Cost of Living Comparison Between Ibaraki and Osaka Cost of Living Comparison Between Ibaraki and Osaka

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,224 in Ibaraki versus $1,347 in Osaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,878 in Ibaraki versus $2,036 in Osaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,531 in Ibaraki versus $2,725 in Osaka.

Living in Ibaraki costs roughly 9% less than in Osaka, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ibaraki is 8% below, Osaka is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.04 ¥1,109

$6.75 ¥1,064

4.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.98 ¥5,354

$35.24 ¥5,553

-3.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.50 ¥867

$4.75 ¥749

15.79%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥485

$3.29 ¥518

-6.38%

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

$1.11 ¥174

$1.10 ¥173

0.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.76 ¥120

5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 ¥421

$2.82 ¥445

-5.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 ¥495

$4.41 ¥695

-28.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ¥351

$1.59 ¥250

40.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 ¥240

$1.44 ¥227

5.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 ¥543

$4.78 ¥753

-27.82%

Eggs

$2.23 ¥351

$2.33 ¥367

-4.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ¥1,607

$10.61 ¥1,671

-3.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.18 ¥974

$6.39 ¥1,007

-3.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.19 ¥2,393

$18.87 ¥2,973

-19.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.34 ¥841

$3.66 ¥577

45.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 ¥416

$2.12 ¥334

24.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 ¥631

$2.52 ¥396

59.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.79 ¥913

$4.44 ¥699

30.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 ¥479

$1.67 ¥262

82.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ¥401

$1.26 ¥199

101.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 ¥218

$1.33 ¥209

3.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥122

$0.87 ¥138

-11.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 ¥674

$3.96 ¥625

8.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.95 ¥1,253

$9.05 ¥1,426

-12.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 ¥406

$2.03 ¥320

27.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥359

$2.90 ¥458

-21.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.87 ¥295

$1.59 ¥250

17.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.4 ¥8,724

$35.37 ¥5,574

56.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 ¥782

$4.45 ¥700

11.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.00 ¥473

$3.35 ¥528

-10.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.51 ¥3,232

$23.70 ¥3,734

-13.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ¥189

$1.19 ¥188

0.84%

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

$22.8K ¥3.6M

$23.1K ¥3.6M

-1.18%

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

$17.6K ¥2.8M

$16.9K ¥2.7M

4.39%

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

$143 ¥22.6K

$135 ¥21.3K

6.26%

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

$27.17 ¥4,282

$27.52 ¥4,336

-1.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.01 ¥5,358

$30.63 ¥4,826

11.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.2 ¥8,848

$57.2 ¥9,020

-1.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.78 ¥2,171

$21.14 ¥3,331

-34.82%

Cinema Ticket

$12.46 ¥1,963

$12.25 ¥1,930

1.71%

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

$280 ¥44.1K

$68.0 ¥10.7K

310.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K ¥2.1M

$10.5K ¥1.6M

28.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.33 ¥4,621

$44.66 ¥7,037

-34.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.90 ¥4,553

$28.96 ¥4,563

-0.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.2 ¥11.4K

$68.6 ¥10.8K

5.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 ¥13.7K

$96.6 ¥15.2K

-9.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 ¥69.2K

$721 ¥113.6K

-39.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 ¥44.9K

$474 ¥74.6K

-39.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$874 ¥137.8K

$1,298 ¥204.5K

-32.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 ¥93.4K

$818 ¥128.9K

-27.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,597 ¥724.3K

$5,971 ¥940.9K

-23.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,172 ¥342.3K

$2,029 ¥319.7K

7.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,446 ¥385.5K

$1,868 ¥294.3K

30.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.78

1.81

-1.66%

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

Last update for Ibaraki: July 28, 2026

Last update for Osaka: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $439 in Ibaraki and $721 in Osaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibaraki pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Ibaraki vs $35.00 in Osaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $317 vs $300, with Osaka cheaper for home cooking.

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

Ibaraki and Osaka differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,224 vs $1,347 including rent). Ibaraki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 31% 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: $439 in Ibaraki versus $721 in Osaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Osaka pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Ibaraki – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $35.00 in Osaka. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,224 in Ibaraki versus $1,347 in Osaka, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ibaraki but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Ibaraki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 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 Ibaraki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.