Search Icon
Menu Icon
Menu Close icon

5 foreigner-friendly share houses in Kobe! Rent rates in Kobe are also explained.

update date
This site introduces products through an affiliate program.
A man and a woman living in a shared house in Japan eating pizza in the living room.

Kobe is the largest city in Hyogo Prefecture, located close to Osaka, the central city of the Kansai region, and is known as a port city with an international flavor. Trade with foreign countries has been prosperous since ancient times, and the city is characterized by its exotic atmosphere. In such a city of Kobe, there are many share houses where foreign residents can live in peace.

In this article, we will introduce 5 carefully selected share houses in Kobe recommended for foreigners, while explaining in detail the charm of Kobe and the advantages of living in a share house. We will also discuss the market rent for living alone in Kobe, so if you are considering a new life in Kobe, please take a look at this article for reference.

We also recommend the following article, which provides a comprehensive explanation of the appeal of share housing and how to choose a share house.
▶︎ Japanese Sharehouse Experience! 3 Recommended Share Houses & Guide for Foreigners on How to Choose a Share House

▼Goandup Picks Click here for recommended articles!

What is Kobe like?

Kobe is located in Hyogo Prefecture in the Kansai region and is the largest city in Hyogo Prefecture with a population of approximately 1.5 million. It is one of the three major cities in the Kansai region: Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe.

Kobe has long flourished as a port city with active overseas trade, creating an exotic cityscape. Since the opening of the port of Kobe, the city has developed into a cosmopolitan city where many foreigners come and go, and it still has a unique culture and atmosphere that blends the West and the East.

Kobe City also has a Chinatown called Nankinmachi, which is one of the three major Chinatowns in Japan along with Yokohama Chinatown and Nagasaki Shinchi Chinatown. Kobe Nankinmachi is located near Motomachi Station in Chuo-ku, Kobe City, and is a lively area with more than 100 stores. With its Chinese-style streets, red lanterns, and authentic Chinese cuisine, it is a popular tourist spot in Kobe, where visitors can enjoy an exotic atmosphere as if they had wandered into a Chinese town.

Kobe's Attractiveness

Kobe has many attractions, but its proximity to the sea and mountains, its exotic cityscape, and its proximity to Osaka and Kyoto are particularly good points.

1. the sea and mountains are close by

Unusually for a large city, Kobe is located between the sea and mountains rather than on a flat plain, and nature and the city are right next to each other. You can walk to the sea from the center of the city, and if you go a little further north, you will find the rich nature of Mt.

2. exotic streets

Kobe is a port town that has been actively trading with foreign countries since ancient times, and is characterized by the foreign-style buildings and streets that remain in the city. Ijinkan-gai is a famous sightseeing spot, but Western-style architecture can also be found here and there throughout the city.

3. close to Osaka and Kyoto

It is also convenient that the three major cities in the Kansai region are relatively close to each other: from Sannomiya, the center of Kobe, to Osaka in about 20 minutes by train, and to Kyoto in about 50 minutes.

4. sake production is flourishing

Nishinomiya City, adjacent to Kobe City, is one of the most famous sake-producing areas in Japan, known as Nada Gogo. The sake brewed in this area is widely known as "Nada Sake" and is characterized by its dry taste. Many famous sake breweries are located in the area, and sake brewery tours are available.

Kobe Rent Rates

The average rent for a studio apartment in Kobe City is about 53,000 yen, and for a 1K apartment about 59,000 yen. While rents are higher in the Sannomiya area in the city center, you can find relatively reasonable apartments in the suburbs.

Reference:【at home】 Rental rates in Kobe

Advantages of living in a foreigner-friendly share house

There are many advantages to living in a share house in Kobe, but being able to interact with a variety of people, saving money on rent and furniture and appliances, and being able to easily discuss any problems or issues you may have are particular advantages.

Interact with a variety of people

Since people of various nationalities live in foreigner-friendly share houses, a major advantage is that you can meet and interact with many people.

Save money on rent, furniture and appliances.

Many share houses are generally inexpensive, so share housing is recommended for those who want to save money. Also, many share houses are furnished with furniture and appliances, so there is no need to buy your own.

