With considering iPhone Barista Saraly Index, price of iPhone represents economic disparity well.
At Los Angels, saraly of Starbucks barista is 16.11 USD/hour, then 62 hours work purchases 999USD iPhone Pro 15.
In Tokyo, saraly is 1,140 JPY/hour, then civil need to work 140 hours to buy 159,800 JPY iPhone Pro 15.

iPhone-BSI shows that purchasing power of Tokyo worker is 50% weaker than LA’s.
And it fits my feeling. 

 @4e41196b 
General cost of living is much lower in Tokyo than in Los Angeles though. 

 @4e41196b That is a useful metric. I would not have expected such an extreme difference between Japan and the US.

PS, the word is "salary". It comes from an old Latin word for salt, if that helps; Roman soldiers were paid in salt, which they could then trade with farmers & other locals.