Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kumamoto and Osaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Kumamoto: $1,283 a month against $1,378 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Osaka outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Kumamoto
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Kumamoto Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index

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Kumamoto

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,283

/mo nomad

Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,378

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,283 in Kumamoto versus $1,378 in Osaka.

Kumamoto $1,283
Osaka $1,378

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,977 in Kumamoto versus $2,005 in Osaka.

Kumamoto $1,977
Osaka $2,005

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,670 in Kumamoto versus $2,632 in Osaka.

Kumamoto $2,670
Osaka $2,632

Living in Kumamoto costs roughly 7% less than in Osaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kumamoto is 5% below, Osaka is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.13 ¥1,126

$6.25 ¥987

14.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.86 ¥5,034

$31.70 ¥5,008

0.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 ¥942

$4.90 ¥774

21.63%

Cappuccino

$3.22 ¥508

$2.95 ¥466

9.15%

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

$1.05 ¥166

$1.44 ¥228

-27.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 ¥111

$0.75 ¥119

-6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.74 ¥591

$2.65 ¥419

41.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ¥357

$3.87 ¥611

-41.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 ¥215

$1.44 ¥227

-5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ¥299

$1.34 ¥211

41.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.64 ¥1,050

$5.25 ¥830

26.48%

Eggs

$1.86 ¥294

$2.14 ¥338

-13.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.81 ¥2,814

$9.33 ¥1,475

90.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.47 ¥865

$9.22 ¥1,456

-40.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.87 ¥2,981

$18.39 ¥2,906

2.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 ¥587

$3.43 ¥541

8.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 ¥294

$1.92 ¥303

-3.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 ¥439

$1.99 ¥314

39.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.36 ¥530

$4.05 ¥640

-17.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 ¥342

$1.56 ¥247

38.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 ¥413

$1.17 ¥185

123.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ¥164

$1.30 ¥205

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥143

$0.88 ¥139

3.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.94 ¥623

$4.00 ¥631

-1.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 ¥887

$9.60 ¥1,517

-41.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥268

$1.95 ¥308

-12.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥290

$3.24 ¥512

-43.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 ¥236

$1.39 ¥219

7.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.5 ¥8,291

$32.34 ¥5,109

62.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ¥606

$3.69 ¥583

4.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 ¥317

$3.07 ¥486

-34.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.05 ¥2,852

$21.76 ¥3,437

-17.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥167

$1.09 ¥173

-2.75%

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

$22.0K ¥3.5M

$22.3K ¥3.5M

-1.33%

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

$17.6K ¥2.8M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

16.31%

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

$210 ¥33.2K

$139 ¥22.0K

51.25%

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

$24.28 ¥3,835

$24.50 ¥3,870

-0.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.30 ¥5,261

$30.67 ¥4,846

8.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 ¥8,359

$49.03 ¥7,746

7.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.06 ¥2,853

Cinema Ticket

$10.95 ¥1,729

$12.72 ¥2,010

-13.92%

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

$126 ¥20.0K

$510 ¥80.5K

-75.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K ¥2.0M

$12.9K ¥2.0M

-3.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.56 ¥7,672

$48.57 ¥7,673

-0.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.99 ¥4,106

$30.98 ¥4,894

-16.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.3 ¥10.3K

$74.2 ¥11.7K

-12.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.20 ¥7,457

$91.5 ¥14.5K

-48.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 ¥85.4K

$699 ¥110.5K

-22.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 ¥51.9K

$510 ¥80.6K

-35.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 ¥176.8K

$1,710 ¥270.1K

-34.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 ¥114.2K

$772 ¥122.0K

-6.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 ¥656.8K

$6,183 ¥976.8K

-32.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,735 ¥274.1K

$1,908 ¥301.4K

-9.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,424 ¥382.9K

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 Kumamoto: October 19, 2026

Last update for Osaka: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kumamoto

$328 25.6%

Osaka

$510 37.1% 55.5% $182

Groceries & Markets

Kumamoto

$312 24.3%

Osaka

$302 21.9% 3.2% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kumamoto

$268 20.9%

Osaka

$194 14.1% 27.5% $74

Eating Out

Kumamoto

$144 11.2%

Osaka

$130 9.4% 9.6% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Kumamoto

$84 6.6%

Osaka

$110 8% 31.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Kumamoto

$75 5.8%

Osaka

$74 5.4% 0.4% $0.3

Getting Around

Kumamoto

$72 5.6%

Osaka

$57 4.1% 21.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $541 in Kumamoto and $699 in Osaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Kumamoto vs $32.00 in Osaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $312 vs $302, with Osaka cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Kumamoto

🇯🇵 Osaka

🕒 Local time

06:03 6:03 AM

Same time as Kumamoto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

738,865

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

Kumamoto vs Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kumamoto and Osaka differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,283 vs $1,378 including rent). Kumamoto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,924 in Kumamoto and $2,067 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: $541 in Kumamoto versus $699 in Osaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kumamoto runs roughly 62% less than in Osaka. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $126 in Kumamoto versus $510 in Osaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,283 in Kumamoto versus $1,378 in Osaka, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kumamoto but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Kumamoto 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, Kumamoto 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 Kumamoto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.