Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Morioka and Osaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Morioka: $1,190 a month against $1,378 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Morioka
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Morioka Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index

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Morioka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,190

/mo nomad

Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,378

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,190 per month in Morioka vs $1,378 in Osaka, rent included.

Morioka $1,190
Osaka $1,378

A couple spends around $1,874 per month in Morioka vs $2,005 in Osaka, rent included.

Morioka $1,874
Osaka $2,005

A family of three spends $2,559 per month in Morioka vs $2,632 in Osaka, rent included.

Morioka $2,559
Osaka $2,632

Morioka is about 14% cheaper than Osaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Morioka sits 12% below the global median, while Osaka is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.21 ¥981

$6.25 ¥987

-0.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.99 ¥5,054

$31.70 ¥5,008

0.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.12 ¥808

$4.90 ¥774

4.49%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ¥475

$2.95 ¥466

1.69%

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

$1.20 ¥189

$1.44 ¥228

-16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥127

$0.75 ¥119

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 ¥426

$2.65 ¥419

1.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 ¥493

$3.87 ¥611

-19.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 ¥242

$1.44 ¥227

6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ¥252

$1.34 ¥211

19.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.14 ¥653

$5.25 ¥830

-21.14%

Eggs

$2.08 ¥328

$2.14 ¥338

-2.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.25 ¥1,619

$9.33 ¥1,475

9.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 ¥1,019

$9.22 ¥1,456

-30.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.26 ¥2,570

$18.39 ¥2,906

-11.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 ¥579

$3.43 ¥541

6.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 ¥354

$1.92 ¥303

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 ¥443

$1.99 ¥314

40.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 ¥650

$4.05 ¥640

1.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 ¥389

$1.56 ¥247

57.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 ¥406

$1.17 ¥185

119.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.30 ¥205

-3.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥127

$0.88 ¥139

-7.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 ¥631

$4.00 ¥631

-0.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.51 ¥1,029

$9.60 ¥1,517

-32.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥286

$1.95 ¥308

-7.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 ¥341

$3.24 ¥512

-33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 ¥236

$1.39 ¥219

7.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.5 ¥8,298

$32.34 ¥5,109

62.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 ¥485

$3.69 ¥583

-16.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.87 ¥453

$3.07 ¥486

-6.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.59 ¥2,938

$21.76 ¥3,437

-14.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥173

$1.09 ¥173

0.92%

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

$21.5K ¥3.4M

$22.3K ¥3.5M

-3.56%

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

$14.9K ¥2.4M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

-1.21%

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

$135 ¥21.4K

$139 ¥22.0K

-2.85%

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

$24.39 ¥3,853

$24.50 ¥3,870

-0.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.82 ¥4,869

$30.67 ¥4,846

0.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 ¥8,138

$49.03 ¥7,746

5.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.06 ¥2,853

Cinema Ticket

$12.16 ¥1,921

$12.72 ¥2,010

-4.40%

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

$509 ¥80.4K

$510 ¥80.5K

-0.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K ¥2.0M

$12.9K ¥2.0M

-2.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.62 ¥7,681

$48.57 ¥7,673

0.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.42 ¥4,963

$30.98 ¥4,894

1.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.7 ¥9,744

$74.2 ¥11.7K

-16.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ¥14.0K

$91.5 ¥14.5K

-3.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 ¥85.0K

$699 ¥110.5K

-23.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 ¥52.2K

$510 ¥80.6K

-35.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 ¥172.8K

$1,710 ¥270.1K

-36.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 ¥114.3K

$772 ¥122.0K

-6.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,182 ¥660.8K

$6,183 ¥976.8K

-32.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,739 ¥274.8K

$1,908 ¥301.4K

-8.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,424 ¥382.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

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

Last update for Morioka: October 17, 2026

Last update for Osaka: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Morioka

$331 27.8%

Osaka

$510 37.1% 54.4% $180

Groceries & Markets

Morioka

$285 24%

Osaka

$302 21.9% 5.8% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Morioka

$190 16%

Osaka

$194 14.1% 2.1% $3.9

Eating Out

Morioka

$129 10.8%

Osaka

$130 9.4% 0.8% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

Morioka

$104 8.7%

Osaka

$110 8% 6.5% $6.8

Getting Around

Morioka

$76 6.4%

Osaka

$57 4.1% 25% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Morioka

$76 6.4%

Osaka

$74 5.4% 1.8% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $538 in Morioka 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 $32.00 in Morioka versus $32.00 in Osaka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $285 vs $302 – making Morioka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Morioka

🇯🇵 Osaka

🕒 Local time

20:37 8:37 PM

Same time as Morioka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

289,731

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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Morioka Osaka 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Morioka
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Morioka vs Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,190 in Morioka, $1,378 in Osaka – roughly 16% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,785 per month in Morioka 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 Morioka, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Osaka, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Morioka and $32.00 in Osaka. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Morioka, where all-in costs run around $1,190, than in Osaka at $1,378. In Morioka 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 $1,190 in Morioka 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 Morioka. 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.