Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Matsuyama and Osaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Matsuyama: $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 Matsuyama
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Matsuyama Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index

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Matsuyama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,277

/mo nomad

Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,378

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Matsuyama $1,277
Osaka $1,378

A couple spends around $2,017 per month in Matsuyama vs $2,005 in Osaka, rent included.

Matsuyama $2,017
Osaka $2,005

A family of three spends $2,758 per month in Matsuyama vs $2,632 in Osaka, rent included.

Matsuyama $2,758
Osaka $2,632

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.38 ¥1,008

$6.25 ¥987

2.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.99 ¥4,896

$31.70 ¥5,008

-2.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.71 ¥744

$4.90 ¥774

-3.88%

Cappuccino

$2.38 ¥376

$2.95 ¥466

-19.32%

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

$1.19 ¥188

$1.44 ¥228

-17.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥91.7

$0.75 ¥119

-22.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.09 ¥330

$2.65 ¥419

-21.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ¥361

$3.87 ¥611

-40.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ¥238

$1.44 ¥227

4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 ¥210

$1.34 ¥211

-0.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.40 ¥853

$5.25 ¥830

2.86%

Eggs

$2.08 ¥329

$2.14 ¥338

-2.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 ¥1,974

$9.33 ¥1,475

33.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 ¥1,498

$9.22 ¥1,456

2.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$32.49 ¥5,134

$18.39 ¥2,906

76.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 ¥579

$3.43 ¥541

7.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 ¥367

$1.92 ¥303

20.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.34 ¥1,001

$1.99 ¥314

218.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 ¥670

$4.05 ¥640

4.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.67 ¥580

$1.56 ¥247

135.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.45 ¥545

$1.17 ¥185

194.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ¥196

$1.30 ¥205

-4.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 ¥154

$0.88 ¥139

10.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 ¥555

$4.00 ¥631

-12.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 ¥1,262

$9.60 ¥1,517

-16.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 ¥312

$1.95 ¥308

1.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ¥227

$3.24 ¥512

-55.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 ¥228

$1.39 ¥219

3.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.7 ¥8,327

$32.34 ¥5,109

62.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 ¥510

$3.69 ¥583

-12.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.08 ¥486

$3.07 ¥486

0.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.40 ¥4,170

$21.76 ¥3,437

21.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥173

$1.09 ¥173

0.92%

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

$20.0K ¥3.2M

$22.3K ¥3.5M

-10.17%

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

$16.7K ¥2.6M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

10.58%

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

$144 ¥22.8K

$139 ¥22.0K

3.72%

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

$23.66 ¥3,738

$24.50 ¥3,870

-3.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.16 ¥6,819

$30.67 ¥4,846

40.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 ¥8,379

$49.03 ¥7,746

8.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.06 ¥2,853

Cinema Ticket

$12.54 ¥1,982

$12.72 ¥2,010

-1.42%

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

$319 ¥50.3K

$510 ¥80.5K

-37.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,069 ¥958.9K

$12.9K ¥2.0M

-52.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.43 ¥7,809

$48.57 ¥7,673

1.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.19 ¥3,980

$30.98 ¥4,894

-18.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.18 ¥7,297

$74.2 ¥11.7K

-37.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.3 ¥10.5K

$91.5 ¥14.5K

-27.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ¥83.2K

$699 ¥110.5K

-24.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 ¥51.8K

$510 ¥80.6K

-35.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ¥177.3K

$1,710 ¥270.1K

-34.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 ¥114.4K

$772 ¥122.0K

-6.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,302 ¥679.6K

$6,183 ¥976.8K

-30.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,726 ¥272.6K

$1,908 ¥301.4K

-9.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,424 ¥382.9K

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 Matsuyama: 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

Matsuyama

$383 30%

Osaka

$302 21.9% 21.2% $81

Accommodation & Living

Matsuyama

$328 25.7%

Osaka

$510 37.1% 55.7% $183

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Matsuyama

$211 16.5%

Osaka

$194 14.1% 8% $17

Eating Out

Matsuyama

$116 9.1%

Osaka

$130 9.4% 12.1% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Matsuyama

$84 6.6%

Osaka

$110 8% 31.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Matsuyama

$78 6.1%

Osaka

$74 5.4% 4.7% $3.7

Getting Around

Matsuyama

$77 6%

Osaka

$57 4.1% 26.2% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Matsuyama 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Matsuyama versus $32.00 in Osaka. Groceries tell a different story – $383 in Matsuyama vs $302 in Osaka – so Osaka wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Matsuyama

🇯🇵 Osaka

🕒 Local time

10:59 10:59 AM

Same time as Matsuyama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

511,192

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

Matsuyama vs Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,915 per month in Matsuyama 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 Matsuyama, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 63% less in Matsuyama. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $319 per month in Matsuyama and $510 in Osaka. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Matsuyama, where all-in costs run around $1,277, than in Osaka at $1,378. In Matsuyama 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 Matsuyama 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 Matsuyama. 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.