Easy to discuss your problems and issues in Japan

When foreigners live in Japan, they may encounter various problems and difficulties. In a share house, you will find the same foreign residents, and in many cases, the manager speaks English and understands the feelings of foreigners.

To learn more about share houses, the following articles are also helpful.
▶︎ What is a share house? Attractiveness and drawbacks explained & summary of sites where you can search for a share house.

How to find a share house in Kobe?

If you are looking for a shared house in Osaka, the Oakhouse portal site is a great place to start. This site is designed to help foreigners starting a new life in Japan, where language barriers and unfamiliar housing conditions can be a major barrier, but with Oakhouse you can find your ideal home with peace of mind.

Oak House offers a wide variety of share houses throughout Japan, and tenants can choose from furnished private rooms, properties with large bathrooms, and rooms that are easy to invite friends and family to, according to their needs. Property information is provided in English and other languages, making it easy for foreign residents to understand the contents and make a smooth selection, a major advantage.

The Oak House portal site also allows you to search online by area, train line, commuting time, and many other criteria, so you can efficiently find the property that best suits your needs. Find the perfect home for you while checking real-time updated vacancy information.

If you move into an Oak House property, you will have the opportunity to interact with other residents through the events and workshops provided. You can enjoy a fulfilling community life while learning about Japanese culture and language.

Please check out the Oak House portal site for your new life in Kobe. You are sure to find the perfect share house for you.

To learn more about Oak House, please click on the image below and take a look at the official website. You are sure to find the perfect home for your new life.

5 foreigner-friendly share houses in Kobe

Now, here are five foreigner-friendly share houses in Kobe. We have mainly chosen properties around Sannomiya and Motomachi, the central area of Kobe.

1. grand kobe

Grand Kobe" is a foreigner-friendly share house located in Uozaki-kitamachi, a quiet and tranquil residential area in Higashinada-ku, Kobe City. The nearest station, Uozaki Station on the Hanshin Main Line, is only a 5-minute walk away, making access very convenient. The Sumiyoshi River, which flows from its source in Mt. Rokko, is only a minute's walk away, allowing you to feel close to nature.

Rent is reasonable, starting in the 50,000 yen range, and all apartments are furnished with furniture and appliances, keeping initial costs low. In addition, the common space is fully equipped with a spacious kitchen, study room, and theater room.

Residents are about half Japanese and half non-Japanese, and multicultural events are frequently held in the shared living room, allowing residents to interact with each other. In addition, bilingual staff members are on hand to provide full support for foreign residents in their daily lives.

For more information,click here!

1. BORDERLESS HOUSE

BORDERLESS HOUSE" also operates share houses for foreigners in Kobe City. In Kobe, BORDERLESS HOUSE Kobe Motomachi is located in Motomachi in the center of the city, a 4-minute walk from JR/Hanshin Motomachi Station, and a 15-minute walk from Sannomiya Station, the city's main station. The rent is reasonable, starting in the 60,000 yen range.

With a 50-50 ratio of Japanese and non-Japanese residents, events are frequently held in the shared living room, and there is active interaction among residents. Bilingual staff who can speak both English and Japanese are on hand to support the daily lives of foreign residents.

For more information,click here!

3. kobe share house warai

Kobe Sharehouse Warakui is a foreigner-friendly share house operating five properties in the Tarumi area of Kobe. Tarumi is conveniently located just 15 minutes by train from the center of Kobe and has a rich natural environment facing the Seto Inland Sea. Each property is within a 5-minute walk from the nearest station for easy access.

Each house at WARAKUI has a small number of residents (3 to 7), and a mixture of Japanese and non-Japanese residents live in a homelike and warm atmosphere. Rent is reasonable, ranging from 30,000 yen to 50,000 yen, depending on the location.

For more information,click here!

4. the HeadQuarters KOBE

The HeadQuarters KOBE is a detached house type share house located in a quiet residential area near Oji Koen Station in Nada-ku, Kobe. From the nearest station, Oji-Koen Station, you can conveniently reach Sannomiya in 4 minutes.

