Moving to New Jersey from Japan

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Japan to New Jersey? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Japan to New Jersey, you would find that New Jersey is 2.4 times more expensive than Japan overall. A ¥12,124,875 salary in Japan would need to be roughly $132,442 in New Jersey 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?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Japan and New Jersey.

What does your salary buy?

¥12,124,875 $132,442

To maintain the same standard of living in New Jersey

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 2.6 times more

Groceries

pay 55.0% more

Transportation

pay 23.4% more

Housing

pay 3.1 times more

Childcare

pay 4.4 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 97.9% 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 New Jersey cost about 108% more than cities in Japan.

Japan

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

New Jersey

Princeton 87%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Japan to New Jersey.

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

The numbers behind daily life in New Jersey compared to Japan.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

JP
4.3%
NJ
30.0%

Japan performs better than New Jersey across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

JP
83.0%
NJ
91.9%

New Jersey 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%
NJ
4.5%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

JP
$46,300
NJ
$70,788

New Jersey 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
NJ
77.5 yrs

Japan performs better than New Jersey 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

Trenton Rain: 46.5 in/yr (1180 mm)
63° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Tokyo Trenton
Jan–Mar 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) 44°/27°F (7°/-3°C)
Apr–Jun 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) 71°/51°F (22°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) 82°/62°F (28°/17°C)
Oct–Dec 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) 54°/36°F (12°/2°C)
View all months
Month Tokyo Trenton
Jan 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) 39°/23°F (3.9°/-4.9°C)
Feb 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) 42°/26°F (5.7°/-3.4°C)
Mar 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) 51°/32°F (10.5°/-0.1°C)
Apr 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) 61°/41°F (16.3°/5.0°C)
May 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) 72°/51°F (22.1°/10.3°C)
Jun 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) 81°/60°F (27.1°/15.7°C)
Jul 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) 85°/66°F (29.6°/18.9°C)
Aug 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.9°C)
Sep 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) 76°/56°F (24.5°/13.6°C)
Oct 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) 65°/44°F (18.3°/6.8°C)
Nov 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) 54°/37°F (12.5°/2.7°C)
Dec 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) 43°/28°F (6.2°/-2.4°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 New Jersey than Japan?

On average New Jersey is around 77% pricier than Japan, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to New Jersey?

Budget about $33,110 for 3 months in New Jersey (based on a ¥12,124,875 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from New Jersey?

From major New Jersey cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Japan and New Jersey are what actually decide it long-term.

How is healthcare in New Jersey compared to Japan?

Japan performs better than New Jersey across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in New Jersey compared to Japan?

The average high temperature in Trenton is 63°F, compared to 69°F in Tokyo. Trenton receives around 46.5 in of rainfall per year, while Tokyo gets 62.9 in.

What language do they speak in New Jersey?

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

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At a Glance

JP
Population 124,214,766 8,791,894
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