Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kanazawa and Osaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Kanazawa: $1,277 a month against $1,378 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Osaka outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Kanazawa
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Kanazawa Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index

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Kanazawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,277

/mo nomad

Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,378

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,277 per month in Kanazawa vs $1,378 in Osaka, rent included.

Kanazawa $1,277
Osaka $1,378

A couple spends around $2,031 per month in Kanazawa vs $2,005 in Osaka, rent included.

Kanazawa $2,031
Osaka $2,005

A family of three spends $2,786 per month in Kanazawa vs $2,632 in Osaka, rent included.

Kanazawa $2,786
Osaka $2,632

Kanazawa is about 7% cheaper than Osaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kanazawa sits 6% below the global median, while Osaka is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.64 ¥1,206

$6.25 ¥987

22.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.61 ¥4,994

$31.70 ¥5,008

-0.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.73 ¥747

$4.90 ¥774

-3.47%

Cappuccino

$2.26 ¥358

$2.95 ¥466

-23.39%

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

$1.14 ¥180

$1.44 ¥228

-20.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥91.2

$0.75 ¥119

-22.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 ¥320

$2.65 ¥419

-23.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 ¥368

$3.87 ¥611

-39.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥245

$1.44 ¥227

7.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 ¥208

$1.34 ¥211

-1.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 ¥837

$5.25 ¥830

0.95%

Eggs

$2.07 ¥327

$2.14 ¥338

-3.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.52 ¥1,978

$9.33 ¥1,475

34.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 ¥1,487

$9.22 ¥1,456

2.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.96 ¥5,049

$18.39 ¥2,906

73.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 ¥572

$3.43 ¥541

5.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥360

$1.92 ¥303

18.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.48 ¥1,024

$1.99 ¥314

225.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ¥655

$4.05 ¥640

2.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.73 ¥589

$1.56 ¥247

139.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.42 ¥540

$1.17 ¥185

192.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ¥201

$1.30 ¥205

-1.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ¥163

$0.88 ¥139

17.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.55 ¥561

$4.00 ¥631

-11.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.40 ¥1,327

$9.60 ¥1,517

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 ¥310

$1.95 ¥308

0.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 ¥239

$3.24 ¥512

-53.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 ¥236

$1.39 ¥219

7.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.4 ¥8,598

$32.34 ¥5,109

68.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ¥491

$3.69 ¥583

-15.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 ¥508

$3.07 ¥486

4.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.21 ¥4,140

$21.76 ¥3,437

20.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.09 ¥173

1.83%

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

$20.3K ¥3.2M

$22.3K ¥3.5M

-8.89%

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

$16.4K ¥2.6M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

8.71%

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

$148 ¥23.3K

$139 ¥22.0K

6.19%

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

$24.34 ¥3,845

$24.50 ¥3,870

-0.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.30 ¥6,840

$30.67 ¥4,846

41.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.68 ¥6,743

$49.03 ¥7,746

-12.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.06 ¥2,853

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 ¥1,812

$12.72 ¥2,010

-9.83%

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

$320 ¥50.6K

$510 ¥80.5K

-37.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,140 ¥970.0K

$12.9K ¥2.0M

-52.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.59 ¥7,834

$48.57 ¥7,673

2.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.27 ¥3,993

$30.98 ¥4,894

-18.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.94 ¥7,258

$74.2 ¥11.7K

-38.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.9 ¥10.3K

$91.5 ¥14.5K

-29.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$539 ¥85.1K

$699 ¥110.5K

-22.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$327 ¥51.6K

$510 ¥80.6K

-36.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 ¥173.7K

$1,710 ¥270.1K

-35.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$749 ¥118.3K

$772 ¥122.0K

-3.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,294 ¥678.4K

$6,183 ¥976.8K

-30.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,742 ¥275.3K

$1,908 ¥301.4K

-8.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,857 ¥293.4K

$2,424 ¥382.9K

-23.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.28

2.21

3.17%

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

Last update for Kanazawa: 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

Kanazawa

$382 29.9%

Osaka

$302 21.9% 21.1% $81

Accommodation & Living

Kanazawa

$327 25.6%

Osaka

$510 37.1% 56.3% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kanazawa

$215 16.9%

Osaka

$194 14.1% 9.8% $21

Eating Out

Kanazawa

$124 9.7%

Osaka

$130 9.4% 4.7% $5.8

Clothing & Footwear

Kanazawa

$84 6.5%

Osaka

$110 8% 32.1% $27

Getting Around

Kanazawa

$80 6.2%

Osaka

$57 4.1% 28.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Kanazawa

$66 5.1%

Osaka

$74 5.4% 13.5% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $539 in Kanazawa 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 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 Kanazawa versus $32.00 in Osaka. Groceries tell a different story – $382 in Kanazawa vs $302 in Osaka – so Osaka wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Kanazawa

🇯🇵 Osaka

🕒 Local time

11:59 11:59 AM

Same time as Kanazawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

465,699

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

Kanazawa vs Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,277 in Kanazawa, $1,378 in Osaka – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,916 per month in Kanazawa 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 Kanazawa, 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 $1,277 in Kanazawa and $1,378 in Osaka. That's a gap of about 8%.

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

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kanazawa, where all-in costs run around $1,277, than in Osaka at $1,378. In Kanazawa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Osaka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Osaka has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,277 in Kanazawa to $1,378 in Osaka. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Kanazawa. 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.