Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Akita and Osaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Akita: $1,213 a month against $1,378 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Osaka outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

58

Cost of Living Index in Akita
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Akita Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index

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Akita

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,213

/mo nomad

Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,378

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Akita and in Osaka

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Akita and in Osaka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,213 per month in Akita vs $1,378 in Osaka, rent included.

Akita $1,213
Osaka $1,378

A couple spends around $1,904 per month in Akita vs $2,005 in Osaka, rent included.

Akita $1,904
Osaka $2,005

A family of three spends $2,596 per month in Akita vs $2,632 in Osaka, rent included.

Akita $2,596
Osaka $2,632

Akita is about 12% cheaper than Osaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Akita sits 11% below the global median, while Osaka is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.21 ¥981

$6.25 ¥987

-0.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.98 ¥5,052

$31.70 ¥5,008

0.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 ¥775

$4.90 ¥774

Cappuccino

$3.54 ¥559

$2.95 ¥466

20.00%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 ¥156

$1.44 ¥228

-31.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥128

$0.75 ¥119

8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 ¥306

$2.65 ¥419

-27.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 ¥493

$3.87 ¥611

-19.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥240

$1.44 ¥227

5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥252

$1.34 ¥211

18.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 ¥650

$5.25 ¥830

-21.71%

Eggs

$2.04 ¥323

$2.14 ¥338

-4.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 ¥1,610

$9.33 ¥1,475

9.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ¥1,031

$9.22 ¥1,456

-29.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.23 ¥2,565

$18.39 ¥2,906

-11.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 ¥573

$3.43 ¥541

5.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ¥355

$1.92 ¥303

17.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 ¥448

$1.99 ¥314

42.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.20 ¥663

$4.05 ¥640

3.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 ¥384

$1.56 ¥247

55.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 ¥392

$1.17 ¥185

111.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 ¥204

$1.30 ¥205

-0.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥127

$0.88 ¥139

-7.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 ¥634

$4.00 ¥631

0.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 ¥1,039

$9.60 ¥1,517

-31.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 ¥296

$1.95 ¥308

-3.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ¥327

$3.24 ¥512

-36.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 ¥239

$1.39 ¥219

8.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.0 ¥8,525

$32.34 ¥5,109

66.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 ¥503

$3.69 ¥583

-13.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 ¥440

$3.07 ¥486

-9.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.55 ¥2,931

$21.76 ¥3,437

-14.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥207

$1.09 ¥173

20.18%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.7K ¥3.4M

$22.3K ¥3.5M

-2.75%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$15.2K ¥2.4M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

0.35%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$135 ¥21.3K

$139 ¥22.0K

-3.26%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$24.50 ¥3,871

$24.50 ¥3,870

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.46 ¥4,971

$30.67 ¥4,846

2.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 ¥8,332

$49.03 ¥7,746

7.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.06 ¥2,853

Cinema Ticket

$11.84 ¥1,870

$12.72 ¥2,010

-6.92%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$507 ¥80.1K

$510 ¥80.5K

-0.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K ¥2.0M

$12.9K ¥2.0M

-1.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.47 ¥6,552

$48.57 ¥7,673

-14.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.21 ¥7,301

$30.98 ¥4,894

49.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 ¥13.4K

$74.2 ¥11.7K

14.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ¥13.9K

$91.5 ¥14.5K

-3.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ¥83.1K

$699 ¥110.5K

-24.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 ¥53.1K

$510 ¥80.6K

-34.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 ¥172.1K

$1,710 ¥270.1K

-36.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 ¥114.1K

$772 ¥122.0K

-6.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,173 ¥659.3K

$6,183 ¥976.8K

-32.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,782 ¥281.5K

$1,908 ¥301.4K

-6.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,613 ¥254.9K

$2,424 ¥382.9K

-33.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Akita: October 19, 2026

Last update for Osaka: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Akita

$336 27.7%

Osaka

$510 37.1% 51.9% $174

Groceries & Markets

Akita

$285 23.5%

Osaka

$302 21.9% 5.7% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Akita

$191 15.7%

Osaka

$194 14.1% 2% $3.7

Eating Out

Akita

$130 10.7%

Osaka

$130 9.4% 0% $0

Clothing & Footwear

Akita

$117 9.7%

Osaka

$110 8% 5.8% $6.8

Getting Around

Akita

$77 6.4%

Osaka

$57 4.1% 26.2% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Akita

$76 6.3%

Osaka

$74 5.4% 2.6% $2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Akita versus $699 in Osaka. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 50% higher in Osaka, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Akita versus $32.00 in Osaka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $285 vs $302 – making Akita the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Akita

🇯🇵 Osaka

🕒 Local time

23:23 11:23 PM

Same time as Akita

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

307,672

2,691,185

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Akita Osaka 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Akita
Osaka

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Akita vs Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Osaka costs about 14% more than Akita, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,819 per month in Akita and $2,067 in Osaka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Akita, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 67% less in Akita. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $507 per month in Akita and $510 in Osaka. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Akita, where all-in costs run around $1,213, than in Osaka at $1,378. In Akita it covers expenses comfortably, while in Osaka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Akita costs $1,213 versus $1,378 in Osaka. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Akita. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Osaka makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.