
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.4 times more
Groceries
pay 9.5% more
Transportation
pay 20.6% more
Housing
pay 32.7% more
Childcare
pay 29.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 28.4% 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 Italy cost about 34% more 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 Italy, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Japan and Italy stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Japan performs better than Italy 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
Italy generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Japan leads in adult obesity rate.
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 Italy 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 generally does better on infrastructure, though Italy leads in water stress level.
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 Italy leads in gdp per capita.
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 Italy 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 | Rome |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) | 56°/39°F (13°/4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) | 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) | 85°/63°F (29°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Tokyo | Rome |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.1°C) |
| Feb | 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) | 55°/38°F (13.0°/3.5°C) |
| Mar | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) | 59°/41°F (15.2°/5.2°C) |
| Apr | 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) | 64°/46°F (17.7°/7.5°C) |
| May | 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) | 73°/53°F (22.8°/11.6°C) |
| Jun | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) | 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.3°C) |
| Jul | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) | 87°/64°F (30.3°/18.0°C) |
| Aug | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) | 87°/65°F (30.6°/18.3°C) |
| Sep | 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) | 80°/59°F (26.5°/15.2°C) |
| Oct | 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) | 71°/52°F (21.4°/11.3°C) |
| Nov | 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) | 61°/44°F (15.9°/6.9°C) |
| Dec | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) | 55°/40°F (12.6°/4.2°C) |
Data:
Japan Meteorological Agency,
Italian Air Force- Department of Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Japan and Italy. To live, work, or study long-term in Italy, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Italy's immigration authority.
Japan passport holder visiting Italy
Visa Free
Italy 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 Italy than Japan?
Day-to-day costs in Italy run about 35% higher than Japan on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to Italy?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ¥12,183,450 comparable salary, that's around €22,190 in Italy for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Italy?
With 31.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Italy 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 Italy.
Is Italy safe for expats?
Japan performs better than Italy across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Italy is 0.6 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.2 in Japan. About 61% of people in Italy feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Italy compared to Japan?
Italy generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Japan leads in adult obesity rate. There are 42.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Italy, compared to 26.1 in Japan. Italy scores 84 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Japan: 83).
What's the weather like in Italy compared to Japan?
The average high temperature in Rome is 69°F, compared to 69°F in Tokyo. Rome receives around 31.7 in of rainfall per year, while Tokyo gets 62.9 in.
What language do they speak in Italy?
The official languages in Italy are Catalan and Italian. In Japan, the official language is Japanese.
