Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nagano and Osaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Nagano: $1,231 a month against $1,378 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Nagano
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Nagano Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index

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Nagano

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,231

/mo nomad

Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,378

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,231 per month in Nagano vs $1,378 in Osaka, rent included.

Nagano $1,231
Osaka $1,378

A couple spends around $1,891 per month in Nagano vs $2,005 in Osaka, rent included.

Nagano $1,891
Osaka $2,005

A family of three spends $2,550 per month in Nagano vs $2,632 in Osaka, rent included.

Nagano $2,550
Osaka $2,632

Nagano is about 11% cheaper than Osaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Nagano sits 9% below the global median, while Osaka is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.45 ¥1,019

$6.25 ¥987

3.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.32 ¥6,370

$31.70 ¥5,008

27.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.13 ¥810

$4.90 ¥774

4.69%

Cappuccino

$3.37 ¥532

$2.95 ¥466

14.24%

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

$1.06 ¥167

$1.44 ¥228

-26.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.75 ¥119

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ¥409

$2.65 ¥419

-2.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ¥483

$3.87 ¥611

-20.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 ¥228

$1.44 ¥227

0.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 ¥260

$1.34 ¥211

22.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 ¥564

$5.25 ¥830

-32.00%

Eggs

$1.99 ¥315

$2.14 ¥338

-7.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.32 ¥1,630

$9.33 ¥1,475

10.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.17 ¥975

$9.22 ¥1,456

-33.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.40 ¥2,275

$18.39 ¥2,906

-21.70%

Apples (1kg)

$5.82 ¥919

$3.43 ¥541

69.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 ¥425

$1.92 ¥303

40.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 ¥448

$1.99 ¥314

42.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 ¥642

$4.05 ¥640

0.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 ¥396

$1.56 ¥247

60.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ¥401

$1.17 ¥185

117.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.30 ¥205

-3.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥121

$0.88 ¥139

-13.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.68 ¥582

$4.00 ¥631

-8.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.21 ¥982

$9.60 ¥1,517

-35.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥287

$1.95 ¥308

-6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ¥317

$3.24 ¥512

-37.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ¥207

$1.39 ¥219

-5.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.2 ¥8,082

$32.34 ¥5,109

58.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ¥501

$3.69 ¥583

-14.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.70 ¥427

$3.07 ¥486

-12.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.17 ¥3,187

$21.76 ¥3,437

-7.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ¥166

$1.09 ¥173

-3.67%

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

$21.6K ¥3.4M

$22.3K ¥3.5M

-3.13%

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

$15.5K ¥2.4M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

2.45%

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

$130 ¥20.6K

$139 ¥22.0K

-6.45%

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

$23.91 ¥3,778

$24.50 ¥3,870

-2.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.76 ¥2,016

$30.67 ¥4,846

-58.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 ¥8,387

$49.03 ¥7,746

8.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.06 ¥2,853

Cinema Ticket

$12.71 ¥2,008

$12.72 ¥2,010

-0.08%

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

$622 ¥98.3K

$510 ¥80.5K

22.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ¥2.4M

$12.9K ¥2.0M

16.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 ¥9,759

$48.57 ¥7,673

27.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.29 ¥5,733

$30.98 ¥4,894

17.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.0 ¥9,797

$74.2 ¥11.7K

-16.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 ¥15.8K

$91.5 ¥14.5K

9.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$557 ¥88.0K

$699 ¥110.5K

-20.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 ¥59.2K

$510 ¥80.6K

-26.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 ¥180.4K

$1,710 ¥270.1K

-33.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 ¥102.4K

$772 ¥122.0K

-16.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,188 ¥661.7K

$6,183 ¥976.8K

-32.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,974 ¥311.9K

$1,908 ¥301.4K

3.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$627 ¥99.0K

$2,424 ¥382.9K

-74.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.64

2.21

19.46%

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

Last update for Nagano: October 18, 2026

Last update for Osaka: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nagano

$375 30.4%

Osaka

$510 37.1% 36.2% $136

Groceries & Markets

Nagano

$287 23.3%

Osaka

$302 21.9% 5% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nagano

$167 13.6%

Osaka

$194 14.1% 16.5% $27

Eating Out

Nagano

$134 10.9%

Osaka

$130 9.4% 3% $4

Clothing & Footwear

Nagano

$117 9.5%

Osaka

$110 8% 5.8% $6.8

Sport & Entertainment

Nagano

$79 6.4%

Osaka

$74 5.4% 5.1% $4

Getting Around

Nagano

$73 5.9%

Osaka

$57 4.1% 22.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $557 in Nagano 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.

Salaries run about 287% higher in Osaka, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Nagano versus $32.00 in Osaka. Groceries tell a different story – $287 in Nagano vs $302 in Osaka – so Nagano wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Nagano

🇯🇵 Osaka

🕒 Local time

10:59 10:59 AM

Same time as Nagano

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

372,760

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

Nagano vs Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Osaka costs about 12% more than Nagano, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Nagano 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 Nagano, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Nagano and $32.00 in Osaka. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,231 in Nagano and $1,378 in Osaka. That's a gap of about 12%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nagano, where all-in costs run around $1,231, than in Osaka at $1,378. In Nagano it covers expenses comfortably, while in Osaka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nagano costs $1,231 versus $1,378 in Osaka. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Nagano. 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.