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Living in Ōtsu

In Ōtsu, rents across existing tenancies average €7.20 per m² a month (2023).

An unemployment rate of 3.81% was measured at the end of 2020.

Last checked 2026-09-2432 sources

Population343,600people31 Dec 2024Official source · e-Stat 社会・人口統計体系 市区町村データ 基礎データ（オリジナル）0000020101 — A2301 住民基本台帳人口（総数）, 調査年 2024年度
Median gross salary (region)331.7EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · www.e-stat.go.jp
Average net rent7.2EUR/m²/monthcountry median €6.27 — 15% aboveOfficial source · www.e-stat.go.jp
Unemployment rate3.81%country median 3.8% — about the sameOfficial 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 crime623.6incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2025Official source · JP-25-Shiga-2025
PM2.5, annual mean7.3µg/m³country median 8.4 — 13% belowOfficial source · MOE Japan Air Pollution Monitoring Report FY2023 — 大津市

Pricier rent than 71% of Japanese cities that publish it and cleaner air than 78% of Japanese cities that publish it.

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

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 Ōtsu.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 Ōtsu?

Average net cold rent is about 7.2 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): 7.2 EUR/m²/month · www.e-stat.go.jp15
What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month
Ōtsu recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

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

net rent, € / m² / month

Kawasaki€13.36
Yokohama€11.97
Osaka€10.65
Kyoto€10.46
Sapporo€7.56
Ōtsu€7.20
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17Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB21.56 EUR/month30 Sept 2026docomo mini 10GB3Official · national market
Housing vacancy rate10.86 %31 Oct 20232023 Housing and Land Survey, Table 1-2: Housing by occupancy status1Official
Average net rent (nettokalt)7.2 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €6.2731 Dec 2023www.e-stat.go.jp15Official
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)349.5 EUR/month31 Oct 2023Housing and Land Survey 2023, Table 112-3-2: Monthly Rent of Dwelling by Type of Dwelling — Japan, prefecture, shi, ku, machi and mura6Official

Is Ōtsu 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 worker57%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 49–65%
Skilled employee63%strong on work, weak on education · range 55–71%
Student57%strong on cost, weak on education · range 48–66%
Family67%strong on family, weak on education · range 59–75%
Retirement62%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 53–71%

Worked out from these numbers

What does a 60 m² flat cost?

About 432 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of about 7.2 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 Ōtsu?

The unemployment rate is about 3.8 % (October 2020).

  • Unemployment rate: 3.81 % · 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
Unemployment across cities in JapanUnemployment in Ōtsu is 3.8%. Of 1,816 cities with data, 818 have unemployment of 3 to under 4%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Public employment offices1 count15 Sept 2026MHLW — Hello Work nationwide location list10Official
Median gross salary (regional)331.7 EUR/month31 Dec 2024www.e-stat.go.jp16Official
Unemployment rate3.81 %country median 3.8% — about the same31 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 Ōtsu?

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

regional median gross pay: €332 (e-stat.go.jp, 2024-12-31).
Left over each month€0of €0 take-home
  • Rent
  • Internet
  • Mobile
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€7.20/m² · official · e-stat.go.jp · 2023-12-31− €432
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—
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Ōtsu Salary needed to live in Ōtsu

Public employment offices in Ōtsu

MHLW lists 1 public employment office in Ōtsu (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.

Office count verified

Hello Work — Public employment service

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan

Job Search
Search jobs
Open the Japan service overview

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.

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Hospital beds per 1,000 residents11.06 per 1,00031 Dec 2024Japan official municipality health statistics 20247Official
Hospital beds per 100,000 residents1,106 beds per 100,00031 Dec 2024Japan official municipality health statistics 20247Official
Hospitals15 count1 Jun 2026医療情報ネット hospitals facility CSV18Official
Pharmacies163 count1 Jun 2026医療情報ネット pharmacies CSV19Official
Physicians per 1,000 residents3.79 per 1,00031 Dec 2024Japan official municipality health statistics 20248Official
Physicians per 100,000 residents378.9 per 100,00031 Dec 2024Japan official municipality health statistics 20248Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Ōtsu 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
Hospital beds per 100,000 residents1,106 beds per 100,000Verified 2026-09-16
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

How safe is Ōtsu?

