Nagoya
Japan · Asia · 2.3M people
Industrial heartland city and Japan's third-largest metro area.
Ranked #10 of 303 overall · 35.18, 136.91
Overview
Nagoya sits in Japan, on the Asian continent, home to roughly 2.3 million people. Nagoya stands out for how safe it feels compared to cities of a similar size. It has a reputation as a solid, practical choice for raising a family. People who choose to settle in Nagoya tend to point to a strong sense of safety, solid infrastructure for remote work, and reliable healthcare as the deciding factors. Against its 76 tracked peers in Asia, Nagoya's 7.7/10 overall score sits 1.2 points above the regional average of 6.5. On CityMatch, Nagoya scores 7.7/10 overall across cost of living, safety, environment, transport, climate, healthcare and internet, ranking #10 of 303 cities in our database. Its strongest single criterion is safety at 9/10, while cost of living is its softest spot at 6/10 — the full breakdown, honest trade-offs, and who this city actually suits are below.
Full scorecard
Comfortable on a moderate budget.
Consistently rated among the safer picks.
No major pollution concerns on average.
Dense, reliable public transport.
Reasonably comfortable year-round.
A strong pick if healthcare matters most to you.
Fast, reliable connectivity.
Is Nagoya right for you?
Set your own priorities and see where it ranks against every city in the dataset.
Run the recommender →How are these scores calculated?
Every city on CityMatch is scored 1-10 on seven criteria — cost of living, safety, environment, transport, climate, healthcare and internet — and those seven numbers are combined into the overall score shown throughout the site using a consistent, automated formula (an equal-weighted average by default, or your own weighting via the recommender tool). The same method is applied identically to every city, so scores are comparable across the full database.
Sources & data provenance
The current dataset is an internally curated starter dataset built for this version of the site, reflecting each city's general reputation on each criterion rather than a live feed from a single external provider. It is not yet sourced from a specific third-party API. If that changes, this section will be updated to name the exact sources in use.
Last updated: 17 July 2026
Strengths & trade-offs
Strengths
A 9/10 safety score puts Nagoya among the more reassuring cities to walk around, day or night.
Public transport scores 9/10, dense enough that skipping a car is realistic for most residents.
Internet and connectivity score 9/10, making remote work a non-issue rather than a workaround.
Trade-offs
Cost of living is Nagoya's comparatively softest spot at 6/10 — still a workable budget, just not its standout strength.
Climate is the comparatively softer spot at 6/10 — pleasant enough, just not where Nagoya stands out most.
Is Nagoya safe?
Nagoya scores 9/10 on safety — one of the more reassuring cities in our database. Most residents and visitors report feeling comfortable with ordinary city awareness rather than specific precautions.
At night
Walking at night is generally low-stress here, though sticking to lit, populated streets is always sensible advice anywhere.
For tourists
Tourists rarely report serious issues beyond the ordinary pickpocket risk that exists in any well-visited city — normal vigilance in crowded areas is enough.
For families
Combined with a healthcare score of 8/10 and environment score of 7/10, Nagoya looks like a genuinely solid pick for raising a family.
For solo travelers
Cities scoring this well on safety (9/10) are generally considered comfortable for solo travelers, though — as anywhere — checking current, specific local advice before a trip is always worth the ten minutes it takes.
On public transport
Public transport feels safe here too — safety (9/10) and transport quality (9/10) are both strong, a combination that generally makes getting around without a car low-stress.
Practical tips
- →Standard city awareness is genuinely enough here — no need for unusual precautions.
- →Keep half an eye on belongings in busy tourist spots, the same as anywhere.
What's the climate like in Nagoya?
Climate here (6/10) is comfortably in the "fine, not exceptional" range — a normal seasonal cycle rather than anything punishing.
Seasonal character
Expect a normal four-season rhythm (or a wet/dry split closer to the equator), without extremes dominating the calendar.
Comfort level
Comfort is generally good, with the odd day or short stretch that calls for planning ahead rather than year-round ease.
Best time to live here
Shoulder-season months (spring and autumn, broadly) tend to be the safest bet if you can choose when to visit or move.
Note: this reflects our single aggregate 1-10 climate score rather than month-by-month temperature, humidity or rainfall data, which we don't currently track — treat it as a general read rather than a forecast.
Quality of life in Nagoya
Put together, quality of life in Nagoya is shaped less by any single number and more by the combination: nagoya tends to run at a calmer, more settled pace, the kind of rhythm that suits routine and family life more than nightlife, paired with an outdoor/environment picture that's generally favorable and transport that's genuinely workable.
Pace & lifestyle
Nagoya tends to run at a calmer, more settled pace, the kind of rhythm that suits routine and family life more than nightlife.
Nature & outdoors
Outdoor time is reasonably pleasant, with environment (7/10) and climate (6/10) scores that don't get in the way, without being a specific draw either.
Getting around
Getting around is one of Nagoya's clearer strengths (9/10) — day-to-day life doesn't really require a car.
Culture & leisure
Nagoya isn't specifically marketed on culture or nightlife in our data, which usually means a more everyday, less tourist-oriented pace of life — good for routine, less exciting for a short visit.
