$280,000 in New York City ≈ ¥21,008,382 in Tokyo
Moving to Tokyo from New York City with a family
Equivalence is solved so household net cash matches across both cities, with taxes, housing, childcare, healthcare, food, and travel all included.
The bottom line
- →$280,000 in New York City leaves about the same net cash as ¥21,008,382 in Tokyo for this scenario, after real taxes and living costs.
- →Taxes take 30.1% of gross in New York City versus 30.0% in Tokyo.
- →The biggest non-cash swing: 10 more vacation days per year in Tokyo.
Where each paycheck goes
Every unit of gross, split four ways. Same net cash, very different shape.
Full Breakdown
| Category | New York City | Tokyo | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $280,000 | ¥21,008,382 ($131,871) | Equivalent |
| Income + payroll tax | −$84,269 (30.1%) | −¥6,311,722 (30.0%) | About the same |
| Housing (rent) | −$65,649 Queens ~$3,896 · Brooklyn ~$4,496 · Manhattan ~$6,543 | −¥4,152,723 3 bed listings typically ¥262,400 to ¥396,800 | ~60% less |
| Healthcare (household) | −$14,828 | −¥192,000 + ¥1,034,663 statutory health & care, household total (already in tax above) | Universal |
| Childcare | −$38,400 | −¥252,000 | ~96% less |
| Food & groceries | −$25,800 | −¥1,980,000 | ~52% less |
| Transit | −$3,722 | −¥282,000 | ~52% less |
| Discretionary spending | −$6,500 | −¥390,000 | ~62% less |
| Travel home | −$3,000 | −¥960,000 | ~101% more |
| Government child benefit | +$4,400 | +¥240,000 | Offsets childcare |
| Net cash kept | $42,232 | ¥6,727,938 | Equal in real terms |
Live in either city? Flag any number that looks off.
Computed at the city-median tech-worker salary, New York City (a family with two kids). Each figure is in the city's local currency, from the same engine as the calculator; sources are cited per row there.
What changes beyond the money
- Statutory vacation days~0 → ~10
- Total paid days off, typical year~11 → ~24.3
- Paid parental leave9 wks → 66 wks
- Healthcare systemEmployer / private → Universal
These numbers use one scenario's assumptions. Plug in your own salary, family size, and lifestyle.
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Moving from New York City to Tokyo for a family
For a family of four, this comparison produces a different answer than a single-person look at the same cities. Childcare costs, parental leave policy, and the second earner's tax treatment all push the number. With a partner at 60% of the primary salary and two kids in daycare, a $280,000 household in New York City needs ¥21,008,382 in Tokyo to keep the same net cash.
Childcare is the biggest single swing factor in this comparison. New York City households pay $38,400 per year; Tokyo caps it at ¥252,000 via subsidy. That difference flows directly to net cash. A standard salary comparison won't show it at all.
Parental leave: Tokyo provides 66 weeks paid vs 9 in New York City. A new child in the first year of the move is exactly the scenario where that gap shows up as real money (and real stress avoided).
With kids in the house, healthcare is the line that quietly compounds. Tokyo runs a universal system, so a rough year doesn't turn into a billing event. The New York City side carries $14,828 a year in premiums and out-of-pocket costs, exposure that simply doesn't follow you across.
K-12 schools score higher on PISA 2022 in Japan (533 (math 536, reading 516, science 547)) than in USA (489 (math 465, reading 504, science 499)), a 44-point gap on the OECD's standardized 15-year-old assessment. PISA is one signal; local school choice and curriculum philosophy matter at least as much.
Tokyo also adds 10 more vacation days per year (10 vs 0). With kids, that is school breaks actually covered without burning PTO.
The second-earner question is worth running separately. In high-childcare-cost cities, full-time daycare can eat most of a partner's after-tax income. In Tokyo, subsidized childcare changes that math entirely: both salaries actually make it to the household. Use the "Partner works in" toggle in the calculator to see what that shift does to your specific numbers.
Who comes out ahead
You keep 32% of gross there versus 15%. Housing drives most of that gap.
You also get universal healthcare and cheaper childcare on top of the money math in Tokyo. Run the family scenario to see it.
Tokyo gives you 13 more paid days off in a typical year and 57 more weeks of paid leave, none of which shows on an offer letter.
Common questions
How much do you need to earn in Tokyo to match a $280,000 salary in New York City?
About ¥21,008,382. cityparity solves for the Tokyo gross salary whose net cash (after taxes, housing, childcare, healthcare, and the rest) equals what you keep in New York City. It's an equivalence, not a raw conversion.
How much is childcare in Tokyo compared with New York City?
Childcare is one of the biggest swings for a family moving from New York City to Tokyo. cityparity nets each city's daycare cost against any government child allowance, so the figure reflects what you'd actually pay out of pocket.
Is healthcare free in Tokyo?
Tokyo has universal public healthcare, so you avoid US-style deductibles and surprise medical bills. But most working professionals still carry private top-up cover, which cityparity models at about ¥192,000 a year and counts in the comparison.
How much vacation and parental leave do you get in Tokyo?
Tokyo has 26 statutory paid days off a year (vacation plus public holidays) and 110 weeks of parental leave. The substitute-day rule covers only one of the two weekend days, so holidays that land on a weekend are lost and a typical year works out at about 24 days. cityparity compares cities on the typical figure and keeps the statutory one as the underlying fact.
Actually looking to move?
The steps this move actually takes, in the order they happen.
Sort the work permit. Your employer usually files this one, and the processing time sets your move date. Everything below waits on it.How permits work
Land the offer. ¥21,008,382 is your walk-away floor. Our negotiation guide turns it into an anchor, the scripts to hold it, and the trades to make when the base is capped.Get the scripts
Get moving quotes. Once the contract is signed, price the move itself. ReloAdvisor collects quotes for shipping and short-term housing on the Tokyo end.Get quotes
Move the money. The deposit on a Tokyo flat is usually due before you have a local account. Wise converts USD to JPY at the mid-market rate.Compare rates
Cover the health insurance. Most arrivals hit a gap between leaving one health system and joining the next. Allianz Care quotes interim cover for it.Get a quote
Plan the tax filing. A US passport keeps the IRS in your life in Tokyo, on top of whatever Japan wants. Taxes for Expats files the US side for Americans abroad: the exclusion, the foreign tax credit, and the catch-up program if you are already behind.Get a quote
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Take these numbers into the offer conversation
Get the break-even salary, rent and one-income scenarios, moving budget, and recruiter ask range for New York City → Tokyo. Change the salary before checkout and every input inside the report.
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