Cost of Living Comparison Between Kurume and Osaka Cost of Living Comparison Between Kurume and Osaka

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,019 in Kurume versus $1,371 in Osaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,606 in Kurume versus $2,038 in Osaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,194 in Kurume versus $2,705 in Osaka.

Living in Kurume costs roughly 26% less than in Osaka, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kurume is 24% below, Osaka is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.79 ¥766

$6.95 ¥1,112

-31.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.36 ¥6,616

$34.58 ¥5,531

19.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.06 ¥649

$4.98 ¥797

-18.47%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ¥323

$3.33 ¥532

-39.34%

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

$0.80 ¥128

$1.08 ¥173

-25.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥95.0

$0.76 ¥122

-22.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 ¥552

$2.74 ¥438

25.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥273

$4.35 ¥695

-60.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 ¥227

$1.61 ¥257

-11.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ¥218

$1.43 ¥229

-4.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 ¥679

$4.86 ¥778

-12.76%

Eggs

$2.14 ¥342

$2.46 ¥393

-13.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 ¥1,628

$10.43 ¥1,669

-2.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.10 ¥976

$6.38 ¥1,021

-4.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.39 ¥3,261

$18.61 ¥2,977

9.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 ¥504

$3.53 ¥564

-10.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 ¥229

$2.19 ¥350

-34.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 ¥227

$2.48 ¥397

-42.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.97 ¥955

$4.31 ¥689

38.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 ¥456

$1.69 ¥271

68.64%

Onion (1kg)

$3.20 ¥512

$1.28 ¥205

150.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ¥159

$1.39 ¥222

-28.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥128

$0.85 ¥136

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.81 ¥609

$3.93 ¥629

-3.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.19 ¥990

$9.27 ¥1,482

-33.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 ¥319

$2.13 ¥340

-6.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 ¥199

$2.99 ¥479

-58.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 ¥255

$1.61 ¥258

-0.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.8 ¥8,763

$36.32 ¥5,810

50.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 ¥739

$4.56 ¥729

1.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.88 ¥461

$3.31 ¥530

-12.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.64 ¥3,141

$23.95 ¥3,830

-18.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 ¥106

$1.19 ¥191

-44.54%

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

$23.0K ¥3.7M

$23.6K ¥3.8M

-2.15%

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

$20.3K ¥3.3M

$16.9K ¥2.7M

20.32%

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

$213 ¥34.1K

$135 ¥21.6K

58.04%

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

$26.86 ¥4,295

$27.60 ¥4,415

-2.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.14 ¥4,021

$30.37 ¥4,858

-17.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 ¥8,912

$59.1 ¥9,460

-5.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.93 ¥2,227

$20.39 ¥3,262

-31.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 ¥1,204

$12.36 ¥1,978

-39.16%

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

$423 ¥67.6K

$68.1 ¥10.9K

520.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$10.5K ¥1.7M

24.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.55 ¥6,966

$44.08 ¥7,050

-1.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.64 ¥2,182

$29.47 ¥4,713

-53.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$27.11 ¥4,337

$67.2 ¥10.8K

-59.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.11 ¥5,616

$94.8 ¥15.2K

-62.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$204 ¥32.6K

$717 ¥114.7K

-71.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 ¥22.0K

$483 ¥77.2K

-71.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 ¥83.3K

$1,311 ¥209.6K

-60.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 ¥56.2K

$807 ¥129.0K

-56.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,879 ¥780.4K

$5,951 ¥951.8K

-18.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,517 ¥402.5K

$2,055 ¥328.6K

22.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,526 ¥244.1K

$1,944 ¥310.9K

-21.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.67

1.81

-7.73%

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

Last update for Kurume: May 31, 2026

Last update for Osaka: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $204 in Kurume and $717 in Osaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Osaka pays 27% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $41.00 in Kurume vs $35.00 in Osaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $299, with Kurume 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

Kurume vs Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kurume and Osaka differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,019 vs $1,371 including rent). Kurume is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Osaka earns 27% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $204 in Kurume versus $717 in Osaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Osaka. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kurume – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $35.00 in Osaka. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,019 in Kurume versus $1,371 in Osaka, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kurume but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Kurume 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, Kurume 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 Kurume gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.