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Living in Karuizawa

In Karuizawa, rents across existing tenancies average €4.39 per m² a month (2023).

The unemployment rate was 3.91% at the end of 2020. Karuizawa's population density measured 123 people per km² at the end of 2020.

Last checked 2026-09-2315 sources

Population21,812people1 Jan 2026Official source · Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey; 2026-01-01 municipal total
Average gross salary1,855EUR/month30 Jun 2025Regional figureOfficial source · MHLW / e-Stat — Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025, 47-prefecture scheduled earnings reference table
Average net rent4.39EUR/m²/monthcountry median €6.27 — 30% belowOfficial source · e-Stat Housing and Land Survey 2023, table 122-4-2: average rent per 1 m2 of floor area by municipality (家賃０円を含まない)
Unemployment rate3.91%country median 3.8% — 4% aboveOfficial source · 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 就業状態等基本集計 第1-2表)
Recorded crime406.9incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2025Regional figureOfficial source · 令和７年の犯罪情勢 / 令和７年の犯罪情勢 統計表, 図表1-5-2
PM2.5, annual mean5.51µg/m³31 Dec 2023Nearest stationOfficial source · NIES monthly PM2.5 station means annualized to calendar 2023

Cheaper rent than 85% of Japanese cities that publish it and cleaner air than 97% of Japanese cities that publish it.

Which Japan-wide rules apply when you move to Karuizawa?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in JapanNational rates and thresholds that apply in Karuizawa.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Japan's Housing and Land Survey monthly-rent measure excludes security deposits, key money/right money and common-area charges. The Ministry of Land says deposit terms vary by regional custom; these sources provide context, not a comparable city-level distribution. Statistics Bureau glossary (2018) · MLIT rental-housing Q&A.

How much does it cost to rent in Karuizawa?

Average net cold rent is about 4.39 EUR/m² per month (2023 Housing and Land Survey), excluding heating and operating charges.

Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.

  • Average net rent (nettokalt): 4.39 EUR/m²/month · e-Stat Housing and Land Survey 2023, table 122-4-2: average rent per 1 m2 of floor area by municipality (家賃０円を含まない)2
What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month
Karuizawa recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€32
Mobile plan, 10 GB€22
Net rent across major citiesKaruizawa highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Karuizawa highlighted

net rent, € / m² / month

Kawasaki€13.36
Yokohama€11.97
Osaka€10.65
Kyoto€10.46
Sapporo€7.56
Karuizawa€4.39
Show the other 6 cities
Saitama€10.37
Fukuoka€9.00
Kobe€8.87
Sendai€8.85
Nagoya€8.81
Hiroshima€8.38
MetricValuePeriodSource
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited31.61 EUR/month30 Sept 2026ドコモ光 月額料金 — NTTドコモ10Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB21.56 EUR/month30 Sept 2026docomo mini 10GB1Official · national market
Average net rent (nettokalt)4.39 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €6.2731 Dec 2023e-Stat Housing and Land Survey 2023, table 122-4-2: average rent per 1 m2 of floor area by municipality (家賃０円を含まない)2Official

Is Karuizawa a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker64%strong on work, weak on legal route · range 55–73%
Skilled employee67%strong on work, weak on education · range 58–76%
Student59%strong on cost, weak on education · range 49–69%
Family61%strong on safety, weak on education · range 51–71%
Retirement54%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 42–66%

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 263 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of about 4.39 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.

Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.

Source period: 2023 Housing and Land Survey

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Karuizawa?

The unemployment rate is about 3.9 % (October 2020).

  • Unemployment rate: 3.91 % · 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 就業状態等基本集計 第1-2表)13
Unemployment across cities in JapanUnemployment in Karuizawa is 3.9%. Of 1,816 cities with data, 818 have unemployment of 3 to under 4%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Average gross earnings1,855 EUR/month30 Jun 2025MHLW / e-Stat — Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025, 47-prefecture scheduled earnings reference table5Official · regional context
Unemployment rate3.91 %country median 3.8%31 Dec 2020総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 就業状態等基本集計 第1-2表)13Official

What does a salary buy in Karuizawa?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Japan median gross pay: €1,781 (2025-06-30).
Left over each month€1,096of €1,412 take-home
  • Rent
  • Internet
  • Mobile
  • Left over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
Each month€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.€1,412
Rent, 60 m²€4.39/m² · official · e-Stat Housing and Land Survey 2023, table 122-4-2: average rent per 1 m2 of floor area by municipality (家賃０円を含まない) · 2023-12-31− €263
Internet€32 · official · ドコモ光 月額料金 · 2026-09-30− €32
Mobile plan€22 · official · docomo mini 10GB · 2026-09-30− €22
Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities—
Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish€1,096
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Karuizawa Salary needed to live in Karuizawa

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Karuizawa. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Hello Work — Public employment service

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan

Job Search
Search jobs
Open the Japan service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Karuizawa. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Hospital beds per 1,000 residents4.77 per 1,00031 Dec 2024Japan official municipality health statistics 20243Official
Physicians per 1,000 residents1.44 per 1,00031 Dec 2024Japan official municipality health statistics 20244Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Karuizawa when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Physicians per 1,000 residents1.44 per 1,000Verified 2026-08-31
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents406.9 incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2025令和７年の犯罪情勢 / 令和７年の犯罪情勢 統計表, 図表1-5-211Official · regional context

Mobility and administration

Karuizawa's nearest airport was MMJ, 67 km away and offered 2 direct destinations.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport2 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights7Official
Distance to the nearest major airport67 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports8Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)MMJ3 Aug 2026OurAirports8Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Karuizawa. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Japanese Language Education Program for Foreigners Living in Japan — State Language Course

Agency for Cultural Affairs

For foreigners living in Japan.

