Living in Nishi-ku (Kobe)

In Nishi-ku (Kobe), rent averages €6.77 per m² a month (2023).

The median age was 49.4 years in 2020. In October 2020, the unemployment rate was 4.1%. The population of 神戸市西区, in Japan, was 238,877 in October 2020. There were 218.8 physicians per 100,000 residents in 2022.

Last checked 2026-09-2317 sources

Population238,877people1 Oct 2020Official source · Japan 2020 Census municipality population table

Average gross salary2,011EUR/month30 Jun 2025Regional figureOfficial source · MHLW / e-Stat — Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025, 47-prefecture scheduled earnings reference table

Average net rent6.77EUR/m²/monthcountry median €6.27 — 8% aboveOfficial source · www.e-stat.go.jp

Unemployment rate4.1%country median 3.8% — 9% aboveOfficial source · Japan 2020 Census labor force status by municipality

Recorded crime747.6incidents 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 mean10.5µg/m³country median 8.4 — 25% aboveOfficial source · MOE Japan Air Pollution Monitoring Report FY2023 — 神戸市西区

Pricier rent than 62% of Japanese cities that publish it, higher unemployment than 65% of Japanese cities that publish it and dirtier air than 91% of Japanese cities that publish it.

Which Japan-wide rules apply when you move to Nishi-ku (Kobe)?

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 Nishi-ku (Kobe).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 神戸市西区?

Average net cold rent is about 6.77 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): 6.77 EUR/m²/month · www.e-stat.go.jp¹⁶

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€32

Mobile plan, 10 GB€22

Net rent across major citiesNishi-ku (Kobe) highlighted among comparable cities

net rent, € / m² / month

Kawasaki€13.36

Yokohama€11.97

Osaka€10.65

Kyoto€10.46

Sapporo€7.56

Nishi-ku (Kobe)€6.77

Show the other 6 cities

Saitama€10.37

Fukuoka€9.00

Kobe€8.87

Sendai€8.85

Nagoya€8.81

Hiroshima€8.38

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	32.03 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	NTT FLET'S 100 Mbps fixed internet¹⁴Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	21.56 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	docomo mini 10GB¹Official · national market
Average net rent (nettokalt)	6.77 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €6.27	31 Dec 2023	www.e-stat.go.jp¹⁶Official

Is Nishi-ku (Kobe) 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 worker56%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 47–65%

Skilled employee69%strong on work, weak on safety · range 61–77%

Student63%strong on education, weak on work · range 55–71%

Family64%strong on family, weak on legal route · range 55–73%

Retirement48%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 38–58%

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 406 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of about 6.77 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 神戸市西区?

The unemployment rate is 4.1 % (October 2020). Source: Japan 2020 Census labor force status by municipality⁶

Unemployment across cities in JapanUnemployment in Nishi-ku (Kobe) is 4.1%. Of 1,816 cities with data, 818 have unemployment of 3 to under 4%.

250

818

531

126

0–11–22–33–44–55–66–77–88–99–10

Nishi-ku (Kobe) 4.1%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Average gross earnings	2,011 EUR/month	30 Jun 2025	MHLW / e-Stat — Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025, 47-prefecture scheduled earnings reference table¹²Official · regional context
Unemployment rate	4.1 %country median 3.8%	1 Oct 2020	Japan 2020 Census labor force status by municipality⁶Official

What does a salary buy in Nishi-ku (Kobe)?