Based on its actual score profile, Nagoya tends to suit people who prioritize safety and public transport over cost of living — see "Who Nagoya suits" above for the specific profiles that fit best.
How clean is Nagoya?
Environment scores 7/10 here, solidly average: no particular pollution concern, but not a headline strength either.
Public spaces
Public space quality isn't separately measured in our data; the environment score above is the closest proxy we have, and it points to an unremarkable, workable baseline.
Infrastructure maintenance
General infrastructure maintenance isn't a criterion we score independently, so treat any specific claims about road quality, public bins, or graffiti with caution unless they come from a recent, first-hand source.
The "environment" score behind all of this is CityMatch's single combined measure of air quality and general environmental conditions — 10 meaning consistently clean air, 1 meaning significant pollution. It doesn't separately break out waste management, noise, or visual upkeep, which aren't part of our current dataset.
Who Nagoya suits
Expat
Expats — expatriates relocating for work who lean on safety, healthcare and internet to stay settled and connected (fit score 8.0/10 here).
Safety-first mover
Safety-first movers — people relocating somewhere unfamiliar who weigh personal safety above all (fit score 7.9/10 here).
Young family
Young familys — households with kids prioritizing safety, healthcare and clean air (fit score 7.8/10 here).
Young professional
Young professionals — early-career movers who want nightlife and transit within budget, without yet prioritizing healthcare or climate (fit score 7.8/10 here).
In depth
Cost of living
At 6/10 for cost of living, Nagoya lands in a middle ground where costs are manageable without being a bargain.
Safety
At 9/10 on our safety score, Nagoya ranks among the more secure cities we track, which tends to matter most for families and first-time movers.
Climate
Weather here (6/10) is reasonably pleasant most of the year, with a normal seasonal cycle rather than anything punishing.
Quality of life
What stands out about Nagoya is how even its scorecard is — no criterion drags the average down much, giving a global score of 7.7/10 built on safety as the high point and cost of living as the lowest. The average across all seven criteria is 7.7/10.
Transport
Nagoya's public transport scores 9/10, dense and reliable enough that most residents don't think twice about skipping a car.
Internet & remote work
At 9/10 for internet, Nagoya is squarely in "video-call without worrying about it" territory.
Why choose Nagoya?
The short version: Nagoya doesn't have a genuine weak point on our scorecard. Safety is its clearest strength at 7.7/10 overall, and cost of living — while relatively its lowest score — is still comfortably decent.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Nagoya safe?
Yes — Nagoya scores 9/10 on safety, among the higher end of the 303 cities we track. Normal city awareness is enough for most visitors and residents.
What budget do I need to live in Nagoya?
Nagoya scores 6/10 on cost of living — a moderate budget is enough for a comfortable lifestyle, without it being a bargain destination.
Is Nagoya good for families?
Nagoya works well for families: safety (9/10), healthcare (8/10) and environment (7/10) average out to a strong combination for raising kids.
Is Nagoya a good city for students?
Nagoya isn't specifically known as a student hub, but its affordability (6/10) and transport (9/10) scores make it a workable option.
Is Nagoya suitable for digital nomads?
Nagoya isn't specifically marketed to remote workers, but the fundamentals are there: internet scores 9/10 and cost of living 6/10.
What's the climate like in Nagoya?
Nagoya scores 6/10 on climate — a normal seasonal mix without real extremes.
Is Nagoya pleasant to live in year-round?
Reasonably — Nagoya scores 6/10 on climate and 7/10 on environment, a fair rather than exceptional combination across the year.
Is Nagoya a good choice for a first move abroad?
It's a reasonable choice for a first move: safety, healthcare, transport and environment average out to 8.3/10 here, a fairly forgiving combination for someone settling in for the first time.
Is the internet good enough for remote work in Nagoya?
Yes — Nagoya scores 9/10 on internet and connectivity, comfortably enough for video calls and day-to-day remote work.
Is Nagoya a good place to retire?
It has real appeal for retirees: healthcare, climate and safety average out to 7.7/10 here — the three criteria that tend to matter most for that stage of life.
What are good alternatives to Nagoya?
Based on continent, tags and overall score, Taipei and Yokohama are the closest matches to Nagoya in our database — worth comparing directly if you're still deciding.
Is Nagoya worth living in?
On balance, yes — Nagoya's overall score of 7.7/10 is among the stronger all-round profiles in our 303-city database, without one glaring weakness dragging it down.
Who should move to Nagoya?
Based on its score profile, Nagoya suits people who value safety and public transport more than the average mover — see the "Who Nagoya suits" section above for the specific profiles (families, digital nomads, students, etc.) that fit best.
Is Nagoya walkable, and is public transport good?
Yes — Nagoya scores 9/10 on transport, dense and reliable enough that a car is genuinely optional for most residents.
What's the biggest advantage of living in Nagoya?
Safety is Nagoya's standout strength, scoring 9/10 — the highest of its seven criteria on CityMatch.
What's the biggest downside of living in Nagoya?
Cost of living is the clearest trade-off, scoring just 6/10 — the lowest of Nagoya's seven criteria, and worth weighing against its strengths.