Moving to Maryland from Japan

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Japan to Maryland — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Japan to Maryland, you would find that Maryland is 2.1 times more expensive than Japan overall. A ¥12,183,450 salary in Japan would need to be roughly $120,601 in Maryland 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.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Japan to Maryland.

What does your salary buy?

¥12,183,450 $120,601

To maintain the same standard of living in Maryland

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 2.5 times more

Groceries

pay 53.5% more

Transportation

pay 9.2% more

Housing

pay 2.6 times more

Childcare

pay 4.3 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 72.2% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 JPY = 0.0062 USD (July 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.

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 Maryland cost about 75% more than cities in Japan.

Japan

Tokyo 45%
Chiba 44%
Nagoya 38%
Kyoto 37%

Maryland

Bethesda 71%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Japan to Maryland, and how the trend has changed.

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

How Japan and Maryland stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

JP
4.3%
MD
33.4%

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

JP
83.0%
MD
91.6%

Maryland performs significantly better than Japan across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

JP
2.6%
MD
3.7%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

JP
$46,300
MD
$69,127

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

JP
84.8 yrs
MD
76.8 yrs

Japan performs better than Maryland across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Annapolis Rain: 47.3 in/yr (1201 mm)
68° / 50°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Tokyo Annapolis
Jan–Mar 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) 50°/33°F (10°/0°C)
Apr–Jun 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) 77°/57°F (25°/14°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) 86°/69°F (30°/20°C)
Oct–Dec 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) 59°/42°F (15°/6°C)
View all months
Month Tokyo Annapolis
Jan 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) 44°/29°F (6.9°/-1.6°C)
Feb 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) 48°/31°F (9.0°/-0.5°C)
Mar 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) 57°/38°F (13.7°/3.5°C)
Apr 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) 68°/47°F (20.1°/8.6°C)
May 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) 77°/57°F (25.0°/13.7°C)
Jun 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.2°C)
Jul 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) 89°/71°F (31.9°/21.9°C)
Aug 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) 87°/71°F (30.8°/21.4°C)
Sep 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) 81°/64°F (27.2°/17.6°C)
Oct 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) 69°/52°F (20.7°/10.9°C)
Nov 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) 59°/42°F (14.9°/5.3°C)
Dec 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.4°C)

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

Visitor Visa Requirements

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 Maryland than Japan?

Day-to-day costs in Maryland run about 61% higher than Japan on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Maryland?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ¥12,183,450 comparable salary, that's around $30,150 in Maryland for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Maryland?

Working remotely from Maryland's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Japan and Maryland.

How is healthcare in Maryland compared to Japan?

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

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

The average high temperature in Annapolis is 68°F, compared to 69°F in Tokyo. Annapolis receives around 47.3 in of rainfall per year, while Tokyo gets 62.9 in.

What language do they speak in Maryland?

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

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At a Glance

JP
Population 124,214,766 5,773,552
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