matt9112
Well-Known Member
It might be closer than you think for comparable-sized cities in Japan and the US. Hiroshima has roughly the population as my metropolitan area, and this site seems to indicate prices are slightly higher in the US. Not sure what things like taxes and healthcare would mean to that, but the tax rates look roughly comparable at a glance, and most healthcare is nationalized in Japan.
Don't forget that Japan has undergone 20 years of either very low inflation or outright deflation, so prices haven't risen much (by definition) in a long time.
you sir deserve a cookie for being economically educated. no sarcasm.