Living in Okayama
In Okayama, rents across existing tenancies average €7.90 per m² a month (2023).
The city faced an unemployment rate of 4% at the end of 2020. Annual PM2.5 in the air was 12.2 µg/m³ in March 2024.
Pricier rent than 79% of Japanese cities that publish it, higher unemployment than 62% 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 Okayama?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
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 Okayama?
Average net cold rent is about 7.9 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): 7.9 EUR/m²/month · www.e-stat.go.jp16
Supplemental estimate lane, not official statistics: Utilities, 85 m² flat, Private kindergarten, Fitness club. The others are published prices.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness club membership, monthly | 49.22 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v225Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 32.03 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | NTT FLET'S 100 Mbps fixed internet11Official · national market |
| Private kindergarten, monthly | 70.31 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v225Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | 6.33 EUR | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v225Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 21.56 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | docomo mini 10GB3Official · national market |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² home | 175.8 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v225Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Housing vacancy rate | 14.46 % | 31 Oct 2023 | 2023 Housing and Land Survey, Table 1-2: Housing by occupancy status1Official |
| Average net rent (nettokalt) | 7.9 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €6.27 | 31 Dec 2023 | www.e-stat.go.jp16Official |
| Average monthly rent (whole dwelling) | 343.8 EUR/month | 31 Oct 2023 | Housing and Land Survey 2023, Table 112-3-2: Monthly Rent of Dwelling by Type of Dwelling — Japan, prefecture, shi, ku, machi and mura6Official |
Is Okayama 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.
Worked out from these numbers
What does a 60 m² flat cost?
About 474 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of about 7.9 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.
Work and income
What is the unemployment rate in Okayama?
The unemployment rate is about 4 % (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)21
Okayama 4.0%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public employment offices | 2 count | 15 Sept 2026 | MHLW — Hello Work nationwide location list9Official |
| Median gross salary (regional) | 309.4 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | www.e-stat.go.jp17Official |
| Unemployment rate | 4 %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)21Official |
What does a salary buy in Okayama?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentUtilitiesInternetMobile
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. | outside the model's range |
| Rent, 60 m²€7.90/m² · official · e-stat.go.jp · 2023-12-31 | − €474 |
| Public transport passnot published for this city | — |
| Utilities, 85 m²€176 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31 | − €176 |
| 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 |
| Left overbefore the bill this city does not publish | — |
Public employment offices in Okayama
MHLW lists 2 public employment offices in Okayama (checked 2026-09-16). Use the official office finder for addresses and appointments; registration and job search are also available online through the national service below.
Hello Work — Public employment service
The office count comes from the service's own directory. Individual addresses and opening hours are not listed here yet. Sources checked through 16 Sept 2026.
Family and education
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public language course providers | 1 count | 31 Dec 2026 | Friendship Exchange Salon — Japanese Language Classes5Official |
Healthcare
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| GP practices | 305 count | 1 Jun 2026 | 医療情報ネット clinics facility and specialty CSV 2026-06-0119Official |
| Physicians per 100,000 residents | 425.1 per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2024 | 令和6年医師・歯科医師・薬剤師統計 医師 第22表18Official |
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Okayama 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 guideSafety
How safe is Okayama?
Police recorded about 684 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.
- Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 684.3 incidents per 100,000 · JP-33-Okayama-20258
Mobility and administration
Okayama's nearest airport was OKJ, 14 km away and offered 8 direct destinations.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct destinations from the nearest major airport | 8 count | 3 Aug 2026 | OpenFlights12Official |
| Destinations from nearest airport | 6 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 |
| Distance to the nearest major airport | 14 km | 3 Aug 2026 | OurAirports13Official |
| Nearest major airport (IATA code) | OKJ | 3 Aug 2026 | OurAirports13Official |
Language courses and integration in Okayama
Friendship Exchange Salon lists 1 publicly funded course provider in Okayama (checked 2026-09-16). Their individual addresses are not listed here yet; the national programme below explains who can enrol and how.
Japanese Language Education Program for Foreigners Living in Japan — State Language Course
Agency for Cultural Affairs
For foreigners living in Japan.
Climate and air quality
Is the air quality good in Okayama?
