Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ibaraki and Osaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Ibaraki: $1,142 a month against $1,409 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Ibaraki
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Ibaraki Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index

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Ibaraki

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,142

/mo nomad

Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,409

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,142 in Ibaraki versus $1,409 in Osaka.

Ibaraki $1,142
Osaka $1,409

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,768 in Ibaraki versus $2,057 in Osaka.

Ibaraki $1,768
Osaka $2,057

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,395 in Ibaraki versus $2,706 in Osaka.

Ibaraki $2,395
Osaka $2,706

Living in Ibaraki costs roughly 19% less than in Osaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ibaraki is 16% below, Osaka is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.20 ¥983

$6.27 ¥993

-1.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.03 ¥4,915

$31.41 ¥4,975

-1.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.22 ¥827

$4.89 ¥775

6.75%

Cappuccino

$3.15 ¥499

$2.99 ¥474

5.35%

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

$1.15 ¥182

$1.43 ¥226

-19.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥125

$0.75 ¥119

5.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 ¥419

$2.74 ¥434

-3.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 ¥494

$3.86 ¥611

-19.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.73 ¥432

$1.46 ¥231

86.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ¥248

$1.29 ¥204

21.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.10 ¥650

$5.39 ¥854

-23.93%

Eggs

$2.03 ¥321

$2.07 ¥328

-1.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 ¥1,637

$10.55 ¥1,671

-1.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.54 ¥1,037

$10.18 ¥1,612

-35.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 ¥2,652

$25.32 ¥4,011

-33.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 ¥588

$3.33 ¥528

11.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥361

$1.95 ¥308

16.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 ¥467

$2.04 ¥323

44.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 ¥659

$4.13 ¥654

0.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 ¥392

$1.52 ¥241

62.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 ¥412

$1.13 ¥179

130.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 ¥209

$1.36 ¥216

-2.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥134

$0.86 ¥136

-1.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ¥680

$3.89 ¥616

10.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.57 ¥1,040

$12.51 ¥1,981

-47.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ¥295

$1.94 ¥307

-4.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ¥329

$3.14 ¥497

-33.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 ¥260

$1.32 ¥209

24.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.8 ¥9,160

$33.27 ¥5,269

73.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.75 ¥753

$3.72 ¥589

27.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 ¥464

$2.69 ¥426

8.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.58 ¥4,051

$26.85 ¥4,253

-4.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥173

$1.05 ¥166

3.81%

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

$21.7K ¥3.4M

$22.3K ¥3.5M

-2.49%

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

$15.4K ¥2.4M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

0.73%

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

$138 ¥21.8K

$141 ¥22.3K

-2.11%

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

$24.35 ¥3,857

$24.75 ¥3,919

-1.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.52 ¥4,991

$31.11 ¥4,927

1.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 ¥8,017

$51.0 ¥8,071

-0.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.38 ¥2,911

Cinema Ticket

$12.49 ¥1,978

$12.59 ¥1,994

-0.79%

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

$626 ¥99.2K

$685 ¥108.5K

-8.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K ¥2.4M

$15.8K ¥2.5M

-2.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.34 ¥4,171

$48.04 ¥7,609

-45.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.99 ¥5,067

$30.67 ¥4,858

4.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.6 ¥10.7K

$74.3 ¥11.8K

-9.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.0 ¥12.8K

$90.1 ¥14.3K

-10.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 ¥63.8K

$739 ¥117.0K

-45.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$264 ¥41.9K

$504 ¥79.8K

-47.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 ¥162.8K

$1,700 ¥269.3K

-39.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 ¥83.5K

$761 ¥120.6K

-30.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,712 ¥746.3K

$6,708 ¥1.1M

-29.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,384 ¥377.6K

$3,145 ¥498.1K

-24.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,498 ¥395.6K

$2,295 ¥363.5K

8.83%

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 Ibaraki: October 31, 2026

Last update for Osaka: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ibaraki

$301 26.4%

Osaka

$337 23.9% 11.8% $36

Accommodation & Living

Ibaraki

$264 23.2%

Osaka

$504 35.8% 90.6% $239

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ibaraki

$193 17%

Osaka

$196 13.9% 1.5% $2.9

Eating Out

Ibaraki

$130 11.4%

Osaka

$131 9.3% 0.5% $0.6

Clothing & Footwear

Ibaraki

$93 8.2%

Osaka

$109 7.8% 17.5% $16

Getting Around

Ibaraki

$84 7.3%

Osaka

$56 4% 33.5% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Ibaraki

$76 6.6%

Osaka

$76 5.4% 0.7% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $403 in Ibaraki and $739 in Osaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibaraki pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31 in Ibaraki vs $31 in Osaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $301 vs $337 per month, with Ibaraki cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Ibaraki

🇯🇵 Osaka

🕒 Local time

04:55 4:55 AM

Same time as Ibaraki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

287,730

2,691,185

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.31 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.62 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.31 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.62 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

Ibaraki vs Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,142 in Ibaraki and $1,409 in Osaka, so Ibaraki is about 19% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Ibaraki, 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: $403 in Ibaraki versus $739 in Osaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Osaka. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,142 per month in Ibaraki versus $1,409 in Osaka – Ibaraki is about 19% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Ibaraki gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Ibaraki and Osaka are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.