GeoRealityMatch
Tokyo cityscape featuring modern buildings and a bridge over a canal under a clear blue sky.Japan
A beautiful night cityscape of Taipei with Taipei 101 illuminated against the skyline.Taiwan

Compare countries · Japan vs Taiwan

Japan vs Taiwan

JapanEastern AsiaTaiwanEastern Asia

Japan is cheaper (cost of living 47.5 vs 49.7) and more peaceful (Global Peace Index 1.489 vs 1.751).

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Safety

Japan is the more peaceful

Global Peace Indexlower is more peaceful
Japan1.489Very high safety#10 of 161IEP GPI · 2026
Taiwan1.751High safety#42 of 161IEP GPI · 2026
Homicidesper 100,000 people a year
Japan0.2Very lowUNODC / World Bank · 2023
TaiwanNo figure from UNODC / World Bank
Safety indexNumbeo's safety index, higher is safer
Japan77.2Very highNumbeo · 2026
Taiwan83Very highNumbeo · 2026
UK travel adviceFCDO, for British travellers
JapanNo advice against travelFCDO foreign travel advice, GOV.UK · read 2026-10-12
TaiwanNo advice against travelFCDO foreign travel advice, GOV.UK · read 2026-10-12
Money

Flats cost fewer years of income in Japan

Property price to incomeyears of median income to buy a median flat
Japan11.4ModerateNumbeo · 2026
Taiwan25.3Very expensiveNumbeo · 2026
GNI per personnational income per person, US dollars
Japan$38,340Very highWorld Bank · 2025
TaiwanNo figure from World Bank
Cost of living indexexcluding rent, New York = 100
Japan47.5AffordableNumbeo · 2026
Taiwan49.7AffordableNumbeo · 2026
Rent indexNew York = 100
Japan14.7ModerateNumbeo · 2026
Taiwan14.2ModerateNumbeo · 2026
Health
Life expectancyyears, at birth
Japan84.0Very highWorld Bank · 2024
TaiwanNo figure from World Bank
Health coverageWHO universal health coverage index, 0 to 100
Japan86Very highWHO · 2023
TaiwanNo figure from WHO
Air pollutionPM2.5, micrograms per cubic metre, national average
Japan8.5Very lowWHO · 2023
TaiwanNo figure from WHO
Work and internet

Broadband is faster in Taiwan

Fixed broadbandmedian download speed
Japan256 MbpsVery fast#17 of 149Ookla Speedtest · 2025
Taiwan269 MbpsVery fast#15 of 149Ookla Speedtest · 2025
English proficiencyEF English Proficiency Index score
Japan446Very lowEF EPI · 2025
TaiwanNo figure from EF EPI
How it changed

Human development: Japan 0.925

Japan

UNDP Human Development Report, 1990–2023.

Year by year:JapanTaiwan

Practical facts

Capital
Tokyo
Taipei
Population
123.4M (2025)
—
Languages
Japanese
Chinese
Currency
Japanese yen (JPY)
New Taiwan dollar (TWD)
Area
364,569 km²
—
Plug type
Type A/B
Type A/B
Drives on the
left
right
Short visit
Visa-free for UK, EU and US passports
Visa-free for UK, EU and US passports

Short visits: passport-index-dataset, 2024, for UK, EU (German) and US passports. Population and area: World Bank. Languages, currency and driving side: restcountries.com. Plug types: worldstandards.eu.

Every figure

Japan and Taiwan, side by side

The same figures as a facts file

Quick answers

Is Japan cheaper than Taiwan?

Numbeo's 2026 cost-of-living index (NYC = 100) puts Japan at 47.5 and Taiwan at 49.7. Japan is about 4% cheaper overall.

Is Japan or Taiwan safer?

On the Global Peace Index (lower = more peaceful), Japan scores 1.49 and Taiwan scores 1.75. Japan ranks as the more peaceful of the two.

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Every figure is sourced where it is shown. A dash means the country has no figure from that source.Photographs by Markus Winkler, Jimmy Liao on Pexels