Moving to Tennessee from Japan

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Japan to Tennessee, you would find that Tennessee is 80.2% more expensive than Japan overall. A ¥12,131,633 salary in Japan would need to be roughly $107,541 in Tennessee 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.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

¥12,131,633 $107,541

To maintain the same standard of living in Tennessee

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 2.6 times more

Groceries

pay 25.5% more

Transportation

pay 14.0% less

Housing

pay 2.4 times more

Childcare

pay 2.6 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 54.0% 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.

Get free moving quotes to Tennessee

We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.

  • ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
  • ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
  • ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you

Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Japan to Tennessee, 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 Tennessee 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%
TN
37.9%

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

JP
83.0%
TN
87.6%

Tennessee 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%
TN
3.4%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

JP
$46,300
TN
$60,177

Tennessee 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
TN
73.8 yrs

Japan performs better than Tennessee 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

Nashville Rain: 47.2 in/yr (1200 mm)
70° / 49°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Tokyo Nashville
Jan–Mar 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) 53°/33°F (12°/1°C)
Apr–Jun 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) 78°/56°F (26°/14°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) 87°/66°F (30°/19°C)
Oct–Dec 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) 60°/40°F (16°/4°C)
View all months
Month Tokyo Nashville
Jan 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) 47°/28°F (8.3°/-2.0°C)
Feb 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) 52°/32°F (11.0°/-0.2°C)
Mar 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) 61°/39°F (16.1°/3.9°C)
Apr 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) 71°/47°F (21.4°/8.6°C)
May 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) 78°/57°F (25.7°/13.8°C)
Jun 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) 86°/65°F (30.0°/18.6°C)
Jul 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C)
Aug 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) 89°/68°F (31.7°/20.2°C)
Sep 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) 82°/61°F (28.0°/15.9°C)
Oct 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.4°C)
Nov 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) 60°/39°F (15.7°/4.1°C)
Dec 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) 49°/31°F (9.7°/-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 Tennessee than Japan?

Day-to-day costs in Tennessee run about 43% higher than Japan on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Tennessee?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ¥12,131,633 comparable salary, that's around $26,885 in Tennessee for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Tennessee?

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

How is healthcare in Tennessee compared to Japan?

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

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

The average high temperature in Nashville is 70°F, compared to 69°F in Tokyo. Nashville receives around 47.2 in of rainfall per year, while Tokyo gets 62.9 in.

What language do they speak in Tennessee?

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

Share this

At a Glance

JP
Population 124,214,766 6,346,105
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