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

Left over each month€952of €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€6.77/m² · official · e-stat.go.jp · 2023-12-31	− €406
Internet€32 · official · NTT FLET'S 100 Mbps fixed internet · 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	€952

Take-home pay for other salaries and households

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Nishi-ku (Kobe). 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 Nishi-ku (Kobe). Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Schools	55 schools	1 May 2024	MEXT School Basic Survey 2024 municipality table 000040231127¹¹Official

Healthcare

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Hospital Beds Per 1000	15.31 per 1,000	31 Dec 2024	Japan official municipality health statistics 2024⁹Official
Physicians Per 1000	2.15 per 1,000	31 Dec 2024	Japan official municipality health statistics 2024¹⁰Official
Physicians per 100,000 residents	218.8 per 100,000	2022	Exact e-Stat municipality row I6100 (医師数), derived with the exact same-JIS e-Stat A2301 total resident population row. No prefecture or parent-area value is used.⁵Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Nishi-ku (Kobe) 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 10002.15 per 1,000Verified 2026-08-31

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	747.6 incidents per 100,000	31 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1-5-2¹⁷Official · regional context

Mobility and administration

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Destinations from nearest airport	12 count	2024	Unique direct scheduled destination endpoints for the nearest scheduled-service airport in the complete 97-airport MLIT universe; domestic endpoints come from the official 2024 annual route table and international endpoints from the official 2024 summer and winter direct scheduled-flight tables.¹⁵Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Nishi-ku (Kobe). 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 Nishi-ku (Kobe).

Find courses near Nishi-ku (Kobe)

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in 神戸市西区?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 10.5 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: MOE Japan Air Pollution Monitoring Report FY2023 — 神戸市西区¹³

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

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.510.5WHO 5 · EU 25

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 Nishi-ku (Kobe) is 10.5 µg/m³. Of 804 cities with data, 209 have annual PM2.5 of 8 to under 9 µg/m³.

183

209

167

4–55–66–77–88–99–1010–1111–1212–1313–14

Nishi-ku (Kobe) 10.5

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	10.5 µg/m³country median 8.4	31 Mar 2024	MOE Japan Air Pollution Monitoring Report FY2023 — 神戸市西区¹³Official

Population and city profile

The city covered 138 km² in 2024. Population density was 1,676.6 people per km² in 2024.

How many people live in 神戸市西区?

The published population was 238,877 people in October 2020. Source: Japan 2020 Census municipality population table⁸

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport98.3%

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	138 km²	2024	Exact e-Stat municipality row B1101: 総面積（北方地域及び竹島を除く）, converted from ha to km2.⁴Official
Foreign residents	4,158 people	2024	Exact e-Stat municipality row A2201: 住民基本台帳人口（外国人）.³Official
Population density	1,677 people/km²	2024	Exact e-Stat municipality row B1101: 総面積（北方地域及び竹島を除く）, converted from ha to km2.⁴Official
Population	238,877 people	1 Oct 2020	Japan 2020 Census municipality population table⁸Official

International community in Nishi-ku (Kobe)

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Citizenship

Persons in the official 2020 Population Census Basic Complete Tabulation on Population and Households; sex-total population by source-native nationality category. · 2020

Published group	People	Share
Total	238,877	100.0%
Japanese	226,919	95.0%
Nationality not reported	9,687	4.1%
Foreigner	2,271	1.0%
Republic of Korea	785	0.3%
People's Republic of China	593	0.2%
Socialist Republic of Viet Nam	413	0.2%
Republic of the Philippines	168	0.1%
Others	159	0.1%
United States of America	42	0.0%
Federative Republic of Brazil	21	0.0%

Show 6 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Republic of Indonesia	20	0.0%
Kingdom of Thailand	18	0.0%
Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal	17	0.0%
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland	16	0.0%
India	10	0.0%
Republic of Peru	9	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source²

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Median age	49.4 years	1 Oct 2020	Japan 2020 Census municipality median age table⁷Official

Alternatives for people set on Nishi-ku (Kobe)

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Sasebo as a Nishi-ku (Kobe) alternative in the same country

Better on 3 of 3 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

Recorded crime, per 100k: 336 Sasebo vs 748 Nishi-ku (Kobe)−55%
Rent: €5.88/m² Sasebo vs €6.77/m² Nishi-ku (Kobe)−13%
Annual PM2.5: 9.1 µg/m³ Sasebo vs 10.5 µg/m³ Nishi-ku (Kobe)−13%

Full comparison More about Sasebo

Alternative cities in Japan

Other cities in Japan to compare with Nishi-ku (Kobe), nearest in population first.

