Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hiroshima and Osaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Hiroshima: $961 a month against $1,378 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Hiroshima
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Hiroshima Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index

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Hiroshima

🇯🇵 Japan

$961

/mo nomad

Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,378

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $961 per month in Hiroshima vs $1,378 in Osaka, rent included.

Hiroshima $961
Osaka $1,378

A couple spends around $1,557 per month in Hiroshima vs $2,005 in Osaka, rent included.

Hiroshima $1,557
Osaka $2,005

A family of three spends $2,152 per month in Hiroshima vs $2,632 in Osaka, rent included.

Hiroshima $2,152
Osaka $2,632

Hiroshima is about 30% cheaper than Osaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hiroshima sits 29% below the global median, while Osaka is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.13 ¥969

$6.25 ¥987

-1.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.92 ¥5,043

$31.70 ¥5,008

0.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 ¥801

$4.90 ¥774

3.47%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ¥429

$2.95 ¥466

-7.80%

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

$0.96 ¥152

$1.44 ¥228

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 ¥109

$0.75 ¥119

-8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 ¥433

$2.65 ¥419

3.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ¥582

$3.87 ¥611

-4.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥236

$1.44 ¥227

3.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 ¥240

$1.34 ¥211

13.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.74 ¥748

$5.25 ¥830

-9.71%

Eggs

$2.07 ¥327

$2.14 ¥338

-3.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.11 ¥808

$9.33 ¥1,475

-45.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 ¥976

$9.22 ¥1,456

-32.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ¥1,722

$18.39 ¥2,906

-40.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ¥522

$3.43 ¥541

-3.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 ¥313

$1.92 ¥303

3.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 ¥595

$1.99 ¥314

89.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 ¥588

$4.05 ¥640

-8.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ¥238

$1.56 ¥247

-3.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.45 ¥545

$1.17 ¥185

194.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 ¥214

$1.30 ¥205

3.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥130

$0.88 ¥139

-5.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ¥631

Wine (Bottle)

$7.70 ¥1,217

$9.60 ¥1,517

-19.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 ¥303

$1.95 ¥308

-1.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 ¥392

$3.24 ¥512

-23.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.84 ¥290

$1.39 ¥219

32.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.79 ¥5,181

$32.34 ¥5,109

1.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 ¥581

$3.69 ¥583

-0.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 ¥192

$3.07 ¥486

-60.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.43 ¥3,386

$21.76 ¥3,437

-1.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥174

$1.09 ¥173

0.92%

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

$21.8K ¥3.4M

$22.3K ¥3.5M

-2.16%

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

$14.8K ¥2.3M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

-2.33%

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

$139 ¥21.9K

$139 ¥22.0K

-0.14%

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

$24.17 ¥3,818

$24.50 ¥3,870

-1.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.93 ¥4,887

$30.67 ¥4,846

0.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 ¥8,315

$49.03 ¥7,746

7.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.65 ¥734

$18.06 ¥2,853

-74.25%

Cinema Ticket

$12.72 ¥2,009

$12.72 ¥2,010

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

$155 ¥24.5K

$510 ¥80.5K

-69.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,400 ¥537.2K

$12.9K ¥2.0M

-73.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.67 ¥4,529

$48.57 ¥7,673

-40.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.54 ¥3,877

$30.98 ¥4,894

-20.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.85 ¥7,560

$74.2 ¥11.7K

-35.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.0 ¥10.1K

$91.5 ¥14.5K

-30.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$241 ¥38.1K

$699 ¥110.5K

-65.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$186 ¥29.3K

$510 ¥80.6K

-63.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ¥97.7K

$1,710 ¥270.1K

-63.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$508 ¥80.2K

$772 ¥122.0K

-34.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,058 ¥483.1K

$6,183 ¥976.8K

-50.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,406 ¥222.2K

$1,908 ¥301.4K

-26.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,973 ¥311.8K

$2,424 ¥382.9K

-18.58%

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 Hiroshima: October 18, 2026

Last update for Osaka: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Hiroshima

$255 26.5%

Osaka

$302 21.9% 18.3% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hiroshima

$194 20.2%

Osaka

$194 14.1% 0.1% $0.3

Accommodation & Living

Hiroshima

$186 19.3%

Osaka

$510 37.1% 175% $325

Eating Out

Hiroshima

$125 13%

Osaka

$130 9.4% 4.3% $5.4

Sport & Entertainment

Hiroshima

$78 8.1%

Osaka

$74 5.4% 4.6% $3.6

Clothing & Footwear

Hiroshima

$74 7.7%

Osaka

$110 8% 48.6% $36

Getting Around

Hiroshima

$50 5.2%

Osaka

$57 4.1% 14.1% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $241 in Hiroshima versus $699 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 23% higher in Osaka, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Hiroshima versus $32.00 in Osaka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $302 – making Hiroshima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Hiroshima

🇯🇵 Osaka

🕒 Local time

11:58 11:58 AM

Same time as Hiroshima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,200,754

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

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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

Hiroshima vs Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Osaka costs about 43% more than Hiroshima, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,442 per month in Hiroshima and $2,067 in Osaka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $961 in Hiroshima and $1,378 in Osaka. That's a gap of about 43%.

Public transport costs about 1% less in Hiroshima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hiroshima, where all-in costs run around $961, than in Osaka at $1,378. In Hiroshima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Osaka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Hiroshima costs $961 versus $1,378 in Osaka. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Hiroshima. 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.