Moving to Japan from Switzerland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Switzerland to Japan — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Switzerland to Japan, you would find that Japan is 60.5% cheaper than Switzerland overall. A CHF62,000 salary in Switzerland would need to be roughly ¥4,690,000 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. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Tokyo averages 69°F vs 55°F in Zurich, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Japan cheaper than Switzerland?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 76.7% less
Groceries
pay 30.0% less
Transportation
pay 48.4% less
Housing
pay 69.2% less
Childcare
pay 76.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 54.5% less
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 Japan?
What does your salary buy?
CHF62,000 → ¥4,690,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Japan
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 Japan cost about 57% less than cities in Switzerland.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Japan
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Switzerland to Japan, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Switzerland 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
- · · ·
-
35.1,315
Switzerland
Key Indicator Comparison
How Switzerland 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 generally does better on safety, though Switzerland leads in road traffic deaths.
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
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Japan 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
Switzerland performs better than Japan 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
Switzerland generally does better on infrastructure, though Japan leads in electricity per capita.
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
Switzerland 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
Switzerland generally does better on family life, though Japan leads in infant mortality.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Swiss Federal Tax Administration (2016), National Tax Agency Japan (2016), The World Factbook (2013). How we calculate this
Weather in Japan vs Switzerland
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Zurich | Tokyo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 41°/30°F (5°/-1°C) | 53°/37°F (12°/3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 62°/45°F (17°/7°C) | 73°/58°F (23°/14°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 70°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 85°/72°F (30°/22°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 46°/36°F (8°/2°C) | 63°/49°F (17°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Zurich | Tokyo |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/27°F (2.0°/-2.8°C) | 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.2°C) |
| Feb | 40°/29°F (4.2°/-1.9°C) | 52°/36°F (10.9°/2.1°C) |
| Mar | 47°/33°F (8.3°/0.6°C) | 58°/41°F (14.2°/5.0°C) |
| Apr | 55°/39°F (12.6°/3.7°C) | 67°/50°F (19.4°/9.8°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.3°/7.7°C) | 74°/58°F (23.6°/14.6°C) |
| Jun | 69°/51°F (20.5°/10.8°C) | 79°/65°F (26.1°/18.5°C) |
| Jul | 73°/55°F (23.0°/12.8°C) | 86°/72°F (29.9°/22.4°C) |
| Aug | 72°/54°F (22.0°/12.4°C) | 88°/74°F (31.3°/23.5°C) |
| Sep | 66°/50°F (18.8°/10.0°C) | 82°/69°F (27.5°/20.3°C) |
| Oct | 56°/43°F (13.3°/6.2°C) | 72°/59°F (22.0°/14.8°C) |
| Nov | 44°/35°F (6.9°/1.4°C) | 62°/48°F (16.7°/8.8°C) |
| Dec | 37°/29°F (2.9°/-1.7°C) | 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.8°C) |
Data:
MeteoSwiss - Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology,
Japan Meteorological Agency
Can you move from Switzerland to Japan?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Switzerland 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.
Switzerland passport holder visiting Japan
Visa Free
Japan passport holder visiting Switzerland
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 Switzerland?
Generally yes: Japan runs about 60% cheaper than Switzerland 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 CHF62,000 comparable salary, that's around ¥1,172,500 in Japan for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Japan?
With 38.6 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 Switzerland and Japan.
Is Japan safe for expats?
Japan generally does better on safety, though Switzerland leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Japan is 0.2 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.6 in Switzerland. About 83% of people in Japan feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Japan compared to Switzerland?
Switzerland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Japan leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 26.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Japan, compared to 44.8 in Switzerland. Japan scores 83 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Switzerland: 86).
What's the weather like in Japan compared to Switzerland?
The average high temperature in Tokyo is 69°F, compared to 55°F in Zurich. Tokyo receives around 62.9 in of rainfall per year, while Zurich gets 42.8 in.
What language do they speak in Japan?
The official language in Japan is Japanese. In Switzerland, the official languages are French, Italian, Romansh and Swiss German.
