GeoRealityMatch
Tokyo cityscape featuring modern buildings and a bridge over a canal under a clear blue sky.Japan
Peaceful view of Hoan Kiem Lake with Turtle Tower in Hanoi, Vietnam with city skyline.Vietnam

Compare countries · Japan vs Vietnam

Japan vs Vietnam

JapanEastern AsiaVietnamSouth-Eastern Asia

Vietnam is cheaper (cost of living 26.4 vs 47.5).Japan is more peaceful (Global Peace Index 1.489 vs 1.738), scores higher on human development (0.925 vs 0.766) and has the higher income per person ($38,340 vs $4,970).It also has the longer life expectancy (84.0 vs 74.7 years).

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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
Vietnam1.738High safety#41 of 161IEP GPI · 2026
Homicidesper 100,000 people a year
Japan0.2Very lowUNODC / World Bank · 2023
VietnamNo figure from UNODC / World Bank
Safety indexNumbeo's safety index, higher is safer
Japan77.2Very highNumbeo · 2026
Vietnam59.9ModerateNumbeo · 2026
UK travel adviceFCDO, for British travellers
JapanNo advice against travelFCDO foreign travel advice, GOV.UK · read 2026-10-29
VietnamNo advice against travelFCDO foreign travel advice, GOV.UK · read 2026-10-29
Money

Income per person is higher in Japan

GNI per personnational income per person, US dollars
Japan$38,340Very highWorld Bank · 2025
Vietnam$4,970LowWorld Bank · 2025
Cost of living indexexcluding rent, New York = 100
Japan47.5AffordableNumbeo · 2026
Vietnam26.4Very affordableNumbeo · 2026
Rent indexNew York = 100
Japan14.7ModerateNumbeo · 2026
Vietnam9.9AffordableNumbeo · 2026
Property price to incomeyears of median income to buy a median flat
Japan11.4ModerateNumbeo · 2026
Vietnam30.2Very expensiveNumbeo · 2026
Health

People live longer in Japan

Life expectancyyears, at birth
Japan84.0Very high#9 of 195World Bank · 2024
Vietnam74.7Moderate#92 of 195World Bank · 2024
Health coverageWHO universal health coverage index, 0 to 100
Japan86Very highWHO · 2023
Vietnam71ModerateWHO · 2023
Air pollutionPM2.5, micrograms per cubic metre, national average
Japan8.5Very lowWHO · 2023
Vietnam22.8HighWHO · 2023
Work and internet

Broadband is faster in Vietnam

Home internetmedian download speed
Japan256 MbpsVery fast#17 of 149Ookla Speedtest · 2025
Vietnam289 MbpsVery fast#7 of 149Ookla Speedtest · 2025
English proficiencyEF English Proficiency Index score
Japan446Very lowEF EPI · 2025
Vietnam500ModerateEF EPI · 2025
How it changed

Human development: Japan 0.925, Vietnam 0.766

JapanVietnam

UNDP Human Development Report, 1990–2023.

Year by year:JapanVietnam

Practical facts

Capital
Tokyo
Hanoi
Population
123.4M (2025)
101.6M (2025)
Languages
Japanese
Vietnamese
Currency
Japanese yen (JPY)
Vietnamese đồng (VND)
Area
364,569 km²
313,429 km²
Plug type
Type A/B
Type A/B/C
Drives on the
left
right
Short visit
Visa-free for UK, EU and US passports
Visa-free for UK and EU; visa needed for US

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 Vietnam, side by side

The same figures as a facts file

Quick answers

Is Japan cheaper than Vietnam?

Numbeo's 2026 cost-of-living index (NYC = 100) puts Japan at 47.5 and Vietnam at 26.4. Vietnam is about 44% cheaper overall.

Is Japan or Vietnam safer?

On the Global Peace Index (lower = more peaceful), Japan scores 1.49 and Vietnam scores 1.74. Japan ranks as the more peaceful of the two.

Which has the higher quality of life, Japan or Vietnam?

On the UN Human Development Index, Japan scores 0.925 and Vietnam scores 0.766. Japan scores higher on this composite of income, health and education. Single indexes hide trade-offs; the full comparison above shows where each country wins.

What is life like in Japan compared to Vietnam?

GNI per capita runs $38,340 in Japan against $4,970 in Vietnam; people live 84.0 years on average against 74.7; Numbeo users rate healthcare 80 against 62. Those are national averages and they hide the thing you actually feel: capital-city costs run well ahead of the national figure in most countries, and rural provision of healthcare and internet often lags the number shown here. The table below splits it indicator by indicator.

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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, 🇻🇳🇻🇳 Việt Anh Nguyễn 🇻🇳🇻🇳 on Pexels