The annual PM2.5 mean is about 10.5 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: 10.52 µg/m³ · NIES monthly PM2.5 station means annualized to calendar 202310
Night-time low to daytime high
mm
hours
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Okayama 10.5
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 10.52 µg/m³country median 8.4 | 31 Dec 2023 | NIES monthly PM2.5 station means annualized to calendar 202310Official |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan 9.6 · Feb 10.5 · Mar 14.6 · Apr 19.8 · May 24.8 · Jun 27.6 · Jul 31.8 · Aug 33.3 · Sep 29.1 · Oct 23.4 · Nov 17.1 · Dec 11.7 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | JMA 1991-2020 surface climate normals — 岡山7Official |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan 0.1 · Feb 0.5 · Mar 3.5 · Apr 8.5 · May 14.8 · Jun 18.7 · Jul 23.4 · Aug 24.6 · Sep 20 · Oct 13.4 · Nov 6.8 · Dec 2.1 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | JMA 1991-2020 surface climate normals — 岡山7Official |
| Average temperature by month | Jan 4.6 · Feb 5.2 · Mar 8.7 · Apr 14.1 · May 19.1 · Jun 22.7 · Jul 27 · Aug 28.1 · Sep 23.9 · Oct 18 · Nov 11.6 · Dec 6.6 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | JMA 1991-2020 surface climate normals — 岡山7Official |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 36.2 · Feb 45.4 · Mar 82.5 · Apr 90 · May 112.6 · Jun 169.3 · Jul 177.4 · Aug 97.2 · Sep 142.2 · Oct 95.4 · Nov 53.3 · Dec 41.5 mm | 31 Dec 2020 | JMA 1991-2020 surface climate normals — 岡山7Official |
| Average sunshine by month | Jan 149 · Feb 145.4 · Mar 177.8 · Apr 192.6 · May 205.9 · Jun 153.5 · Jul 169.8 · Aug 203.2 · Sep 157.5 · Oct 171.5 · Nov 153.7 · Dec 153.8 hours | 31 Dec 2020 | JMA 1991-2020 surface climate normals — 岡山7Official |
Population and city profile
Okayama's population density measured 917.4 people per km² at the end of 2020.
How many people live in Okayama?
The published population was 692,769 people in January 2026. Source: Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey — Total, 1 January 202614
By nationality
National passport97.5%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| City area | 790 km² | 3 Aug 2026 | 国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan)20Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 2.55 % | 3 Aug 2026 | 総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民 ÷ 総計)23Official |
| Foreign residents | 17,659 people | 3 Aug 2026 | 総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民)23Official |
| Population density | 917.4 people/km² | 31 Dec 2020 | 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 第1-1表)22Official |
| Population | 692,769 people | 1 Jan 2026 | Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey — Total, 1 January 202614Official |
International community in Okayama
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 | 724,691 | 100.0% |
| Japanese | 694,651 | 95.9% |
| Nationality not reported | 18,196 | 2.5% |
| Foreigner | 11,844 | 1.6% |
| People's Republic of China | 3,659 | 0.5% |
| Socialist Republic of Viet Nam | 3,082 | 0.4% |
| Republic of Korea | 2,125 | 0.3% |
| Others | 985 | 0.1% |
| Republic of the Philippines | 579 | 0.1% |
| Federative Republic of Brazil | 430 | 0.1% |
| Republic of Indonesia | 321 | 0.0% |
Show 6 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal | 193 | 0.0% |
| Kingdom of Thailand | 169 | 0.0% |
| United States of America | 165 | 0.0% |
| India | 53 | 0.0% |
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 47 | 0.0% |
| Republic of Peru | 36 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source4
Additional context
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 48.6 years | 31 Dec 2026 | 2026 Resident Basic Register, population by age group by municipality (total residents)2Official |
Alternatives for people set on Okayama
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.
Takamatsu as an Okayama alternative in the same region
37 km away, better on 4 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.
