Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Asahikawa and Osaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Asahikawa: $1,159 a month against $1,362 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Osaka outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

58

Cost of Living Index in Asahikawa
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Asahikawa Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index

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Asahikawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,159

/mo nomad

Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Asahikawa 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 Asahikawa and in Osaka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,159 per month in Asahikawa vs $1,362 in Osaka, rent included.

Asahikawa $1,159
Osaka $1,362

A couple spends around $1,832 per month in Asahikawa vs $1,986 in Osaka, rent included.

Asahikawa $1,832
Osaka $1,986

A family of three spends $2,506 per month in Asahikawa vs $2,609 in Osaka, rent included.

Asahikawa $2,506
Osaka $2,609

Asahikawa is about 15% cheaper than Osaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Asahikawa sits 14% below the global median, while Osaka is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.40 ¥853

$6.46 ¥1,021

-16.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.56 ¥5,618

$31.30 ¥4,945

13.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 ¥873

$4.90 ¥774

12.86%

Cappuccino

$2.94 ¥465

$2.96 ¥468

-0.68%

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

$1.16 ¥184

$1.37 ¥216

-15.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥120

$0.73 ¥116

4.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 ¥451

$2.74 ¥432

4.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 ¥544

$3.88 ¥614

-11.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ¥255

$1.45 ¥230

11.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 ¥240

$1.29 ¥203

17.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 ¥595

$5.29 ¥835

-28.73%

Eggs

$2.06 ¥326

$2.04 ¥323

0.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.07 ¥1,749

$9.63 ¥1,522

14.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 ¥944

$9.43 ¥1,489

-36.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.60 ¥2,938

$18.22 ¥2,878

2.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 ¥545

$3.31 ¥523

4.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 ¥372

$1.93 ¥305

21.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 ¥448

$2.03 ¥321

39.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 ¥747

$4.14 ¥654

14.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 ¥360

$1.52 ¥240

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 ¥413

$1.18 ¥187

122.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ¥181

$1.37 ¥216

-16.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥138

$0.80 ¥126

8.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 ¥705

$3.86 ¥611

15.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.16 ¥1,130

$9.54 ¥1,507

-24.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ¥277

$1.94 ¥307

-9.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥358

$3.07 ¥485

-26.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 ¥204

$1.34 ¥212

-3.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.6 ¥9,570

$32.00 ¥5,055

89.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 ¥531

$3.87 ¥611

-13.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 ¥433

$3.21 ¥507

-14.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.41 ¥2,751

$21.07 ¥3,328

-17.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥168

$1.06 ¥167

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

$21.9K ¥3.5M

$21.5K ¥3.4M

1.86%

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

$13.5K ¥2.1M

$14.9K ¥2.4M

-9.40%

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

$117 ¥18.5K

$138 ¥21.7K

-14.93%

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

$25.69 ¥4,059

$24.11 ¥3,809

6.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.71 ¥4,378

$30.75 ¥4,857

-9.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.78 ¥7,864

$50.6 ¥7,997

-1.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.49 ¥2,921

Cinema Ticket

$13.53 ¥2,138

$11.74 ¥1,855

15.25%

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

$500 ¥79.0K

$513 ¥81.0K

-2.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K ¥1.9M

$13.2K ¥2.1M

-7.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.15 ¥7,607

$47.11 ¥7,442

2.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.48 ¥5,290

$30.51 ¥4,820

9.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.1 ¥10.4K

$71.6 ¥11.3K

-7.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.5 ¥13.5K

$90.5 ¥14.3K

-5.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥71.6K

$698 ¥110.3K

-35.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$306 ¥48.3K

$498 ¥78.6K

-38.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 ¥174.4K

$1,687 ¥266.5K

-34.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 ¥101.1K

$755 ¥119.3K

-15.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,448 ¥702.8K

$6,157 ¥972.7K

-27.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,801 ¥284.5K

$1,964 ¥310.3K

-8.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,386 ¥377.0K

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 Asahikawa: October 11, 2026

Last update for Osaka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Asahikawa

$306 26.4%

Osaka

$498 36.5% 62.8% $192

Groceries & Markets

Asahikawa

$295 25.4%

Osaka

$301 22.1% 2.3% $6.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Asahikawa

$170 14.7%

Osaka

$192 14.1% 12.9% $22

Eating Out

Asahikawa

$124 10.7%

Osaka

$132 9.7% 6.3% $7.8

Clothing & Footwear

Asahikawa

$105 9.1%

Osaka

$108 7.9% 2.8% $2.9

Getting Around

Asahikawa

$83 7.1%

Osaka

$57 4.2% 30.8% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Asahikawa

$77 6.6%

Osaka

$74 5.4% 3.6% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $453 in Asahikawa versus $698 in Osaka. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Asahikawa versus $31.00 in Osaka. Groceries tell a different story – $295 in Asahikawa vs $301 in Osaka – so Asahikawa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Asahikawa

🇯🇵 Osaka

🕒 Local time

16:50 4:50 PM

Same time as Asahikawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

329,306

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

On the map

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Between locations

Asahikawa Osaka 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Asahikawa
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

Asahikawa vs Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,159 in Asahikawa, $1,362 in Osaka – roughly 18% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,739 per month in Asahikawa and $2,044 in Osaka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 89% less in Asahikawa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $500 per month in Asahikawa and $513 in Osaka. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Asahikawa, where all-in costs run around $1,159, than in Osaka at $1,362. In Asahikawa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Osaka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Osaka has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,159 in Asahikawa to $1,362 in Osaka. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Asahikawa. 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.