For what is worth, the average yearly income for salarymen in Tokyo is about 6 million yen (~=U$65k). http://nensyu-labo.com/ken_tokyo.htm http://nensyu-labo.c

For what is worth, the average yearly income for salarymen in Tokyo is about 6 million yen (~=U$65k). http://nensyu-labo.com/ken_tokyo.htm http://nensyu-labo.com/ken_tokyo.htm (In Japanese) I think NYC's cost of living is not that much higher than Tokyo's. However, as many pointed out in this thread, people care a lot about their income relative to their neighbors. So it's plausible that New Yorkers would require a much higher income to be content, compared to Tokyoites.