Police recorded about 624 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: 623.6 incidents per 100,000 · JP-25-Shiga-20259
MetricValuePeriodSource
Burglaries per 100,000 residents22.31 incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2025JP-25-Shiga-20259Official
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents623.6 incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2025JP-25-Shiga-20259Official
Violent crime per 100,000 residents65.78 incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2025JP-25-Shiga-20259Official

Mobility and administration

Ōtsu's nearest airport was ITM, 46 km away and offered 22 direct destinations.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport22 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights12Official
Destinations from nearest airport34 count2024Unique 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.14Official
Distance to the nearest major airport46 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports13Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)ITM3 Aug 2026OurAirports13Official

Language courses and integration

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

Find courses near Ōtsu

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Ōtsu?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 7.3 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 — 大津市11

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

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 Ōtsu is 7.3 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 mean7.3 µg/m³country median 8.431 Mar 2024MOE Japan Air Pollution Monitoring Report FY2023 — 大津市11Official

Population and city profile

The city recorded a population density of 742.9 people per km² at the end of 2020.

How many people live in Ōtsu?

The published population was 343,600 people in 2024. Source: e-Stat 社会・人口統計体系 市区町村データ 基礎データ（オリジナル）0000020101 — A2301 住民基本台帳人口（総数）, 調査年 2024年度5

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
City area464.5 km²3 Aug 2026国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan)20Official
Foreign-resident share1.8 %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 residents6,195 people3 Aug 2026総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民)23Official
Population density742.9 people/km²31 Dec 2020総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 第1-1表)22Official
Population343,600 people31 Dec 2024e-Stat 社会・人口統計体系 市区町村データ 基礎データ（オリジナル）0000020101 — A2301 住民基本台帳人口（総数）, 調査年 2024年度5Official

International community in Ōtsu

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 groupPeopleShare
Total345,070100.0%
Japanese334,54596.9%
Nationality not reported6,4901.9%
Foreigner4,0351.2%
Others1,2690.4%
Republic of Korea1,2540.4%
People's Republic of China7020.2%
Socialist Republic of Viet Nam2040.1%
Republic of the Philippines1550.0%
Federative Republic of Brazil1340.0%
United States of America960.0%
Show 6 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Republic of Indonesia650.0%
Republic of Peru620.0%
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland320.0%
Kingdom of Thailand260.0%
Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal190.0%
India170.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source4

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median age50 years31 Dec 20262026 Resident Basic Register, population by age group by municipality (total residents)2Official

Alternatives for people set on Ōtsu

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.

Nagahama as a Ōtsu alternative in the same region

56 km away, better on 4 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.

  • Foreign residents: 3.7% Nagahama vs 1.8% Ōtsu+108%
  • Empty flats: 18.5% Nagahama vs 10.9% Ōtsu+70%
  • Rent: €6.37/m² Nagahama vs €7.20/m² Ōtsu−12%
  • Residents: 112,294 Nagahama vs 343,600 Ōtsu−67%
  • Median gross pay, region: €277 Nagahama vs €332 Ōtsu−16%
  • Unemployment: 3.1% Nagahama vs 3.8% Ōtsu−18%
  • Annual PM2.5: 8.5 µg/m³ Nagahama vs 7.3 µg/m³ Ōtsu+16%
Full comparisonMore about Nagahama

Maebashi as a Ōtsu alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 330 km, better on 5 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

  • Foreign residents: 3.6% Maebashi vs 1.8% Ōtsu+98%
  • Empty flats: 15.2% Maebashi vs 10.9% Ōtsu+40%
  • Rent: €6.40/m² Maebashi vs €7.20/m² Ōtsu−11%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 750 Maebashi vs 624 Ōtsuno percentage
  • Hospital beds, per 100k: 1,323.3 Maebashi vs 1,105.5 Ōtsu+20%
  • Unemployment: 3.5% Maebashi vs 3.8% Ōtsu−7%
  • Median gross pay, region: €313 Maebashi vs €332 Ōtsu−6%
Full comparisonMore about Maebashi

