Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Osaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Osaka: $1,400 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
Learn more

Osaka Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,400

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,400 in Osaka.

Austin, TX $2,704
Osaka $1,400

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,991 in Osaka.

Austin, TX $4,133
Osaka $1,991

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,582 in Osaka.

Austin, TX $5,562
Osaka $2,582

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 93% more expensive than in Osaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Osaka 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$6.19 ¥978

226.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$31.80 ¥5,026

167.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$4.93 ¥780

150.51%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.00 ¥474

82.33%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.45 ¥228

163.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.72 ¥113

247.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.62 ¥415

207.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$3.91 ¥618

129.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.46 ¥230

-22.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.31 ¥207

188.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$5.25 ¥830

-38.10%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.03 ¥321

103.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$9.77 ¥1,544

33.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$9.22 ¥1,458

55.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$17.95 ¥2,838

-11.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.29 ¥519

33.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.00 ¥317

-27.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.11 ¥333

115.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.11 ¥649

1.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.51 ¥239

74.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.19 ¥187

98.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.30 ¥206

35.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.86 ¥137

151.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$3.82 ¥604

156.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$9.74 ¥1,540

51.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.87 ¥296

48.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.15 ¥498

10.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.34 ¥211

11.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$32.68 ¥5,165

23.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.85 ¥609

-30.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$3.19 ¥504

-50.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$21.93 ¥3,466

60.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.10 ¥173

-10.00%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$21.5K ¥3.4M

66.44%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$15.1K ¥2.4M

79.60%

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

$219 $219

$140 ¥22.1K

56.53%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$24.14 ¥3,816

140.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$30.58 ¥4,834

123.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$49.41 ¥7,810

17.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$18.41 ¥2,910

-19.50%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$12.27 ¥1,939

15.16%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$511 ¥80.8K

195.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$13.1K ¥2.1M

63.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$47.50 ¥7,508

8.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$30.12 ¥4,761

46.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$73.4 ¥11.6K

15.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$91.0 ¥14.4K

15.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$704 ¥111.2K

174.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$508 ¥80.3K

150.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,751 ¥276.8K

109.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$765 ¥120.9K

230.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$6,208 ¥981.2K

22.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,938 ¥306.4K

65.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$2,346 ¥370.8K

117.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.21

207.24%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Osaka: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Osaka

$508 36.9% 60.1% $765

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Osaka

$301 21.9% 25.3% $102

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Osaka

$130 9.5% 62.7% $218

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Osaka

$195 14.2% 43.6% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Osaka

$109 7.9% 15.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Osaka

$74 5.4% 14.2% $12

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Osaka

$58 4.2% 1.4% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $704 in Osaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 118% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $32.00 in Osaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $301 per month, with Osaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇯🇵 Osaka

🕒 Local time

00:01 12:01 AM

14:01 2:01 PM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

2,691,185

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR).

JPY to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Osaka 10,890 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
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

Austin, TX vs Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Osaka wins on cost – living expenses run 93% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Osaka the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 118% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $704 in Osaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,400 in Osaka – a 93% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Osaka runs roughly 24% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,400 in Osaka versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Osaka but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Osaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Osaka delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,400 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Osaka hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX 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 Osaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.