Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyoto and Osaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Kyoto: $1,290 a month against $1,396 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Osaka outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Kyoto
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Kyoto Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index

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Kyoto

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,290

/mo nomad

Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,396

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,290 per month in Kyoto vs $1,396 in Osaka, rent included.

Kyoto $1,290
Osaka $1,396

A couple spends around $1,932 per month in Kyoto vs $2,027 in Osaka, rent included.

Kyoto $1,932
Osaka $2,027

A family of three spends $2,574 per month in Kyoto vs $2,658 in Osaka, rent included.

Kyoto $2,574
Osaka $2,658

Kyoto is about 8% cheaper than Osaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kyoto sits 5% below the global median, while Osaka is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.77 ¥1,542

$6.50 ¥1,027

50.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 ¥5,106

$31.93 ¥5,041

1.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥807

$5.15 ¥813

-0.78%

Cappuccino

$3.22 ¥508

$3.03 ¥478

6.27%

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

$0.89 ¥141

$1.39 ¥220

-35.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥112

$0.71 ¥113

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 ¥509

$2.75 ¥434

17.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 ¥924

$3.89 ¥614

50.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥245

$1.46 ¥230

6.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥254

$1.30 ¥205

23.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.84 ¥923

$5.46 ¥863

6.96%

Eggs

$2.11 ¥333

$2.03 ¥321

3.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.84 ¥1,395

$9.63 ¥1,520

-8.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.92 ¥1,251

$9.45 ¥1,492

-16.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.70 ¥1,690

$18.58 ¥2,933

-42.41%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 ¥819

$3.39 ¥535

53.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ¥374

$2.00 ¥316

18.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.15 ¥813

$2.09 ¥329

146.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.69 ¥582

$4.14 ¥654

-10.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 ¥295

$1.57 ¥247

19.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ¥262

$1.17 ¥185

41.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ¥180

$1.37 ¥217

-16.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥148

$0.81 ¥128

16.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 ¥639

$4.02 ¥635

0.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.73 ¥1,221

$9.72 ¥1,535

-20.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥255

$1.94 ¥306

-17.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ¥531

$3.19 ¥503

5.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ¥225

$1.35 ¥213

5.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.1 ¥9,804

$32.79 ¥5,178

89.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 ¥520

$3.90 ¥616

-15.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.88 ¥612

$3.26 ¥515

19.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.50 ¥3,395

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥174

$1.11 ¥176

-0.90%

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

$22.7K ¥3.6M

$22.3K ¥3.5M

1.78%

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

$15.5K ¥2.4M

$14.9K ¥2.3M

4.32%

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

$101 ¥16.0K

$141 ¥22.3K

-28.26%

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

$23.51 ¥3,712

$24.00 ¥3,790

-2.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.41 ¥4,801

$30.50 ¥4,815

-0.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ¥8,145

$51.7 ¥8,168

-0.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.87 ¥2,980

$18.86 ¥2,978

0.05%

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 ¥2,166

$12.85 ¥2,028

6.77%

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

$718 ¥113.4K

$709 ¥111.9K

1.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,490 ¥1.0M

$13.2K ¥2.1M

-51.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ¥8,956

$48.77 ¥7,700

16.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.07 ¥7,116

$30.94 ¥4,885

45.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 ¥11.1K

$72.9 ¥11.5K

-3.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ¥16.1K

$90.8 ¥14.3K

12.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 ¥100.7K

$732 ¥115.6K

-12.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 ¥59.9K

$516 ¥81.5K

-26.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,176 ¥185.6K

$1,693 ¥267.3K

-30.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$577 ¥91.1K

$773 ¥122.1K

-25.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,226 ¥667.2K

$6,542 ¥1.0M

-35.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,921 ¥461.2K

$3,063 ¥483.6K

-4.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,873 ¥295.6K

$2,363 ¥373.1K

-20.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.23

2.21

0.90%

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

Last update for Kyoto: October 25, 2026

Last update for Osaka: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kyoto

$379 29.4%

Osaka

$516 37% 36% $137

Groceries & Markets

Kyoto

$296 22.9%

Osaka

$305 21.9% 3.1% $9.2

Eating Out

Kyoto

$166 12.9%

Osaka

$134 9.6% 19.6% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kyoto

$155 12%

Osaka

$195 14% 26.1% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Kyoto

$123 9.6%

Osaka

$110 7.9% 11.3% $14

Getting Around

Kyoto

$90 7%

Osaka

$58 4.2% 35.4% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Kyoto

$79 6.1%

Osaka

$77 5.6% 2% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $638 in Kyoto versus $732 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 26% higher in Osaka. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Kyoto versus $32 in Osaka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $296 vs $305 – making Kyoto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Kyoto

🇯🇵 Osaka

🕒 Local time

06:19 6:19 AM

Same time as Kyoto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,183

2,691,185

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 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

Kyoto vs Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,290 in Kyoto, $1,396 in Osaka – Kyoto comes out roughly 8% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,934 per month in Kyoto and $2,094 in Osaka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kyoto, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $638 there versus $732 in Osaka.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,290 in Kyoto and $1,396 in Osaka. That makes Kyoto about 8% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $718 per month in Kyoto and $709 in Osaka. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,290 in Kyoto and $1,396 in Osaka, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kyoto costs $1,290 versus $1,396 in Osaka. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Kyoto. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Osaka makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.