Moving to Japan from South Korea
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from South Korea to Japan — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from South Korea to Japan, you would find that Japan is 0.5% cheaper than South Korea overall. A ₩112,436,250 salary in South Korea would need to be roughly ¥10,775,134 in Japan to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Japanese. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from South Korea to Japan.
What does your salary buy?
₩112,436,250 → ¥10,775,134
To maintain the same standard of living in Japan
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 11.0% less
Groceries
pay 23.9% less
Transportation
pay 53.6% more
Housing
pay 14.9% more
Childcare
pay 17.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 6.6% 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 7% less than cities in South Korea.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from South Korea to Japan, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from South Korea to Japan · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to Japan?
Top countries of origin for Japan's foreign-born residents.
- 775,893
-
2.456,203
South Korea
- 335,668
- 275,252
- 204,814
- 58,340
Key Indicator Comparison
How South Korea and Japan stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
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 Korea 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 Korea 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
Japan performs significantly better than South Korea 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
South Korea 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
South Korea generally does better on employment & economy, though Japan leads in unemployment 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 Korea leads in education spending.
Data: National Tax Service, South Korea, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Seoul | Tokyo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) | 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Seoul | Tokyo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) |
| Feb | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) | 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) |
| Mar | 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) |
| Apr | 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) | 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) |
| May | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) | 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) |
| Jun | 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) |
| Jul | 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) |
| Aug | 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) |
| Sep | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) | 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) |
| Oct | 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) | 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) |
| Nov | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) | 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) |
| Dec | 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) |
Data:
Korea Meteorological Administration,
Japan Meteorological Agency
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Korea 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 Korea passport holder visiting Japan
Visa Free
Japan passport holder visiting South Korea
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 Korea?
Generally yes: Japan runs about 11% cheaper than South Korea on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Japan?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a ₩112,436,250 comparable salary, that's around ¥2,693,784 in Japan for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Japan?
With 37.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Japan can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in South Korea and Japan.
Is Japan safe for expats?
Japan performs significantly better than South Korea across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Japan is 0.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in South Korea. About 83% of people in Japan feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Japan compared to South Korea?
Japan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Korea leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 26.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Japan, compared to 25.2 in South Korea. Japan scores 83 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Korea: 89).
What's the weather like in Japan compared to South Korea?
The average high temperature in Tokyo is 69°F, compared to 63°F in Seoul. Tokyo receives around 62.9 in of rainfall per year, while Seoul gets 55.8 in.
What language do they speak in Japan?
The official language in Japan is Japanese. In South Korea, the official language is Korean.
