Moving to Kansas from Japan

moving to

What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Japan to Kansas — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Japan to Kansas, you would find that Kansas is 55.6% more expensive than Japan overall. A ¥12,000,000 salary in Japan would need to be roughly $119,000 in Kansas 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 Kansas cheaper than Japan?

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 2.3 times more

Groceries

pay 22.3% more

Transportation

pay 8.0% less

Housing

pay 2.1 times more

Childcare

pay 68.2% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 43.3% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 JPY = 0.0063 USD (November 2026)

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 Kansas?

What does your salary buy?

¥12,000,000 → $119,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Kansas

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 Kansas cost about 44% more than cities in Japan.

Japan

Tokyo ★ 43%
Chiba 40%
Kobe 38%
Saitama 36%
Hiroshima 30%

Kansas

Manhattan 56%
Lawrence 53%

Compare cities head-to-head

Get free moving quotes to Kansas

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Japan to Kansas, based on official data.

Moved in 2023
3,690 ↓ 9% vs 2022

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.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Japan to Kansas.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate World Health Organization, 2024

share of adults with obesity

JP
5.9%
KS
36.8%

Japan performs better than Kansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access World Bank, 2024

share of households with internet

JP
85.5%
KS
89.5%

Kansas performs significantly better than Japan across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

JP
2.5%
KS
3.4%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

JP
$35,951
KS
$60,996

Kansas generally does better on employment & economy, though Japan leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

JP
84.0 yrs
KS
76.4 yrs

Japan performs better than Kansas across all family life metrics.

Weather in Kansas vs Japan

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Tokyo Rain: 62.9 in/yr (1598 mm)
69° / 54°F

Avg. annual high / low

Wichita Rain: 32.6 in/yr (829 mm)
68° / 46°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Tokyo Wichita
Jan–Mar 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) 49°/28°F (10°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) 77°/55°F (25°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) 89°/66°F (32°/19°C)
Oct–Dec 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) 57°/35°F (14°/2°C)
View all months
Month Tokyo Wichita
Jan 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) 42°/22°F (5.8°/-5.6°C)
Feb 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) 48°/26°F (9.0°/-3.3°C)
Mar 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) 58°/35°F (14.4°/1.7°C)
Apr 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.9°C)
May 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) 77°/55°F (24.8°/12.9°C)
Jun 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) 87°/65°F (30.4°/18.3°C)
Jul 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) 92°/70°F (33.5°/21.0°C)
Aug 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) 91°/69°F (32.9°/20.4°C)
Sep 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) 83°/60°F (28.1°/15.3°C)
Oct 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) 70°/47°F (20.9°/8.3°C)
Nov 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) 56°/35°F (13.4°/1.4°C)
Dec 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) 44°/24°F (6.4°/-4.4°C)

Data: Japan Meteorological Agency Japan Meteorological Agency, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Can you move from Japan to Kansas?

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

Japan passport holder visiting United States

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Japan passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Japan

Visa Free
United States passport holders can enter Japan without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Kansas than Japan?

No — Kansas is on average about 56% more expensive than Japan. City-level variation matters.

How much money do I need to move to Kansas?

Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $29,750 in Kansas on a ¥12,000,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).

Can I work remotely from Kansas?

Usually fine from major cities in Kansas. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.

How is healthcare in Kansas compared to Japan?

Japan performs better than Kansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Kansas compared to Japan?

The average high temperature in Wichita is 68°F, compared to 69°F in Tokyo. Wichita receives around 32.6 in of rainfall per year, while Tokyo gets 62.9 in.

What language do they speak in Kansas?

The official language in Kansas is English. In Japan, the official language is Japanese.

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At a Glance

JP
Population 123,366,734 2,977,220
Currency Japanese Yen (¥) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Japanese English
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +81 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 110 911