Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ichihara and Osaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Ichihara: $1,194 a month against $1,362 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Osaka outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in Ichihara
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Ichihara Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index

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Ichihara

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,194

/mo nomad

Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,194 in Ichihara versus $1,362 in Osaka.

Ichihara $1,194
Osaka $1,362

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,963 in Ichihara versus $1,986 in Osaka.

Ichihara $1,963
Osaka $1,986

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,731 in Ichihara versus $2,609 in Osaka.

Ichihara $2,731
Osaka $2,609

Living in Ichihara costs roughly 12% less than in Osaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ichihara is 12% below, Osaka is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.25 ¥987

$6.46 ¥1,021

-3.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.68 ¥6,585

$31.30 ¥4,945

33.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.96 ¥784

$4.90 ¥774

1.22%

Cappuccino

$3.45 ¥545

$2.96 ¥468

16.55%

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

$1.05 ¥166

$1.37 ¥216

-23.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥117

$0.73 ¥116

1.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 ¥395

$2.74 ¥432

-8.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 ¥488

$3.88 ¥614

-20.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 ¥221

$1.45 ¥230

-3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 ¥263

$1.29 ¥203

28.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 ¥568

$5.29 ¥835

-31.95%

Eggs

$1.99 ¥315

$2.04 ¥323

-2.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.39 ¥1,641

$9.63 ¥1,522

7.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.90 ¥933

$9.43 ¥1,489

-37.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.55 ¥2,298

$18.22 ¥2,878

-20.14%

Apples (1kg)

$5.75 ¥908

$3.31 ¥523

73.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 ¥438

$1.93 ¥305

43.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 ¥445

$2.03 ¥321

38.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 ¥650

$4.14 ¥654

-0.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 ¥409

$1.52 ¥240

70.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 ¥408

$1.18 ¥187

118.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ¥201

$1.37 ¥216

-7.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥125

$0.80 ¥126

-1.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 ¥612

$3.86 ¥611

0.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.27 ¥991

$9.54 ¥1,507

-34.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ¥271

$1.94 ¥307

-11.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 ¥316

$3.07 ¥485

-34.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 ¥236

$1.34 ¥212

11.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.1 ¥8,389

$32.00 ¥5,055

65.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 ¥486

$3.87 ¥611

-20.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.75 ¥435

$3.21 ¥507

-14.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.19 ¥3,190

$21.07 ¥3,328

-4.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥176

$1.06 ¥167

4.72%

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

$21.6K ¥3.4M

$21.5K ¥3.4M

0.36%

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

$18.4K ¥2.9M

$14.9K ¥2.4M

23.85%

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

$129 ¥20.4K

$138 ¥21.7K

-6.13%

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

$24.13 ¥3,812

$24.11 ¥3,809

0.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 ¥4,976

$30.75 ¥4,857

2.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.03 ¥7,272

$50.6 ¥7,997

-9.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.49 ¥2,921

Cinema Ticket

$12.43 ¥1,964

$11.74 ¥1,855

5.88%

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

$632 ¥99.9K

$513 ¥81.0K

23.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ¥2.3M

$13.2K ¥2.1M

11.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 ¥9,981

$47.11 ¥7,442

34.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.21 ¥5,721

$30.51 ¥4,820

18.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.6 ¥9,726

$71.6 ¥11.3K

-14.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 ¥15.9K

$90.5 ¥14.3K

11.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$470 ¥74.2K

$698 ¥110.3K

-32.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 ¥51.5K

$498 ¥78.6K

-34.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥166.7K

$1,687 ¥266.5K

-37.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 ¥128.8K

$755 ¥119.3K

7.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,722 ¥746.0K

$6,157 ¥972.7K

-23.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,935 ¥305.7K

$1,964 ¥310.3K

-1.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,386 ¥377.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.64

2.21

19.46%

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

Last update for Ichihara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Osaka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ichihara

$326 27.3%

Osaka

$498 36.5% 52.8% $172

Groceries & Markets

Ichihara

$287 24.1%

Osaka

$301 22.1% 4.9% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ichihara

$185 15.5%

Osaka

$192 14.1% 4.2% $7.7

Eating Out

Ichihara

$132 11.1%

Osaka

$132 9.7% 0.2% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Ichihara

$118 9.9%

Osaka

$108 7.9% 8.3% $9.8

Getting Around

Ichihara

$76 6.4%

Osaka

$57 4.2% 24.5% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Ichihara

$71 5.9%

Osaka

$74 5.4% 4.5% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $470 in Ichihara and $698 in Osaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Ichihara vs $31.00 in Osaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $287 vs $301, with Ichihara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Ichihara

🇯🇵 Osaka

🕒 Local time

22:29 10:29 PM

Same time as Ichihara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

269,524

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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Ichihara Osaka 430 km

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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

Ichihara vs Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ichihara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and leisure. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,791 in Ichihara and $2,044 in Osaka to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $470 in Ichihara versus $698 in Osaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $632 in Ichihara versus $513 in Osaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Osaka. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,194 in Ichihara versus $1,362 in Osaka, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ichihara but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Ichihara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ichihara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Osaka, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ichihara 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 Ichihara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.