Living in Motobu

The city faced an unemployment rate of 5.62% at the end of 2020. At the end of 2020, the population density reached 230.5 people per km².

Last checked 2026-09-2315 sources

Population12,877people1 Jan 2026Official source · Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey; 2026-01-01 municipal total

Average gross salary1,666EUR/month30 Jun 2025Regional figureOfficial source · MHLW / e-Stat — Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025, 47-prefecture scheduled earnings reference table

Average rent334.8EUR/month31 Dec 2023Regional figureOfficial source · 2023 Housing and Land Survey, table 112-3-2: average one-month rent of exclusive dwellings

Unemployment rate5.62%country median 3.8% — 49% 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 crime728.3incidents 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 mean9.93µg/m³31 Dec 2023Nearest stationOfficial source · NIES monthly PM2.5 station means annualized to calendar 2023

Higher unemployment than 95% of Japanese cities that publish it and dirtier air than 84% of Japanese cities that publish it.

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

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 Motobu.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.

No city-level rent figure is published for Motobu. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€32

Mobile plan, 10 GB€22

Net rent across major citiesMotobu highlighted among comparable cities

net rent, € / m² / month

Kawasaki€13.36

Yokohama€11.97

Osaka€10.65

Kyoto€10.46

Hiroshima€8.38

Sapporo€7.56

Show the other 6 cities

Saitama€10.37

Chiba€9.08

Fukuoka€9.00

Kobe€8.87

Sendai€8.85

Nagoya€8.81

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	31.61 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	ドコモ光月額料金 — NTTドコモ¹⁰Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	21.56 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	docomo mini 10GB²Official · national market
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)	334.8 EUR/month	31 Dec 2023	2023 Housing and Land Survey, table 112-3-2: average one-month rent of exclusive dwellings¹Official · regional context

Is Motobu 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 worker54%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 44–64%

Skilled employee59%strong on work, weak on education · range 49–69%

Student54%strong on cost, weak on education · range 43–65%

Family52%strong on family, weak on education · range 41–63%

Retirement54%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 41–67%

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Motobu?

The unemployment rate is about 5.6 % (October 2020).

Unemployment rate: 5.62 % · 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 Motobu is 5.6%. 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

Motobu 5.6%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Average gross earnings	1,666 EUR/month	30 Jun 2025	MHLW / e-Stat — Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025, 47-prefecture scheduled earnings reference table⁵Official · regional context
Unemployment rate	5.62 %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 Motobu?

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

Left over each month€1,024of €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
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · 2023 Housing and Land Survey, table 112-3-2: average one-month rent of exclusive dwellings · 2023-12-31	− €335
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	€1,024

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Motobu Salary needed to live in Motobu

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Motobu. 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 Motobu. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Healthcare

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Hospital beds per 1,000 residents	24.67 per 1,000	31 Dec 2024	Japan official municipality health statistics 2024³Official
Physicians per 1,000 residents	1.39 per 1,000	31 Dec 2024	Japan official municipality health statistics 2024⁴Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Motobu 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 residents1.39 per 1,000Verified 2026-08-31

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	728.3 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1-5-2¹¹Official · regional context

Mobility and administration

Motobu's nearest airport was OKA, 58 km away and offered 32 direct destinations.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport	32 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights⁷Official
Distance to the nearest major airport	58 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁸Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)	OKA	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁸Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Motobu. 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 Motobu.

Find courses near Motobu

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Motobu?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 9.9 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: 9.93 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

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

PM2.59.9WHO 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 Motobu is 9.9 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

Motobu 9.9

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	9.93 µg/m³	31 Dec 2023	NIES monthly PM2.5 station means annualized to calendar 2023⁶Official · nearest-station reading

Population and city profile

How many people live in Motobu?

The published population was 12,877 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

By nationality

National passport97.6%

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	54.37 km²	3 Aug 2026	国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan)¹²Official
Foreign-resident share	2.38 %	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 residents	306 people	3 Aug 2026	総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民)¹⁵Official
Population density	230.5 people/km²	31 Dec 2020	総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 第1-1表)¹⁴Official
Population	12,877 people	1 Jan 2026	Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey; 2026-01-01 municipal total⁹Official

Alternatives for people set on Motobu

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.

Minamiuonuma as a Motobu alternative in the same country

Better on 3 of 4 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

Residents: 51,603 Minamiuonuma vs 12,877 Motobu+301%
Unemployment: 3.3% Minamiuonuma vs 5.6% Motobu−41%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 463 Minamiuonuma vs 728 Motobu−36%
Foreign residents: 3.0% Minamiuonuma vs 2.4% Motobu+26%

Full comparison More about Minamiuonuma

Alternative cities in Japan

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

All Japan cities

Shirataka-machi12,890 residents Kyōtamba12,907 residents Tonosho-cho12,846 residents Takamori-machi (Nagano)12,811 residents Kadena12,951 residents Taishi13,009 residents

How does Motobu compare?

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

Open the full comparison

Put Motobu'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 Motobu?

The published population was 12,877 people in 2026. Source: Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey; 2026-01-01 municipal total.

Is the air quality good in Motobu?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 9.9 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 Motobu?

The unemployment rate is about 5.6 % (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 Motobu?

306 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 Motobu a good place to live?

Motobu 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). Motobu, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 2c6f257d2090feda97f91cdcd22688f1]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/motobu/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_motobu-japan-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_91272d207fe2,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Motobu, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {2c6f257d2090feda97f91cdcd22688f1},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/motobu/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Motobu, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/motobu/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 2c6f257d2090feda97f91cdcd22688f1; 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

2023 Housing and Land Survey, table 112-3-2: average one-month rent of exclusive dwellings e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-23
docomo mini 10GB docomo.ne.jp · checked 2026-09-15
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
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
NIES monthly PM2.5 station means annualized to calendar 2023 gis.nies.go.jp · checked 2026-09-23
OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey; 2026-01-01 municipal total e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-10
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

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
国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan) gsi.go.jp · checked 2026-08-03
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
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
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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