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: $1,180 in Aomori versus $1,346 in Osaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,881 in Aomori versus $1,976 in Osaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,581 in Aomori versus $2,606 in Osaka.

Living in Aomori costs roughly 12% less than in Osaka, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Aomori 14% lower, Osaka 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.84 ¥1,064

$6.13 ¥954

11.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.48 ¥4,277

$30.75 ¥4,786

-10.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 ¥887

$4.81 ¥748

18.50%

Cappuccino

$3.12 ¥485

$2.93 ¥456

6.48%

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

$1.19 ¥186

$1.43 ¥223

-16.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ¥114

$0.69 ¥108

5.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 ¥424

$2.63 ¥409

3.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ¥434

$3.64 ¥567

-23.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥246

$1.43 ¥222

10.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥254

$1.28 ¥199

27.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 ¥574

$5.25 ¥817

-29.71%

Eggs

$2.04 ¥318

$2.10 ¥327

-2.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 ¥1,762

$9.80 ¥1,525

15.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.61 ¥873

$9.18 ¥1,429

-38.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 ¥2,983

$18.09 ¥2,816

5.91%

Apples (1kg)

$5.41 ¥843

$3.38 ¥526

60.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 ¥389

$1.91 ¥298

30.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 ¥558

$1.98 ¥308

81.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 ¥700

$3.89 ¥605

15.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 ¥340

$1.54 ¥239

41.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 ¥379

$1.17 ¥182

108.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ¥186

$1.29 ¥200

-6.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥121

$0.81 ¥127

-3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 ¥685

$3.84 ¥597

14.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.53 ¥1,016

$9.50 ¥1,479

-31.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥280

$1.87 ¥290

-3.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ¥357

$3.22 ¥502

-28.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 ¥205

$1.36 ¥212

-2.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 ¥9,499

$31.99 ¥4,979

90.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ¥483

$3.77 ¥587

-17.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.08 ¥479

$3.04 ¥473

1.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.08 ¥3,124

$21.01 ¥3,270

-4.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ¥164

$1.09 ¥170

-3.67%

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

$23.8K ¥3.7M

$21.4K ¥3.3M

11.20%

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

$16.8K ¥2.6M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

11.03%

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

$140 ¥21.8K

$136 ¥21.2K

3.09%

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

$21.82 ¥3,397

$23.92 ¥3,722

-8.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.40 ¥4,420

$30.63 ¥4,767

-7.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.67 ¥7,730

$48.60 ¥7,563

2.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.90 ¥2,786

Cinema Ticket

$11.65 ¥1,813

$12.04 ¥1,874

-3.24%

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

$504 ¥78.5K

$520 ¥80.9K

-2.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K ¥1.8M

$13.2K ¥2.1M

-11.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 ¥8,771

$44.15 ¥6,872

27.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.96 ¥4,351

$29.71 ¥4,624

-5.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.1 ¥9,201

$72.6 ¥11.3K

-18.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ¥13.5K

$88.8 ¥13.8K

-2.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$479 ¥74.6K

$699 ¥108.8K

-31.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 ¥55.8K

$507 ¥78.9K

-29.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$941 ¥146.5K

$1,682 ¥261.8K

-44.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 ¥120.3K

$761 ¥118.4K

1.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,923 ¥766.2K

$5,636 ¥877.2K

-12.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,661 ¥258.4K

$1,822 ¥283.6K

-8.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,245 ¥349.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.06

2.21

-6.79%

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

Last update for Aomori: August 31, 2026

Last update for Osaka: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $479 in Aomori and $699 in Osaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in Aomori vs $31.00 in Osaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $306 vs $298, 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 14% in total monthly costs ($1,180 vs $1,346 including rent). Aomori is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,770 in Aomori and $2,019 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: $479 in Aomori versus $699 in Osaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $504 in Aomori versus $520 in Osaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Osaka pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,180 in Aomori versus $1,346 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 14% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.