Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Niigata and Osaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Niigata: $728 a month against $1,396 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Niigata
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Niigata Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index

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Niigata

🇯🇵 Japan

$728

/mo nomad

Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,396

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $728 in Niigata versus $1,396 in Osaka.

Niigata $728
Osaka $1,396

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,106 in Niigata versus $2,027 in Osaka.

Niigata $1,106
Osaka $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,485 in Niigata versus $2,658 in Osaka.

Niigata $1,485
Osaka $2,658

Living in Niigata costs roughly 48% less than in Osaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Niigata is 47% below, Osaka is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.43 ¥1,013

$6.50 ¥1,024

-1.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.74 ¥2,795

$31.93 ¥5,029

-44.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.02 ¥791

$5.15 ¥812

-2.52%

Cappuccino

$2.68 ¥422

$3.03 ¥477

-11.55%

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

$1.10 ¥174

$1.39 ¥220

-20.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥123

$0.71 ¥112

9.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ¥398

$2.75 ¥433

-8.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ¥437

$3.89 ¥612

-28.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥192

$1.46 ¥229

-16.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 ¥152

$1.30 ¥204

-25.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 ¥392

$5.46 ¥861

-54.40%

Eggs

$2.26 ¥356

$2.03 ¥320

11.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ¥1,167

$9.63 ¥1,516

-23.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 ¥1,062

$9.45 ¥1,489

-28.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.47 ¥2,595

$18.58 ¥2,926

-11.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 ¥506

$3.39 ¥534

-5.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥206

$2.00 ¥315

-34.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 ¥402

$2.09 ¥329

22.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 ¥352

$4.14 ¥653

-46.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 ¥306

$1.57 ¥247

23.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 ¥304

$1.17 ¥185

64.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ¥146

$1.37 ¥216

-32.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥94.4

$0.81 ¥127

-25.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 ¥606

$4.02 ¥634

-4.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.31 ¥679

$9.72 ¥1,532

-55.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥264

$1.94 ¥305

-13.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ¥293

$3.19 ¥502

-41.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ¥207

$1.35 ¥213

-2.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.79 ¥5,166

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 ¥415

$3.90 ¥615

-32.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.23 ¥509

$3.26 ¥513

-0.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.80 ¥2,962

$21.50 ¥3,387

-12.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ¥165

$1.11 ¥175

-5.41%

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

$19.3K ¥3.0M

$22.3K ¥3.5M

-13.42%

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

$12.8K ¥2.0M

$14.9K ¥2.3M

-13.49%

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

$147 ¥23.1K

$141 ¥22.2K

3.91%

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

$23.08 ¥3,635

$24.00 ¥3,781

-3.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.23 ¥3,975

$30.50 ¥4,804

-17.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 ¥8,094

$51.7 ¥8,149

-0.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.27 ¥988

$18.86 ¥2,971

-66.76%

Cinema Ticket

$12.30 ¥1,937

$12.85 ¥2,024

-4.28%

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

$64.7 ¥10.2K

$709 ¥111.6K

-90.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K ¥2.9M

$13.2K ¥2.1M

38.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.68 ¥4,991

$48.77 ¥7,683

-35.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.10 ¥5,214

$30.94 ¥4,874

6.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.84 ¥6,118

$72.9 ¥11.5K

-46.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.7 ¥10.2K

$90.8 ¥14.3K

-28.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$351 ¥55.2K

$732 ¥115.3K

-52.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 ¥81.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 ¥266.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 ¥121.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,542 ¥1.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,063 ¥482.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,272 ¥200.4K

$2,363 ¥372.2K

-46.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.48

2.21

-33.03%

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

Last update for Niigata: October 27, 2026

Last update for Osaka: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Niigata

$233 32%

Osaka

$305 21.9% 31.1% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Niigata

$195 26.8%

Osaka

$195 14% 0.3% $0.7

Eating Out

Niigata

$124 17.1%

Osaka

$134 9.6% 7.5% $9.3

Sport & Entertainment

Niigata

$76 10.4%

Osaka

$77 5.6% 1.9% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

Niigata

$76 10.4%

Osaka

$110 7.9% 44.6% $34

Getting Around

Niigata

$24 * 3.3%

Osaka

$58 4.2% 143% $34

Accommodation & Living

Niigata

- * 0%

Osaka

$516 37%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $351 in Niigata and $732 in Osaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Osaka pays 86% 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: $18 in Niigata vs $32 in Osaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $305 per month, with Niigata cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Niigata

🇯🇵 Osaka

🕒 Local time

08:27 8:27 AM

Same time as Niigata

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

811,639

2,691,185

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.35 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

Niigata vs Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $728 in Niigata and $1,396 in Osaka, so Niigata is about 48% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 46% lower in Niigata. 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: $351 in Niigata versus $732 in Osaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Osaka. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $728 per month in Niigata versus $1,396 in Osaka – Niigata is about 48% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $728 in Niigata versus $1,396 in Osaka, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Niigata but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Niigata 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, Niigata and Osaka are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Niigata wins on affordability, Osaka on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.