Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Aomori Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Aomori

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,393 in Osaka versus $1,242 in Aomori.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,070 in Osaka versus $1,932 in Aomori.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,747 in Osaka versus $2,622 in Aomori.

Living in Osaka is roughly 12% more expensive than in Aomori, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Osaka is 2% above, Aomori is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.65 ¥1,039

$6.31 ¥986

5.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.08 ¥5,010

$31.77 ¥4,962

0.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥819

$4.59 ¥717

14.38%

Cappuccino

$3.05 ¥476

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

$1.41 ¥220

$1.02 ¥160

38.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 ¥109

$0.90 ¥140

-22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.79 ¥436

$2.25 ¥352

24.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 ¥605

$2.87 ¥449

35.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 ¥231

$1.61 ¥252

-8.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 ¥205

$1.36 ¥213

-3.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.49 ¥858

$4.72 ¥738

16.31%

Eggs

$2.07 ¥323

$2.41 ¥376

-14.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.84 ¥1,536

$10.65 ¥1,663

-7.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 ¥1,511

$6.77 ¥1,057

42.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.58 ¥2,902

$17.24 ¥2,692

7.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 ¥536

$5.72 ¥893

-40.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 ¥319

$2.57 ¥401

-20.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 ¥332

$2.75 ¥429

-22.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 ¥652

$4.87 ¥761

-14.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ¥250

$2.90 ¥452

-44.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 ¥189

$2.20 ¥344

-45.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ¥212

$1.44 ¥225

-5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.86 ¥134

-6.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ¥625

$3.71 ¥580

7.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.49 ¥1,482

$8.11 ¥1,266

17.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 ¥313

$1.89 ¥295

5.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ¥500

$2.27 ¥355

40.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ¥220

$1.69 ¥264

-16.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.84 ¥5,129

$50.4 ¥7,874

-34.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ¥614

$3.19 ¥499

23.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.20 ¥500

$3.21 ¥501

-0.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.17 ¥3,462

$20.20 ¥3,154

9.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥176

$1.09 ¥170

3.67%

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

$22.4K ¥3.5M

$21.4K ¥3.3M

4.69%

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

$15.6K ¥2.4M

$14.2K ¥2.2M

9.98%

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

$140 ¥21.8K

$120 ¥18.7K

16.55%

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

$24.68 ¥3,855

$23.71 ¥3,702

4.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.03 ¥4,847

$32.18 ¥5,025

-3.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 ¥8,290

$52.3 ¥8,172

1.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ¥2,973

Cinema Ticket

$12.30 ¥1,920

$12.32 ¥1,924

-0.16%

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

$529 ¥82.6K

$569 ¥88.9K

-7.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K ¥2.1M

$15.2K ¥2.4M

-12.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.93 ¥7,642

$50.2 ¥7,842

-2.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.85 ¥4,974

$36.97 ¥5,773

-13.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 ¥11.9K

$65.2 ¥10.2K

16.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 ¥14.7K

$105 ¥16.4K

-10.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$728 ¥113.7K

$495 ¥77.3K

47.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ¥79.9K

$340 ¥53.1K

50.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,753 ¥273.7K

$972 ¥151.8K

80.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$778 ¥121.5K

$743 ¥116.0K

4.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,376 ¥995.7K

$4,129 ¥644.8K

54.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,959 ¥305.9K

$1,920 ¥299.8K

2.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,342 ¥365.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

2.09

5.74%

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

Last update for Osaka: September 13, 2026

Last update for Aomori: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $728 in Osaka and $495 in Aomori. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Osaka vs $32.00 in Aomori for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $308 vs $315 per month, with Osaka cheaper across the board.

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 Aomori: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Osaka and Aomori differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,393 vs $1,242 including rent). Aomori is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,089 in Osaka and $1,863 in Aomori to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $728 in Osaka versus $495 in Aomori. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $529 in Osaka versus $569 in Aomori. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Osaka pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,242 in Aomori versus $1,393 in Osaka, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aomori but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Aomori 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, Osaka and Aomori 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 Aomori gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.