Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kagoshima and Osaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Kagoshima: $1,133 a month against $1,362 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Kagoshima
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Kagoshima Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index

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Kagoshima

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,133

/mo nomad

Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,133 per month in Kagoshima vs $1,362 in Osaka, rent included.

Kagoshima $1,133
Osaka $1,362

A couple spends around $1,887 per month in Kagoshima vs $1,986 in Osaka, rent included.

Kagoshima $1,887
Osaka $1,986

A family of three spends $2,641 per month in Kagoshima vs $2,609 in Osaka, rent included.

Kagoshima $2,641
Osaka $2,609

Kagoshima is about 17% cheaper than Osaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Kagoshima sits 16% below the global median, while Osaka is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.46 ¥1,020

$6.46 ¥1,021

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ¥5,127

$31.30 ¥4,945

3.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.42 ¥856

$4.90 ¥774

10.61%

Cappuccino

$2.91 ¥459

$2.96 ¥468

-1.69%

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

$1.01 ¥159

$1.37 ¥216

-26.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥118

$0.73 ¥116

2.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ¥396

$2.74 ¥432

-8.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ¥344

$3.88 ¥614

-43.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 ¥216

$1.45 ¥230

-6.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ¥180

$1.29 ¥203

-11.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.13 ¥811

$5.29 ¥835

-3.02%

Eggs

$2.06 ¥325

$2.04 ¥323

0.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.48 ¥2,919

$9.63 ¥1,522

91.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.47 ¥863

$9.43 ¥1,489

-41.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 ¥2,993

$18.22 ¥2,878

3.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 ¥580

$3.31 ¥523

10.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 ¥293

$1.93 ¥305

-4.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 ¥439

$2.03 ¥321

36.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.31 ¥523

$4.14 ¥654

-20.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 ¥324

$1.52 ¥240

34.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 ¥290

$1.18 ¥187

55.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ¥168

$1.37 ¥216

-22.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 ¥613

$3.86 ¥611

0.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.90 ¥932

$9.54 ¥1,507

-38.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ¥180

$1.94 ¥307

-41.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ¥298

$3.07 ¥485

-38.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 ¥201

$1.34 ¥212

-5.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ¥8,497

$32.00 ¥5,055

68.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 ¥631

$3.87 ¥611

3.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 ¥321

$3.21 ¥507

-36.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.27 ¥1,780

$21.07 ¥3,328

-46.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ¥166

$1.06 ¥167

-0.94%

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

$21.8K ¥3.4M

$21.5K ¥3.4M

1.29%

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

$17.5K ¥2.8M

$14.9K ¥2.4M

17.60%

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

$189 ¥29.8K

$138 ¥21.7K

37.17%

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

$24.87 ¥3,928

$24.11 ¥3,809

3.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.44 ¥4,809

$30.75 ¥4,857

-1.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 ¥8,107

$50.6 ¥7,997

1.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.49 ¥2,921

Cinema Ticket

$11.81 ¥1,865

$11.74 ¥1,855

0.60%

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

$124 ¥19.5K

$513 ¥81.0K

-75.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ¥1.9M

$13.2K ¥2.1M

-6.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.61 ¥7,838

$47.11 ¥7,442

5.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.70 ¥4,060

$30.51 ¥4,820

-15.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.6 ¥10.0K

$71.6 ¥11.3K

-11.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 ¥12.0K

$90.5 ¥14.3K

-16.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 ¥85.5K

$698 ¥110.3K

-22.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 ¥35.1K

$498 ¥78.6K

-55.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 ¥160.3K

$1,687 ¥266.5K

-39.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 ¥118.2K

$755 ¥119.3K

-0.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,824 ¥604.2K

$6,157 ¥972.7K

-37.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,821 ¥287.8K

$1,964 ¥310.3K

-7.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,831 ¥289.3K

$2,386 ¥377.0K

-23.27%

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 Kagoshima: October 11, 2026

Last update for Osaka: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kagoshima

$295 26.1%

Osaka

$301 22.1% 2% $5.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kagoshima

$244 21.5%

Osaka

$192 14.1% 21.1% $52

Accommodation & Living

Kagoshima

$222 19.6%

Osaka

$498 36.5% 124% $275

Eating Out

Kagoshima

$127 11.2%

Osaka

$132 9.7% 4% $5.1

Clothing & Footwear

Kagoshima

$97 8.5%

Osaka

$108 7.9% 11.6% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Kagoshima

$75 6.6%

Osaka

$74 5.4% 1.1% $0.8

Getting Around

Kagoshima

$73 6.5%

Osaka

$57 4.2% 21.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $541 in Kagoshima versus $698 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 30% 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 Kagoshima versus $31.00 in Osaka. Groceries tell a different story – $295 in Kagoshima vs $301 in Osaka – so Kagoshima wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Kagoshima

🇯🇵 Osaka

🕒 Local time

14:53 2:53 PM

Same time as Kagoshima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

593,128

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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Kagoshima Osaka 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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

Kagoshima vs Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Osaka costs about 20% more than Kagoshima, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,700 per month in Kagoshima and $2,044 in Osaka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 68% less in Kagoshima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $124 per month in Kagoshima and $513 in Osaka. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kagoshima, where all-in costs run around $1,133, than in Osaka at $1,362. In Kagoshima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Osaka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kagoshima costs $1,133 versus $1,362 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 Kagoshima. 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.