Moving to New York from Japan
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Japan to New York — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Japan to New York, you would find that New York is 2.2 times more expensive than Japan overall. A ¥12,131,633 salary in Japan would need to be roughly $122,786 in New York 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. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Albany averages 58°F vs 69°F in Tokyo, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Japan to New York.
What does your salary buy?
¥12,131,633 → $122,786
To maintain the same standard of living in New York
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.5 times more
Groceries
pay 44.1% more
Transportation
pay 16.5% more
Housing
pay 2.7 times more
Childcare
pay 4.0 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.0 times 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 New York cost about 78% 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 New York, and how the trend has changed.
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
How Japan and New York stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Japan performs better than New York across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
New York 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
New York 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 New York across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Tokyo | Albany |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) | 37°/19°F (2°/-7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) | 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) | 78°/58°F (26°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Tokyo | Albany |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) | 31°/15°F (-0.8°/-9.7°C) |
| Feb | 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) | 35°/17°F (1.4°/-8.2°C) |
| Mar | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) | 44°/26°F (6.9°/-3.5°C) |
| Apr | 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) | 58°/37°F (14.6°/2.9°C) |
| May | 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) | 69°/47°F (20.8°/8.4°C) |
| Jun | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) | 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.6°C) |
| Jul | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) | 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.3°C) |
| Aug | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) | 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.5°C) |
| Sep | 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) | 72°/52°F (22.3°/10.9°C) |
| Oct | 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) | 60°/40°F (15.4°/4.2°C) |
| Nov | 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.3°C) |
| Dec | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) | 36°/21°F (2.1°/-6.0°C) |
Japan Meteorological Agency
National Weather ServiceVisitor 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 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 New York than Japan?
Day-to-day costs in New York run about 64% higher than Japan on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to New York?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ¥12,131,633 comparable salary, that's around $30,696 in New York for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from New York?
Working remotely from New York's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Japan and New York.
How is healthcare in New York compared to Japan?
Japan performs better than New York across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in New York compared to Japan?
The average high temperature in Albany is 58°F, compared to 69°F in Tokyo. Albany receives around 39.4 in of rainfall per year, while Tokyo gets 62.9 in.
What language do they speak in New York?
The official language in New York is English. In Japan, the official language is Japanese.