Cities near Ōtsu

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Kyoto 7.9 km away
Rent
10.46 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
Kusatsu 9.6 km away
Rent
8.99 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
Rittō 13.0 km away
Rent
6.9 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
Moriyama 13.5 km away
Rent
7.31 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
Uji 14.9 km away
Rent
7.43 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
Mukō 16.2 km away
Rent
8.87 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
Yasu 16.5 km away
Rent
7.24 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31

Alternative cities in Japan

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

All Japan cities
Tokorozawa342,490 residentsNakano-ku344,880 residentsTakatsuki345,589 residentsKoshigaya341,437 residentsNakano341,322 residentsNara-shi347,187 residents

How does Ōtsu compare?

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Put Ōtsu'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 Ōtsu?

The published population was 343,600 people in 2024. Source: e-Stat 社会・人口統計体系 市区町村データ 基礎データ（オリジナル）0000020101 — A2301 住民基本台帳人口（総数）, 調査年 2024年度.

How much does it cost to rent in Ōtsu?

Average net cold rent is about 7.2 EUR/m² per month (2023 Housing and Land Survey), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 504 EUR a month before utilities. Source: www.e-stat.go.jp.

Is the air quality good in Ōtsu?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 7.3 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 — 大津市.

How safe is Ōtsu?

Police recorded about 624 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-25-Shiga-2025.

What is the unemployment rate in Ōtsu?

The unemployment rate is about 3.8 % (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 Ōtsu?

The median gross salary is 331.7 EUR/month. Source: www.e-stat.go.jp.

Is Ōtsu a good place to live?

Ōtsu 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 Ōtsu?

Kyoto, Kusatsu, Rittō, Moriyama, Uji are near Ōtsu. 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 Ōtsu?

The official citizenship distribution records 334,545 people (96.9%) 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). Ōtsu, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version b2dcd3d43c93df227201cf9220bdb835]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/otsu/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_otsu-japan-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living-jobs_75528466255c,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Ōtsu, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {b2dcd3d43c93df227201cf9220bdb835},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/otsu/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Ōtsu, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/otsu/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version b2dcd3d43c93df227201cf9220bdb835; 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. 2023 Housing and Land Survey, Table 1-2: Housing by occupancy status e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-17
  2. 2026 Resident Basic Register, population by age group by municipality (total residents) e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-24
  3. docomo mini 10GB docomo.ne.jp · checked 2026-09-15
  4. e-Stat / Statistics Bureau of Japan 2020 Population Census table 44-1 nationality e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-01
  5. e-Stat 社会・人口統計体系 市区町村データ 基礎データ（オリジナル）0000020101 — A2301 住民基本台帳人口（総数）, 調査年 2024年度 e-Stat 社会・人口統計体系 市区町村データ 基礎データ（オリジナル）0000020101 · e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-18
  6. 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
  7. Japan official municipality health statistics 2024 mhlw.go.jp · checked 2026-08-13
  8. Japan official municipality health statistics 2024 mhlw.go.jp · checked 2026-08-13
  9. JP-25-Shiga-2025 pref.shiga.lg.jp · checked 2026-09-15
  10. MHLW — Hello Work nationwide location list MHLW · mhlw.go.jp · checked 2026-09-15
Show 22 more sources
  1. MOE Japan Air Pollution Monitoring Report FY2023 — 大津市 MOE Japan Air Pollution Monitoring Report FY2023 · env.go.jp · checked 2026-07-26
  2. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  3. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  4. 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
  5. www.e-stat.go.jp e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-27
  6. www.e-stat.go.jp e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-27
  7. 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
  8. 医療情報ネット hospitals facility CSV mhlw.go.jp · checked 2026-09-15
  9. 医療情報ネット pharmacies CSV mhlw.go.jp · checked 2026-09-15
  10. 国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan) gsi.go.jp · checked 2026-08-03
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  15. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  16. Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q202907 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
  17. Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q34600 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
  18. Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q386677 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
  19. Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q611642 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
  20. Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q850640 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
  21. Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q857225 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
  22. Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q857310 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.