- Rent: €6.91/m² Takamatsu vs €7.90/m² Okayama−12%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 691 Takamatsu vs 684 Okayamano percentage
- Foreign residents: 1.8% Takamatsu vs 2.5% Okayama−29%
- A meal out: €3 Takamatsu vs €6 Okayama−47%
- Unemployment: 3.4% Takamatsu vs 4.0% Okayama−14%
- Empty flats: 16.8% Takamatsu vs 14.5% Okayama+16%
- Basic utilities, 85 m²: €202 Takamatsu vs €176 Okayama+15%
Shizuoka as an Okayama alternative in the same country
A move, not a commute, at 408 km, better on 5 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.
- Annual PM2.5: 7.4 µg/m³ Shizuoka vs 10.5 µg/m³ Okayama−29%
- Basic utilities, 85 m²: €100 Shizuoka vs €176 Okayama−43%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 499 Shizuoka vs 684 Okayamano percentage
- Unemployment: 3.5% Shizuoka vs 4.0% Okayama−13%
- Rent: €8.33/m² Shizuoka vs €7.90/m² Okayama+5%
- A meal out: €5 Shizuoka vs €6 Okayama−28%
- Median gross pay, region: €325 Shizuoka vs €309 Okayama+5%
Cities near Okayama
Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.
- Rent
- 3.86 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 5.55 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 6.76 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 6.49 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 4.56 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
Alternative cities in Japan
Other cities in Japan to compare with Okayama, nearest in population first.
How does Okayama compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Okayama's.
Okayama in rankings
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Okayama?
The published population was 692,769 people in January 2026. Source: Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey — Total, 1 January 2026.
How much does it cost to rent in Okayama?
Average net cold rent is about 7.9 EUR/m² per month (2023 Housing and Land Survey), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 553 EUR a month before utilities. Source: www.e-stat.go.jp.
Is the air quality good in Okayama?
The annual PM2.5 mean is about 10.5 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.
How safe is Okayama?
Police recorded about 684 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: JP-33-Okayama-2025.
What is the unemployment rate in Okayama?
The unemployment rate is about 4 % (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).
What is the typical salary around Okayama?
The median gross salary is 309.4 EUR/month. Source: www.e-stat.go.jp.
Is Okayama a good place to live?
Okayama 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.
Which cities are near Okayama?
Akaiwa, Setouchi, Kurashiki, Sōja, Tamano are near Okayama. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.
How many people are in the Japanese citizenship group in Okayama?
The official citizenship distribution records 694,651 people (95.9%) 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, October 16). Okayama, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 953c3741582a7e7cf2c08c34f17f0be6]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/okayama/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_okayama-japan-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_281b3177161d,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Okayama, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {953c3741582a7e7cf2c08c34f17f0be6},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/okayama/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Okayama, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/okayama/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 953c3741582a7e7cf2c08c34f17f0be6; 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
- 2023 Housing and Land Survey, Table 1-2: Housing by occupancy status e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-17
- 2026 Resident Basic Register, population by age group by municipality (total residents) e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-24
- 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
- Friendship Exchange Salon — Japanese Language Classes Friendship Exchange Salon · city.okayama.jp · checked 2026-09-15
- Housing and Land Survey 2023, Table 112-3-2: Monthly Rent of Dwelling by Type of Dwelling — Japan, prefecture, shi, ku, machi and mura Housing and Land Survey 2023, Table 112-3-2: Monthly Rent of Dwelling by Type of Dwelling · e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-12
- JMA 1991-2020 surface climate normals — 岡山 JMA 1991-2020 surface climate normals · data.jma.go.jp · checked 2026-07-26
- JP-33-Okayama-2025 pref.okayama.jp · checked 2026-09-15
- MHLW — Hello Work nationwide location list MHLW · mhlw.go.jp · checked 2026-09-15
- NIES monthly PM2.5 station means annualized to calendar 2023 gis.nies.go.jp · checked 2026-09-23
Show 20 more sources
- NTT FLET'S 100 Mbps fixed internet flets.com · checked 2026-09-15
- 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 — Total, 1 January 2026 Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey · e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-10
- 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
- www.e-stat.go.jp e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-27
- 令和6年医師・歯科医師・薬剤師統計 医師 第22表 e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-16
- 医療情報ネット clinics facility and specialty CSV 2026-06-01 mhlw.go.jp · checked 2026-09-18
- 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
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q415372 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q467487 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q691691 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q850335 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q873536 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.