✦ Cost of living
Japan
National taxes, visas and economy — plus every city we track in Japan.
The cost of living in Japan averages 95 on our index (a typical US city = 100) — about 5% cheaper. Among the cities we track, Sapporo is the most affordable and Tokyo the priciest. A one-bedroom rent runs roughly $850/mo and the top income-tax rate is 45%. The average net salary is about $2,600/mo.
- Currency
- Japanese yen (¥ JPY)
- Languages
- Japanese
- Capital
- Tokyo
- Driving
- Left-hand side
- Power
- A/B · 100V
▤ Taxes
45%
Income tax
progressive
10%
VAT / sales
30%
Corporate
20.315%
Capital gains
$2,600
Avg net salary
per month
$1,300
Minimum wage
per month
84 yr
Life expectancy
World Bank 2024
✈ Visas & residency
Work visas by category; Highly Skilled Professional points system.
✈ Short visits visa-free for many; work needs a status of residence.
Engineer/Specialistwork
Highly Skilled Professionalwork
Points-based, fast-track PR.
Digital Nomad (6 months)digital-nomad
❖ Cities in Japan
⚖ Compare Japan with other countries
Japan vs United StatesJapan vs United KingdomJapan vs FranceJapan vs GermanyJapan vs NetherlandsJapan vs IrelandJapan vs SpainJapan vs PortugalJapan vs ItalyJapan vs SwitzerlandJapan vs CanadaJapan vs United Arab EmiratesJapan vs SingaporeJapan vs AustraliaJapan vs ThailandJapan vs MexicoJapan vs ArgentinaJapan vs IndiaJapan vs TurkeyJapan vs IndonesiaJapan vs ColombiaJapan vs BrazilJapan vs AustriaJapan vs South Korea