This is a small-group house with a total of 10 rooms, and the common areas and facilities are extremely well equipped, creating a natural interaction among residents. The most distinctive feature of this share house is the open rooftop terrace with a great view. You can enjoy events such as barbecues.

Although the building itself is old, the common areas are well cleaned once a week by housekeepers and are comfortable to use. In addition, the building faces a shopping arcade, so shopping for daily necessities can be done in just a few seconds on foot without getting wet from the rain.

For more information,click here!

Kobe Stockers

Kobe Stockers is a share house with properties in the Kitano and Uozaki areas. The property in the Kitano area is conveniently located in the fashionable city of Kobe Kitano, a 5-minute walk from Ijinkan and the famous Starbucks, and from the rooftop of the house on a hill, you can enjoy a beautiful night view of Kobe. On the other hand, properties in the Uozaki area are located in a town famous for Nada sake. Convenience stores, supermarkets, bakeries, home centers, and pharmacies are all within a 4-minute walking distance, making the location very convenient for daily life.

Both properties have both dormitory and private room types, with about half of the residents being foreigners and half being Japanese, allowing for international exchange in a friendly atmosphere.

For more information,click here!

Room sharing in Kobe is also recommended!

For those who wish to save even more on rent than in a shared house, we recommend room-sharing, in which two or more people share a single room. In room-sharing, the rent burden per person can be significantly reduced by using a larger room with more than one person.

In Kobe, you will find apartments with spacious layouts, such as 1K and 1LDK, that are suitable for room sharing. Depending on the location and size of the room, rent can range from 30,000 yen to 50,000 yen per person. Since utilities and internet fees can be split 50-50, it is possible to further reduce costs.

While room sharing can be done by renting a regular rental apartment, we also recommend using a dormitory-type room in a shared house. Dormitories are originally designed to be used by multiple people, so you can enjoy socializing with your share mates while still maintaining your privacy.

Serious employment support to help you realize your dream of working in Japan!

Do you want to work in Japan?
Let us "Goandup" make that dream a reality!

【 Program Features 】
✅ JLPT N3 level Japanese language acquisition
✅ Thorough preparation for the specific skills test
✅ Full support for job hunting in Japan

Business-focused one-on-one lessons will help you find a job in Japan in the shortest possible time.

【 Program Menu 】

  • Individual Japanese language lessons
    • Intensive curriculum to obtain N3, especially specialized lessons for business Japanese that can be used at work.

  • Preparation for the Specific Skills Test
    • Customized materials for specific skill tests will be used to focus on frequently asked questions and learning to pass the test.

  • Resume and CV support
    • To create resumes and CVs tailored to Japanese corporate culture, and to brush up on self-promotion and motivation for application.

  • Interview Preparation
    • Guidance on areas for improvement through mock interviews and feedback based on corporate interview scenarios. Learn interview etiquette and behavior unique to Japan.

  • career consulting
    • Provide introductions to companies that match the participant's career goals, select companies to apply to, and provide advice on the level of knowledge required by the companies to which the participant is applying.

  • Chat Support
    • In addition to one-on-one individual lessons, we also accept casual questions via DM (visa application, living support, assistance in finding a room, etc.).

If you are serious about your career in Japan, join us now!

▶︎ for more informationclick here.

We will do our best to support your success in Japan!

summary

Although there are not as many share houses in Kobe as there are in Tokyo, there are a variety of properties where foreigners can live in comfort and enjoyment. Why not experience the charm of Kobe, an international city surrounded by the sea and mountains, with your share mates?

For more information on the share house situation in the surrounding area, please refer to the following articles.
・5 foreigner-friendly share houses in Osaka!
・5 foreigner-friendly share houses in Kyoto!

  • Your support will help us!

  • Thank you for visiting Goandup Picks. Our mission is to provide you with more useful information to show the world what Japan has to offer.

    Your support will help us to further enhance our activities, so please support us!

  • ▶︎ Support is available atclick here!

    • Related Articles

    Goandup Picks for Expats > Lifestyle Support > Housing Search and Real Estate Information > 5 foreigner-friendly share houses in Kobe! Rent rates in Kobe are also explained.