Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Akita

For one person, living is cheaper in Akita: $1,229 a month against $1,409 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Osaka, Japan
Akita, Japan
Osaka
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,409
/mo nomad
Akita
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,229
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Akita

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Osaka and in Akita actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,409 per month in Osaka vs $1,229 in Akita, rent included.

  • Osaka $1,409
  • Akita $1,229

A couple spends around $2,057 per month in Osaka vs $1,929 in Akita, rent included.

  • Osaka $2,057
  • Akita $1,929

A family of three spends $2,706 per month in Osaka vs $2,630 in Akita, rent included.

  • Osaka $2,706
  • Akita $2,630

Osaka costs about 15% more than Akita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Osaka sits 4% above the global median, while Akita is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Osaka
Akita
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.27 ¥988
$6.49 ¥1,022
-3.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.41 ¥4,947
$32.30 ¥5,087
-2.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.89 ¥770
$4.91 ¥773
-0.41%
Cappuccino
$2.99 ¥472
$3.59 ¥565
-16.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43 ¥225
$0.93 ¥146
53.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.75 ¥118
$0.82 ¥129
-8.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.74 ¥432
$1.85 ¥292
48.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.86 ¥608
$3.18 ¥501
21.38%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Osaka
Akita
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 ¥229
$1.53 ¥242
-4.58%
White Bread (500g)
$1.29 ¥203
$1.57 ¥248
-17.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.39 ¥849
$4.28 ¥674
25.93%
Eggs
$2.07 ¥327
$2.14 ¥337
-3.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.55 ¥1,661
$10.25 ¥1,615
2.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.18 ¥1,603
$6.42 ¥1,010
58.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.32 ¥3,989
$16.74 ¥2,636
51.25%
Apples (1kg)
$3.33 ¥525
$3.82 ¥601
-12.83%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 ¥307
$2.38 ¥374
-18.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.04 ¥321
$2.95 ¥465
-30.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.13 ¥651
$4.30 ¥678
-3.95%
Potato (1kg)
$1.52 ¥240
$2.48 ¥390
-38.71%
Onion (1kg)
$1.13 ¥178
$2.47 ¥389
-54.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 ¥215
$1.24 ¥196
9.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.86 ¥135
$0.84 ¥133
2.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.89 ¥613
$3.98 ¥627
-2.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.51 ¥1,970
$6.78 ¥1,068
84.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 ¥306
$1.87 ¥295
3.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 ¥494
$2.11 ¥332
48.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Osaka
Akita
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.32 ¥208
$1.48 ¥233
-10.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$33.27 ¥5,239
$57.8 ¥9,103
-42.44%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.72 ¥585
$3.18 ¥501
16.98%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.69 ¥424
$2.88 ¥454
-6.60%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.85 ¥4,229
$18.62 ¥2,933
44.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.05 ¥165
$1.33 ¥210
-21.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.3K ¥3.5M
$22.2K ¥3.5M
0.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.3K ¥2.4M
$15.5K ¥2.4M
-1.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Osaka
Akita
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$141 ¥22.1K
$134 ¥21.1K
4.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.75 ¥3,898
$24.28 ¥3,825
1.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.11 ¥4,900
$31.40 ¥4,945
-0.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Osaka
Akita
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.0 ¥8,026
$51.0 ¥8,038
-0.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.38 ¥2,895
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.59 ¥1,983
$12.92 ¥2,035
-2.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Osaka
Akita
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$685 ¥107.9K
$688 ¥108.4K
-0.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.8K ¥2.5M
$12.5K ¥2.0M
26.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Osaka
Akita
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.04 ¥7,566
$42.42 ¥6,681
13.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.67 ¥4,830
$46.16 ¥7,270
-33.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.3 ¥11.7K
$88.5 ¥13.9K
-16.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.1 ¥14.2K
$89.5 ¥14.1K
0.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Osaka
Akita
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$739 ¥116.4K
$556 ¥87.5K
32.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$504 ¥79.3K
$337 ¥53.2K
49.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,700 ¥267.8K
$1,032 ¥162.6K
64.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$761 ¥119.9K
$721 ¥113.6K
5.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,708 ¥1.1M
$4,281 ¥674.3K
56.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,145 ¥495.3K
$2,350 ¥370.2K
33.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Osaka
Akita
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,295 ¥361.5K
$1,655 ¥260.7K
38.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.21
2.21
-

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

Last update for Osaka: October 31, 2026

Last update for Akita: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Osaka
$504
Akita
$337 33% $166
Groceries & Markets
Osaka
$337
Akita
$291 13.5% $45
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Osaka
$196
Akita
$190 3.4% $6.7
Eating Out
Osaka
$131
Akita
$132 1.1% $1.4
Clothing & Footwear
Osaka
$109
Akita
$120 9.7% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Osaka
$76
Akita
$77 1% $0.7
Getting Around
Osaka
$56
Akita
$81 46% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $739 in Osaka versus $556 in Akita. 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 39% higher in Osaka. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31 in Osaka versus $32 in Akita. Groceries tell a different story – $337 in Osaka vs $291 in Akita – so Akita wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Osaka
🇯🇵 Akita
🕒 Local time
21:31 9:31 PM
21:31 9:31 PM
Same time as Osaka
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,691,185
307,672
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 157 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Osaka Akita 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Osaka
  • Akita

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
Osaka vs Akita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Osaka or Akita?
Osaka costs about 15% more than Akita, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Osaka and in Akita?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,113 per month in Osaka and $1,843 in Akita. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Osaka or Akita?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Akita, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $556 there versus $739 in Osaka.
How expensive is transport in Osaka compared to Akita?
Public transport costs about 42% less in Osaka. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Osaka and in Akita?
Kindergarten costs $685 per month in Osaka and $688 in Akita. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Osaka or in Akita?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,409 in Osaka and $1,229 in Akita. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Osaka or Akita?
It depends on your priorities. Osaka has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,229 in Akita to $1,409 in Osaka. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Osaka compared to Akita?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Osaka or to Akita?
If budget matters most, go with Akita. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Osaka makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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