Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fukuoka and Osaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Fukuoka: $1,307 a month against $1,396 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Osaka outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Fukuoka, Japan
Osaka, Japan
Fukuoka
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,307
/mo nomad
Osaka
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,396
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,307 per month in Fukuoka vs $1,396 in Osaka, rent included.

  • Fukuoka $1,307
  • Osaka $1,396

A couple spends around $2,031 per month in Fukuoka vs $2,027 in Osaka, rent included.

  • Fukuoka $2,031
  • Osaka $2,027

A family of three spends $2,754 per month in Fukuoka vs $2,658 in Osaka, rent included.

  • Fukuoka $2,754
  • Osaka $2,658

Fukuoka is about 6% cheaper than Osaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Fukuoka sits 4% below the global median, while Osaka is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Fukuoka
Osaka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.33 ¥1,158
$6.50 ¥1,027
12.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.83 ¥6,920
$31.93 ¥5,041
37.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.97 ¥942
$5.15 ¥813
15.92%
Cappuccino
$3.72 ¥587
$3.03 ¥478
22.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06 ¥167
$1.39 ¥220
-23.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.75 ¥118
$0.71 ¥113
5.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.85 ¥608
$2.75 ¥434
40.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.16 ¥340
$3.89 ¥614
-44.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fukuoka
Osaka
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.55 ¥245
$1.46 ¥230
6.16%
White Bread (500g)
$1.83 ¥288
$1.30 ¥205
40.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.43 ¥1,015
$5.46 ¥863
17.77%
Eggs
$2.30 ¥364
$2.03 ¥321
13.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.19 ¥2,872
$9.63 ¥1,520
88.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.34 ¥843
$9.45 ¥1,492
-43.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.96 ¥2,994
$18.58 ¥2,933
2.05%
Apples (1kg)
$3.62 ¥572
$3.39 ¥535
6.78%
Banana (1kg)
$1.85 ¥293
$2.00 ¥316
-7.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.83 ¥446
$2.09 ¥329
35.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.33 ¥526
$4.14 ¥654
-19.57%
Potato (1kg)
$2.15 ¥339
$1.57 ¥247
36.94%
Onion (1kg)
$2.59 ¥409
$1.17 ¥185
121.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.03 ¥162
$1.37 ¥217
-24.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.98 ¥154
$0.81 ¥128
20.99%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.98 ¥628
$4.02 ¥635
-1.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.41 ¥1,012
$9.72 ¥1,535
-34.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 ¥270
$1.94 ¥306
-11.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.92 ¥303
$3.19 ¥503
-39.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Fukuoka
Osaka
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.29 ¥204
$1.35 ¥213
-4.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$52.9 ¥8,352
$32.79 ¥5,178
61.33%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.11 ¥649
$3.90 ¥616
5.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.39 ¥377
$3.26 ¥515
-26.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.92 ¥2,830
$21.50 ¥3,395
-16.65%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.10 ¥174
$1.11 ¥176
-0.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.2K ¥3.5M
$22.3K ¥3.5M
-0.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.0K ¥2.4M
$14.9K ¥2.3M
1.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fukuoka
Osaka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$215 ¥33.9K
$141 ¥22.3K
52.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.33 ¥4,000
$24.00 ¥3,790
5.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.10 ¥5,384
$30.50 ¥4,815
11.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fukuoka
Osaka
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.11 ¥7,597
$51.7 ¥8,168
-7.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.86 ¥2,978
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.61 ¥1,990
$12.85 ¥2,028
-1.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fukuoka
Osaka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$702 ¥110.9K
$709 ¥111.9K
-0.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.4K ¥2.0M
$13.2K ¥2.1M
-6.70%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fukuoka
Osaka
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.84 ¥7,712
$48.77 ¥7,700
0.14%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.49 ¥4,182
$30.94 ¥4,885
-14.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$65.8 ¥10.4K
$72.9 ¥11.5K
-9.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$47.48 ¥7,497
$90.8 ¥14.3K
-47.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fukuoka
Osaka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$523 ¥82.6K
$732 ¥115.6K
-28.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$332 ¥52.4K
$516 ¥81.5K
-35.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,173 ¥185.2K
$1,693 ¥267.3K
-30.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$709 ¥112.0K
$773 ¥122.1K
-8.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,674 ¥737.9K
$6,542 ¥1.0M
-28.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,568 ¥405.5K
$3,063 ¥483.6K
-16.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fukuoka
Osaka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,647 ¥260.1K
$2,363 ¥373.1K
-30.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
1.97
2.21
-10.86%

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

Last update for Fukuoka: October 26, 2026

Last update for Osaka: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Fukuoka
$332
Osaka
$516 55.6% $184
Groceries & Markets
Fukuoka
$317
Osaka
$305 3.7% $12
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fukuoka
$274
Osaka
$195 28.8% $79
Eating Out
Fukuoka
$152
Osaka
$134 12% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Fukuoka
$85
Osaka
$110 29.1% $25
Getting Around
Fukuoka
$74
Osaka
$58 21.2% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Fukuoka
$73
Osaka
$77 5.6% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $523 in Fukuoka versus $732 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 43% higher in Osaka. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Fukuoka versus $32 in Osaka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $317 vs $305 – making Osaka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Fukuoka
🇯🇵 Osaka
🕒 Local time
05:15 5:15 AM
05:15 5:15 AM
Same time as Fukuoka
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,612,392
2,691,185
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Fukuoka Osaka 490 km
From you
  • Fukuoka
  • 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
Fukuoka vs Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Fukuoka and in Osaka compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,307 in Fukuoka, $1,396 in Osaka – Fukuoka comes out roughly 6% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Fukuoka compared to Osaka?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,961 per month in Fukuoka and $2,094 in Osaka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Fukuoka and Osaka?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Fukuoka, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $523 there versus $732 in Osaka.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Fukuoka and Osaka?
Kindergarten costs $702 per month in Fukuoka and $709 in Osaka. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Osaka – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
How far does $2,000 go in Fukuoka compared to Osaka?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,307 in Fukuoka and $1,396 in Osaka, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should digital nomads live: Fukuoka or Osaka?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Fukuoka costs $1,307 versus $1,396 in Osaka. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Is Fukuoka or Osaka safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Fukuoka and Osaka?
If budget matters most, go with Fukuoka. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Osaka makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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