Cost of Living Comparison Between Oita and Osaka Cost of Living Comparison Between Oita and Osaka

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,147 in Oita versus $1,371 in Osaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,739 in Oita versus $2,038 in Osaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,330 in Oita versus $2,705 in Osaka.

Living in Oita costs roughly 16% less than in Osaka, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oita is 14% below, Osaka is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.43 ¥868

$6.95 ¥1,112

-21.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.03 ¥6,563

$34.58 ¥5,531

18.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.13 ¥980

$4.98 ¥797

23.09%

Cappuccino

$2.07 ¥330

$3.33 ¥532

-37.84%

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

$1.08 ¥173

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 ¥108

$0.76 ¥122

-10.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 ¥544

$2.74 ¥438

24.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ¥512

$4.35 ¥695

-26.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥210

$1.61 ¥257

-18.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 ¥215

$1.43 ¥229

-6.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 ¥653

$4.86 ¥778

-16.05%

Eggs

$2.51 ¥401

$2.46 ¥393

2.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.91 ¥945

$10.43 ¥1,669

-43.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.11 ¥978

$6.38 ¥1,021

-4.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ¥1,819

$18.61 ¥2,977

-38.90%

Apples (1kg)

$5.38 ¥860

$3.53 ¥564

52.41%

Banana (1kg)

$5.00 ¥800

$2.19 ¥350

128.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 ¥830

$2.48 ¥397

109.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.28 ¥365

$4.31 ¥689

-47.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 ¥219

$1.69 ¥271

-18.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ¥228

$1.28 ¥205

10.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ¥189

$1.39 ¥222

-15.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥121

$0.85 ¥136

-10.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 ¥634

$3.93 ¥629

0.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ¥1,016

$9.27 ¥1,482

-31.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 ¥320

$2.13 ¥340

-6.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 ¥339

$2.99 ¥479

-29.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 ¥204

$1.61 ¥258

-21.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.59 ¥5,533

$36.32 ¥5,810

-4.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ¥568

$4.56 ¥729

-22.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 ¥314

$3.31 ¥530

-40.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.67 ¥3,147

$23.95 ¥3,830

-17.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥195

$1.19 ¥191

2.52%

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

$23.6K ¥3.8M

0.24%

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

$14.6K ¥2.3M

$16.9K ¥2.7M

-13.64%

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

$83.2 ¥13.3K

$135 ¥21.6K

-38.32%

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

$26.80 ¥4,287

$27.60 ¥4,415

-2.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.56 ¥3,608

$30.37 ¥4,858

-25.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 ¥9,232

$59.1 ¥9,460

-2.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ¥1,100

$20.39 ¥3,262

-66.26%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ¥1,654

$12.36 ¥1,978

-16.34%

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

$424 ¥67.9K

$68.1 ¥10.9K

522.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K ¥2.2M

$10.5K ¥1.7M

28.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.51 ¥6,320

$44.08 ¥7,050

-10.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.90 ¥4,622

$29.47 ¥4,713

-1.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.2 ¥10.7K

$67.2 ¥10.8K

-0.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.0 ¥15.0K

$94.8 ¥15.2K

-0.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$455 ¥72.8K

$717 ¥114.7K

-36.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 ¥59.6K

$483 ¥77.2K

-22.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 ¥122.3K

$1,311 ¥209.6K

-41.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 ¥87.8K

$807 ¥129.0K

-31.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,984 ¥637.2K

$5,951 ¥951.8K

-33.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,048 ¥327.6K

$2,055 ¥328.6K

-0.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,272 ¥203.5K

$1,944 ¥310.9K

-34.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.5

1.81

-17.13%

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

Last update for Oita: June 1, 2026

Last update for Osaka: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $455 in Oita and $717 in Osaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Osaka pays 53% 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: $41.00 in Oita vs $35.00 in Osaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $299, with Oita cheaper for home cooking.

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

Oita vs Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oita wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Osaka. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Oita the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Osaka earns 53% less. 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: $455 in Oita versus $717 in Osaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $424 in Oita versus $68.1 in Osaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Osaka. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,147 in Oita versus $1,371 in Osaka, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Oita but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Oita the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Oita delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,147 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Oita hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Oita and Osaka are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Oita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.