Comprehensive side-by-side comparison for skilled workers planning to immigrate
Estimated annual tax burden including income tax, social contributions, and regional taxes
| 🇯🇵 Japan | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary | JPY 8,955,224 | SGD 81,081 |
| Effective Tax Rate | 39.1% | 24.3% |
| Net (local) | JPY 5,451,116 | SGD 61,391 |
| Net (USD) | $36,522 | $45,429 |
| Social Contributions | Health ~5% + Pension ~9.15% + Employment ~0.6% | CPF 20% employee (citizens/PR only) |
| Special Tax Rules | — | 0 |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
|---|---|---|
| Rent (1BR/month) | JPY 600–1,400 | SGD 2,000–3,500 |
| Monthly Living Cost | JPY 950–1,990 | SGD 2,475–4,400 |
| Relocation Cost | JPY 4,220–11,660 | SGD 4,405–13,125 |
| Top Cities | Tokyo Osaka Fukuoka | Singapore (Central) Singapore (East) Singapore (West) |
Three categories: Academic, Business, Technical. Points for education, experience, salary, age, and bonuses (Japanese language, research). 70+ points …
For professionals earning above SGD 5,600/mo (higher for older candidates). Since 2023, also subject to COMPASS framework scoring on salary, qualifica…
| Requirement | 🇯🇵 Japan | 🇸🇬 Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 70+ points across education, salary, experience, age, and bonus categories. | — |
| Salary | Minimum JPY 3,000,000/yr (~USD 20K). Higher salary = more points (JPY 10M+ = 40pts). | Minimum SGD 5,600/mo for young candidates. Increases with age: SGD 10,700+ for mid-career (36+). |
| Education | PhD (30pts), Master's (20pts), Bachelor's (10pts). | — |
| Language | Japanese N1 adds 15 bonus points. N2 adds 10. Not mandatory. | — |
| Age | Under 30 = 15pts, under 35 = 10pts, under 40 = 5pts. | — |
| PR Pathway | 70pts = PR after 3 years. 80pts = PR after 1 year. | — |
| COMPASS | — | From Sep 2023: must score 40+ points on Complementarity Assessment (salary, qualifications, diversity, support for local workforce). |
| Qualifications | — | Good degree from a reputable institution. Relevant work experience. |
| Employer | — | Must be employed by a Singapore-registered company. |
| Duration | — | Initially up to 2 years, renewable for up to 3 years. |
| ONE Pass | — | For top talent earning SGD 30,000+/mo — allows working for multiple employers. |
Take the free 3-minute assessment and get your personalized score for both countries
Calculate My Score →