Moving to Japan from South Africa
What to Expect
Considering a move from South Africa to Japan? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from South Africa to Japan, you would find that Japan is 14.2% more expensive than South Africa overall. A ZAR1,200,000 salary in South Africa would need to be roughly ¥13,100,000 in Japan to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Japanese.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between South Africa and Japan.
What does your salary buy?
ZAR1,200,000 → ¥13,100,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Japan
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 21.6% less
Groceries
pay 54.7% more
Transportation
pay 11.2% less
Housing
pay 10.3% more
Childcare
pay 2.2 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 42.7% 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 Japan cost about 5% less than cities in South Africa.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from South Africa to Japan.
people moved from South Africa to Japan · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to Japan?
Top countries of origin for Japan's foreign-born residents.
- 775,893
- 456,203
- 335,668
- 275,252
- 204,814
- 58,340
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Japan compared to South Africa.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Japan performs significantly better than South Africa 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
Japan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
South Africa generally does better on environment, though Japan leads in air pollution deaths.
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
Japan performs significantly better than South Africa across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Japan generally does better on employment & economy, though South Africa leads in top income tax 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 South Africa leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), South African Revenue Service (2017), National Tax Agency Japan (2016), The World Factbook (2013). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Pretoria | Tokyo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 83°/64°F (28°/18°C) | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/47°F (22°/8°C) | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 79°/60°F (26°/15°C) | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Pretoria | Tokyo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84°/65°F (29.0°/18.1°C) | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) |
| Feb | 84°/64°F (28.7°/18.0°C) | 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) |
| Mar | 81°/62°F (27.3°/16.6°C) | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) |
| Apr | 77°/56°F (24.8°/13.1°C) | 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) |
| May | 72°/48°F (22.4°/8.7°C) | 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) |
| Jun | 67°/41°F (19.6°/5.2°C) | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) |
| Jul | 68°/42°F (19.8°/5.3°C) | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) |
| Aug | 72°/47°F (22.3°/8.2°C) | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) |
| Sep | 76°/53°F (24.4°/11.8°C) | 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) |
| Oct | 77°/57°F (25.2°/14.0°C) | 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) |
| Nov | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.4°C) | 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) |
| Dec | 82°/63°F (27.9°/17.0°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) |
Data:
South African Weather Service,
Japan Meteorological Agency
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Africa and Japan. To live, work, or study long-term in Japan, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Japan's immigration authority.
South Africa passport holder visiting Japan
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Japan passport holder visiting South Africa
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 Japan than South Africa?
On average Japan is around 14% pricier than South Africa, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Japan?
Budget about ¥3,275,000 for 3 months in Japan (based on a ZAR1,200,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Japan?
Connectivity is usually fine (Japan: 38.6 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Japan offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Japan safe for expats?
Japan performs significantly better than South Africa across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Japan is 0.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 43.7 in South Africa. About 83% of people in Japan feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Japan compared to South Africa?
Japan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Africa leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 26.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Japan, compared to 7.9 in South Africa. Japan scores 83 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Africa: 71).
What's the weather like in Japan compared to South Africa?
The average high temperature in Tokyo is 69°F, compared to 77°F in Pretoria. Tokyo receives around 62.9 in of rainfall per year, while Pretoria gets 27.0 in.
What language do they speak in Japan?
The official language in Japan is Japanese. In South Africa, the official languages are Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Compare further: South Africa vs. Japan
At a Glance
ZA
|
JP
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 64,747,319 | 123,366,734 |
| Currency | South African Rand (ZAR) | Japanese Yen (¥) |
| Languages | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu | Japanese |
| Driving side | Left | Left |
| Calling code | +27 | +81 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 10111 | 110 |