All Japan cities

Yamagata238,293 residents Bunkyo-ku240,069 residents Chōfu241,074 residents Hakodate236,515 residents Taihaku-ku (Sendai)234,758 residents Shimonoseki243,422 residents

How does Nishi-ku (Kobe) compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Nishi-ku (Kobe)'s.

Open the full comparison

Common questions

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

How many people live in 神戸市西区?

The published population was 238,877 people in October 2020. Source: Japan 2020 Census municipality population table.

How much does it cost to rent in 神戸市西区?

Average net cold rent is about 6.77 EUR/m² per month (2023 Housing and Land Survey), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 474 EUR a month before utilities. Source: www.e-stat.go.jp.

Is the air quality good in 神戸市西区?

What is the unemployment rate in 神戸市西区?

The unemployment rate is 4.1 % (October 2020). Source: Japan 2020 Census labor force status by municipality.

How many foreign residents live in Nishi-ku (Kobe)?

4,158 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Exact e-Stat municipality row A2201: 住民基本台帳人口（外国人）..

Is Nishi-ku (Kobe) a good place to live?

Nishi-ku (Kobe) 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.

How many people are in the Total citizenship group in Nishi-ku (Kobe)?

The official citizenship distribution records 238,877 people (100.0%) in the source-defined population for 2020. This is a citizenship measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

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, September 23). Nishi-ku (Kobe), Japan: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version e4ccb5270b67401219f4e719e7c6ea5b]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/koubeshinishiku/ Retrieved 2026-09-23. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_nishi-ku-kobe-japan-population-rent-salary-jobs_b7155d9775aa,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Nishi-ku (Kobe), Japan: population, rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-23},
  version = {e4ccb5270b67401219f4e719e7c6ea5b},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/koubeshinishiku/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-23. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Nishi-ku (Kobe), Japan: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/koubeshinishiku/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version e4ccb5270b67401219f4e719e7c6ea5b; retrieved 2026-09-23; built 2026-09-23.

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

docomo mini 10GB docomo.ne.jp · checked 2026-09-15
e-Stat / Statistics Bureau of Japan 2020 Population Census table 44-1 nationality e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-01
Exact e-Stat municipality row A2201: 住民基本台帳人口（外国人）. e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-07-15
Exact e-Stat municipality row B1101: 総面積（北方地域及び竹島を除く）, converted from ha to km2. e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-07-15
Exact e-Stat municipality row I6100 (医師数), derived with the exact same-JIS e-Stat A2301 total resident population row. No prefecture or parent-area value is used. e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-07-15
Japan 2020 Census labor force status by municipality e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-07-16
Japan 2020 Census municipality median age table e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-07-16
Japan 2020 Census municipality population table e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-07-16
Japan official municipality health statistics 2024 mhlw.go.jp · checked 2026-08-13
Japan official municipality health statistics 2024 mhlw.go.jp · checked 2026-08-13

Show 7 more sources

MEXT School Basic Survey 2024 municipality table 000040231127 e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-07-16
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
MOE Japan Air Pollution Monitoring Report FY2023 — 神戸市西区 MOE Japan Air Pollution Monitoring Report FY2023 · env.go.jp · checked 2026-07-26
NTT FLET'S 100 Mbps fixed internet flets.com · checked 2026-09-15
Unique direct scheduled destination endpoints for the nearest scheduled-service airport in the complete 97-airport MLIT universe; domestic endpoints come from the official 2024 annual route table and international endpoints from the official 2024 summer and winter direct scheduled-flight tables. mlit.go.jp · checked 2026-07-15
www.e-stat.go.jp e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-27
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

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