Cost of Living Comparison Between Aomori and Osaka Cost of Living Comparison Between Aomori and Osaka

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,231 in Aomori versus $1,371 in Osaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,931 in Aomori versus $2,038 in Osaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,630 in Aomori versus $2,705 in Osaka.

Living in Aomori costs roughly 10% less than in Osaka, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Aomori is 8% below, Osaka is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.05 ¥1,130

$6.95 ¥1,115

1.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.28 ¥5,655

$34.58 ¥5,543

2.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.40 ¥865

$4.98 ¥798

8.43%

Cappuccino

$3.11 ¥498

$3.33 ¥533

-6.61%

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

$1.10 ¥176

$1.08 ¥173

1.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥120

$0.76 ¥122

-1.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.64 ¥423

$2.74 ¥439

-3.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 ¥505

$4.35 ¥697

-27.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ¥255

$1.61 ¥257

-1.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 ¥247

$1.43 ¥229

7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.72 ¥756

$4.86 ¥779

-2.88%

Eggs

$2.21 ¥354

$2.46 ¥394

-10.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 ¥1,620

$10.43 ¥1,672

-3.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.28 ¥1,007

$6.38 ¥1,023

-1.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.42 ¥2,472

$18.61 ¥2,984

-17.14%

Apples (1kg)

$5.41 ¥867

$3.53 ¥565

53.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 ¥419

$2.19 ¥350

19.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.07 ¥653

$2.48 ¥398

64.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.02 ¥964

$4.31 ¥691

39.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.15 ¥505

$1.69 ¥272

86.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 ¥423

$1.28 ¥206

106.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 ¥223

$1.39 ¥222

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 ¥144

$0.85 ¥136

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ¥683

$3.93 ¥631

8.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.27 ¥1,326

$9.27 ¥1,486

-10.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 ¥305

$2.13 ¥341

-10.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 ¥357

$2.99 ¥480

-25.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 ¥266

$1.61 ¥258

3.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.4 ¥9,045

$36.32 ¥5,823

55.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 ¥559

$4.56 ¥731

-23.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.97 ¥477

$3.31 ¥531

-10.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.58 ¥3,298

$23.95 ¥3,839

-14.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ¥179

$1.19 ¥191

-5.88%

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

$23.5K ¥3.8M

$23.6K ¥3.8M

-0.02%

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

$17.1K ¥2.7M

$16.9K ¥2.7M

1.25%

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

$142 ¥22.7K

$135 ¥21.6K

5.04%

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

$27.60 ¥4,424

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.71 ¥5,404

$30.37 ¥4,868

11.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.2 ¥9,013

$59.1 ¥9,480

-4.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.86 ¥2,221

$20.39 ¥3,269

-32.03%

Cinema Ticket

$12.63 ¥2,025

$12.36 ¥1,982

2.18%

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

$278 ¥44.5K

$68.1 ¥10.9K

307.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$10.5K ¥1.7M

24.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.77 ¥6,856

$44.08 ¥7,065

-2.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.97 ¥4,804

$29.47 ¥4,723

1.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.9 ¥9,442

$67.2 ¥10.8K

-12.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 ¥14.8K

$94.8 ¥15.2K

-2.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$461 ¥74.0K

$717 ¥115.0K

-35.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 ¥53.6K

$483 ¥77.4K

-30.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$868 ¥139.1K

$1,311 ¥210.1K

-33.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 ¥106.9K

$807 ¥129.3K

-17.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,076 ¥653.4K

$5,951 ¥953.9K

-31.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,639 ¥423.0K

$2,055 ¥329.3K

28.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,944 ¥311.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.78

1.81

-1.66%

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

Last update for Aomori: June 2, 2026

Last update for Osaka: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $461 in Aomori and $717 in Osaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Aomori vs $35.00 in Osaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $299, with Osaka cheaper for home cooking.

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

Aomori vs Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aomori and Osaka differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,231 vs $1,371 including rent). Aomori is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Aomori and $2,057 in Osaka to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $461 in Aomori versus $717 in Osaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $278 in Aomori versus $68.1 in Osaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Osaka pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,231 in Aomori versus $1,371 in Osaka, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aomori but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Aomori the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Aomori and Osaka are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Aomori gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.