Living in Sōja
In Sōja, rents across existing tenancies average €6.49 per m² a month (2023).
Sōja had an unemployment rate of 3.17% at the end of 2020.
Lower unemployment than 78% of Japanese cities that publish it and dirtier air than 98% of Japanese cities that publish it.
Which Japan-wide rules apply when you move to Sōja?
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 Sōja?
Average net cold rent is about 6.49 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): 6.49 EUR/m²/month · www.e-stat.go.jp14
| 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16Official · national market |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 21.56 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | docomo mini 10GB2Official · national market |
| Average net rent (nettokalt) | 6.49 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €6.27 | 31 Dec 2023 | www.e-stat.go.jp14Official |
| Average monthly rent (whole dwelling) | 310.6 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 mura5Official |
Is Sōja 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 390 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of about 6.49 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 Sōja?
The unemployment rate is about 3.2 % (October 2020).
- Unemployment rate: 3.17 % · 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)19
Sōja 3.2%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross salary (regional) | 269.5 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | www.e-stat.go.jp15Official |
| Unemployment rate | 3.17 %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)19Official |
What does a salary buy in Sōja?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentInternetMobile
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€6.49/m² · official · e-stat.go.jp · 2023-12-31 | − €390 |
| 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 | — |
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to Sōja. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.
Hello Work — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Sōja. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.
Family and education
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schools | 18 schools | 1 May 2024 | MEXT School Basic Survey 2024 municipality table 0000402311279Official |
Healthcare
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital beds per 1,000 residents | 3.07 per 1,000 | 31 Dec 2024 | Japan official municipality health statistics 20247Official |
| Physicians per 1,000 residents | 1.05 per 1,000 | 31 Dec 2024 | Japan official municipality health statistics 20248Official |
| Physicians per 100,000 residents | 97.6 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.4Official |
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Sōja 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
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 560.7 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
Sōja's nearest airport was OKJ, 13 km away and offered 8 direct destinations.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct destinations from the nearest major airport | 8 count | 3 Aug 2026 | OpenFlights11Official |
| 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.13Official |
| Distance to the nearest major airport | 13 km | 3 Aug 2026 | OurAirports12Official |
| Nearest major airport (IATA code) | OKJ | 3 Aug 2026 | OurAirports12Official |
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for Sōja. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.
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 Sōja?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 11.8 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 — 総社市10
Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.
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.
Sōja 11.8
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 11.8 µg/m³country median 8.4 | 31 Mar 2024 | MOE Japan Air Pollution Monitoring Report FY2023 — 総社市10Official |
Population and city profile
At the end of 2020, the population density reached 325.8 people per km².
How many people live in Sōja?
The published population was 69,030 people in October 2020. Source: Japan 2020 Census municipality population table6
By nationality
National passport96.8%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| City area | 212 km² | 3 Aug 2026 | 国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan)18Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 3.18 % | 3 Aug 2026 | 総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民 ÷ 総計)20Official |
| Foreign residents | 2,215 people | 3 Aug 2026 | 総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民)20Official |
| Population density | 325.8 people/km² | 31 Dec 2020 | 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 第1-1表)6Official |
| Population | 69,030 people | 1 Oct 2020 | Japan 2020 Census municipality population table6Official |
International community in Sōja
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 | 69,030 | 100.0% |
| Japanese | 66,634 | 96.5% |
| Foreigner | 1,593 | 2.3% |
| Nationality not reported | 803 | 1.2% |
| Socialist Republic of Viet Nam | 791 | 1.1% |
| Federative Republic of Brazil | 238 | 0.3% |
| Others | 232 | 0.3% |
| People's Republic of China | 127 | 0.2% |
| Republic of the Philippines | 82 | 0.1% |
| Republic of Indonesia | 46 | 0.1% |
| Republic of Korea | 31 | 0.0% |
Show 5 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Republic of Peru | 26 | 0.0% |
| Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal | 7 | 0.0% |
| United States of America | 6 | 0.0% |
| Kingdom of Thailand | 4 | 0.0% |
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 3 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source3
Additional context
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.9 years | 31 Dec 2026 | 2026 Resident Basic Register, population by age group by municipality (total residents)1Official |
Alternatives for people set on Sōja
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.
Takahashi as a Sōja alternative in the same region
18 km away, better on 4 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.
- Rent: €4.67/m² Takahashi vs €6.49/m² Sōja−28%
- Unemployment: 2.6% Takahashi vs 3.2% Sōja−18%
- Residents: 29,072 Takahashi vs 69,030 Sōja−58%
- Annual PM2.5: 9.6 µg/m³ Takahashi vs 11.8 µg/m³ Sōja−19%
- Median gross pay, region: €248 Takahashi vs €270 Sōja−8%
- Foreign residents: 3.7% Takahashi vs 3.2% Sōja+17%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 561 Takahashi vs 561 Sōjasame level
Minamiarupusu as a Sōja alternative in the same country
A move, not a commute, at 441 km, better on 3 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 416 Minamiarupusu vs 561 Sōja−26%
- Annual PM2.5: 7.9 µg/m³ Minamiarupusu vs 11.8 µg/m³ Sōja−33%
- Rent: €5.93/m² Minamiarupusu vs €6.49/m² Sōja−9%
- Median gross pay, region: €273 Minamiarupusu vs €270 Sōjasame level
- Residents: 69,459 Minamiarupusu vs 69,030 Sōja+1%
Cities near Sōja
Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.
- Rent
- 6.76 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 7.9 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 4.67 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 5.14 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
Alternative cities in Japan
Other cities in Japan to compare with Sōja, nearest in population first.
How does Sōja compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Sōja's.
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Sōja?
The published population was 69,030 people in October 2020. Source: Japan 2020 Census municipality population table.
How much does it cost to rent in Sōja?
Average net cold rent is about 6.49 EUR/m² per month (2023 Housing and Land Survey), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 455 EUR a month before utilities. Source: www.e-stat.go.jp.
Is the air quality good in Sōja?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 11.8 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 — 総社市.
What is the unemployment rate in Sōja?
The unemployment rate is about 3.2 % (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 Sōja?
The median gross salary is 269.5 EUR/month. Source: www.e-stat.go.jp.
Is Sōja a good place to live?
Sōja 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 Sōja?
Kurashiki, Okayama, Takahashi, Asakuchi are near Sōja. 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 Sōja?
The official citizenship distribution records 66,634 people (96.5%) 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). Sōja, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version b3644e805c69146779e7ae016b1d3f70]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/soja/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_soja-japan-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living-jobs_e042eada9641,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Sōja, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living, jobs},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {b3644e805c69146779e7ae016b1d3f70},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/soja/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Sōja, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/soja/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version b3644e805c69146779e7ae016b1d3f70; 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- MEXT School Basic Survey 2024 municipality table 000040231127 e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-07-16
- MOE Japan Air Pollution Monitoring Report FY2023 — 総社市 MOE Japan Air Pollution Monitoring Report FY2023 · env.go.jp · checked 2026-07-26
Show 15 more sources
- OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
- OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q467487 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q851675 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
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q990353 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.