JapaneseIn Person, Online
Open official information
Open the full Japan section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Karuizawa.

Find courses near Karuizawa

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Karuizawa?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 5.5 µg/m³ (2023) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

  • PM2.5 — annual mean: 5.51 µg/m³ · NIES monthly PM2.5 station means annualized to calendar 20236
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in JapanAnnual PM2.5 in Karuizawa is 5.5 µg/m³. Of 804 cities with data, 209 have annual PM2.5 of 8 to under 9 µg/m³.

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean5.51 µg/m³31 Dec 2023NIES monthly PM2.5 station means annualized to calendar 20236Official · nearest-station reading

Population and city profile

How many people live in Karuizawa?

The published population was 21,812 people in 2026. Source: Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey; 2026-01-01 municipal total9

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
City area156 km²3 Aug 2026国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan)12Official
Foreign-resident share4.97 %3 Aug 2026総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民 ÷ 総計)15Official
Foreign residents1,083 people3 Aug 2026総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民)15Official
Population density123 people/km²31 Dec 2020総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 第1-1表)14Official
Population21,812 people1 Jan 2026Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey; 2026-01-01 municipal total9Official

Alternatives for people set on Karuizawa

Nothing here reaches an argued comparison yet: no other published city shares enough metrics with Karuizawa from the same source, period and grain. What is collected is below.

Alternative cities in Japan

Other cities in Japan to compare with Karuizawa, nearest in population first.

All Japan cities
Yoshioka-machi21,792 residentsMashiko-machi21,898 residentsKammaki-cho21,714 residentsŌizumimachi21,920 residentsEtajima21,930 residentsKami-machi21,943 residents

How does Karuizawa compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Karuizawa's.

Open the full comparison

Put Karuizawa's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Karuizawa?

The published population was 21,812 people in 2026. Source: Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey; 2026-01-01 municipal total.

How much does it cost to rent in Karuizawa?

Average net cold rent is about 4.39 EUR/m² per month (2023 Housing and Land Survey), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 307 EUR a month before utilities. Source: e-Stat Housing and Land Survey 2023, table 122-4-2: average rent per 1 m2 of floor area by municipality (家賃０円を含まない).

Is the air quality good in Karuizawa?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 5.5 µg/m³ (2023) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: NIES monthly PM2.5 station means annualized to calendar 2023.

What is the unemployment rate in Karuizawa?

The unemployment rate is about 3.9 % (October 2020). Source: 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 就業状態等基本集計 第1-2表).

How many foreign residents live in Karuizawa?

1,083 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: 総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民).

Is Karuizawa a good place to live?

Karuizawa may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Karuizawa, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 7b994549032bc1a689bbc6a97e514665]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/karuizawa/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_karuizawa-japan-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_8b00341aac5d,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Karuizawa, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {7b994549032bc1a689bbc6a97e514665},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/karuizawa/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Karuizawa, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/karuizawa/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 7b994549032bc1a689bbc6a97e514665; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. docomo mini 10GB docomo.ne.jp · checked 2026-09-15
  2. e-Stat Housing and Land Survey 2023, table 122-4-2: average rent per 1 m2 of floor area by municipality (家賃０円を含まない) e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-18
  3. Japan official municipality health statistics 2024 mhlw.go.jp · checked 2026-08-13
  4. Japan official municipality health statistics 2024 mhlw.go.jp · checked 2026-08-13
  5. MHLW / e-Stat — Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025, 47-prefecture scheduled earnings reference table MHLW / e-Stat · e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-23
  6. NIES monthly PM2.5 station means annualized to calendar 2023 gis.nies.go.jp · checked 2026-09-23
  7. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  8. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  9. Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey; 2026-01-01 municipal total e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-10
  10. ドコモ光 月額料金 — NTTドコモ ドコモ光 月額料金 · docomo.ne.jp · checked 2026-09-19
Show 5 more sources
  1. 令和７年の犯罪情勢 / 令和７年の犯罪情勢 統計表, 図表1-5-2 npa.go.jp · checked 2026-09-23
  2. 国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan) gsi.go.jp · checked 2026-08-03
  3. 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 就業状態等基本集計 第1-2表) e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-03
  4. 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 第1-1表) e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-03
  5. 総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民) soumu.go.jp · checked 2026-08-03

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