Moving to United Arab Emirates from Japan
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Japan to United Arab Emirates — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Japan to United Arab Emirates, you would find that United Arab Emirates is 35.6% more expensive than Japan overall. A ¥12,000,000 salary in Japan would need to be roughly AED377,000 in United Arab Emirates to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Arabic. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Dubai averages 91°F vs 69°F in Tokyo, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is United Arab Emirates cheaper than Japan?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 25.0% more
Groceries
pay 31.4% less
Transportation
pay 9.9% less
Housing
pay 2.4 times more
Childcare
pay 8.5% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 70.4% 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.
What salary do you need in United Arab Emirates?
What does your salary buy?
¥12,000,000 → AED377,000
To maintain the same standard of living in United Arab Emirates
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 United Arab Emirates cost about 28% more than cities in Japan.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Japan to United Arab Emirates.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Japan performs better than United Arab Emirates across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
United Arab Emirates generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Japan leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Japan performs better than United Arab Emirates across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
United Arab Emirates generally does better on infrastructure, though Japan leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
United Arab Emirates generally does better on employment & economy, though Japan leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Japan generally does better on family life, though United Arab Emirates leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2003–2013), National Tax Agency Japan (2016), Ministry of Finance (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in United Arab Emirates vs Japan
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Tokyo | Dubai |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) | 78°/59°F (26°/15°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) | 97°/74°F (36°/23°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) | 104°/83°F (40°/28°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) | 87°/66°F (31°/19°C) |
View all months
| Month | Tokyo | Dubai |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) | 75°/57°F (24.0°/13.7°C) |
| Feb | 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) | 76°/58°F (24.6°/14.5°C) |
| Mar | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) |
| Apr | 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) | 90°/68°F (32.4°/20.1°C) |
| May | 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) | 98°/74°F (36.8°/23.5°C) |
| Jun | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) | 102°/79°F (38.8°/26.1°C) |
| Jul | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) | 105°/84°F (40.6°/28.9°C) |
| Aug | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) | 105°/85°F (40.4°/29.3°C) |
| Sep | 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) | 102°/79°F (38.7°/26.3°C) |
| Oct | 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) | 95°/73°F (35.1°/22.7°C) |
| Nov | 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) | 87°/65°F (30.5°/18.3°C) |
| Dec | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) | 79°/60°F (26.2°/15.4°C) |
Japan Meteorological AgencyCan you move from Japan to United Arab Emirates?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Japan and United Arab Emirates. To live, work, or study long-term in United Arab Emirates, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United Arab Emirates's immigration authority.
Japan passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates
Visa Free
United Arab Emirates 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 United Arab Emirates than Japan?
No — United Arab Emirates is on average about 36% more expensive than Japan. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to United Arab Emirates?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly AED94,250 in United Arab Emirates 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 United Arab Emirates?
Internet is rarely the blocker — United Arab Emirates has 40.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is United Arab Emirates safe for expats?
Japan performs better than United Arab Emirates across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in United Arab Emirates is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.2 in Japan.
How is healthcare in United Arab Emirates compared to Japan?
United Arab Emirates generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Japan leads in health coverage index. There are 29.9 doctors per 10,000 people in United Arab Emirates, compared to 26.5 in Japan. United Arab Emirates scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Japan: 83).
What's the weather like in United Arab Emirates compared to Japan?
The average high temperature in Dubai is 91°F, compared to 69°F in Tokyo. Dubai receives around 3.7 in of rainfall per year, while Tokyo gets 62.9 in.
What language do they speak in United Arab Emirates?
The official language in United Arab Emirates is Arabic. In Japan, the official language is Japanese.
