Japan is Asia's most expensive location to send expats. Here's where India stands

Japan is the top location in Asia for expats who are looking for a lucrative pay package, a report has found. According to a survey conducted by MyExpatriate Market Pay, Japan pays an average salary of $370,183 to employees coming from abroad. The amount, however, is over 12 per cent less than last year. The comparatively low salary has been attributed to the weak Japanese yen which has fallen by nine per cent. In terms of global rankings, UK followed Japan as the country that is the most expensive location to send expatriates. What did the survey find? The survey covered parameters like cash salaries, benefits such as accommodations or utilities and tax. It was conducted to help companies with “benchmarking their packages against the market." More than 340 companies and over 10, 000 international assignees were part of the survey. According to ECA International, the data company that compiled the survey, the overall compensation in Asia increased by seven per cent between 2021 and 2022. However, expatriates in countries like China and Laos got lower salaries and benefits packages in 2022 when measured in local currencies. “Some companies provide a cost of living allowance in order to ensure that the expatriate’s home country purchasing power can be protected when working overseas,” said Lee Quane, ECA International’s regional director for Asia. He added, “In 2022 some countries in the region experienced relatively high rates of inflation, requiring companies to increase these allowances.” India reaches the second spot in Asia In Asia, India bagged the second position as the country that pays well to expatriates. Globally, the country came third. According to the survey, India pays an average salary of $354,028 to expats. Expat Insider Survey 2023 conducted by InterNations found that expats find India a desirable location for work and are happy with their current financial situation. However, the survey also found that 73 per cent of the expats are very unhappy with the air quality in India.