Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Ba

For one person, living is cheaper in Ba: $92.7 a month against $1,362 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Ba
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Ba Living Index

Jump to prices

Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,362

/mo nomad

🇫🇯 Fiji

$92.7

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Ba

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 Ba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,362 in Osaka versus $92.7 in Ba.

Osaka $1,362
Ba $92.7

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,986 in Osaka versus $207 in Ba.

Osaka $1,986
Ba $207

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,609 in Osaka versus $321 in Ba.

Osaka $2,609
Ba $321

Living in Osaka is roughly 1369% more expensive than in Ba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Osaka is 1% above, Ba is 93% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.46 ¥1,020

$2.05 FJD 4.59

215.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.30 ¥4,943

$29.78 FJD 66.7

5.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 ¥773

$6.10 FJD 13.66

-19.67%

Cappuccino

$2.96 ¥468

$1.96 FJD 4.39

51.02%

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

$1.37 ¥216

$0.98 FJD 2.20

39.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ¥116

$0.98 FJD 2.19

-25.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 ¥432

$3.95 FJD 8.84

-30.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 ¥614

$3.45 FJD 7.72

12.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 ¥230

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ¥203

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.29 ¥835

Eggs

$2.04 ¥323

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ¥1,522

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 ¥1,488

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.22 ¥2,877

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ¥523

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 ¥305

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ¥321

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ¥654

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ¥240

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 ¥187

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 ¥216

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.86 ¥610

Wine (Bottle)

$9.54 ¥1,506

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 ¥307

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ¥485

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 ¥212

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.00 ¥5,053

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ¥611

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 ¥507

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.07 ¥3,327

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥167

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

$21.5K ¥3.4M

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

$14.9K ¥2.4M

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

$138 ¥21.7K

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

$24.11 ¥3,808

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.75 ¥4,856

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 ¥7,994

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.49 ¥2,919

Cinema Ticket

$11.74 ¥1,854

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

$513 ¥81.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.11 ¥7,439

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.51 ¥4,818

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 ¥11.3K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 ¥14.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 ¥110.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 ¥78.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,687 ¥266.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$755 ¥119.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,157 ¥972.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,964 ¥310.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,386 ¥376.9K

$385 FJD 863

519.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

-44.75%

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

Last update for Osaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ba: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$498 36.5%

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$301 22.1%

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$192 14.1%

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Osaka

$132 9.7%

$93 100% 29.6% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$108 7.9%

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$74 5.4%

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Osaka

$57 4.2%

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

Osaka pays 519% 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 at a mid-range restaurant: $31.00 in Osaka vs $30.00 in Ba for two.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇫🇯 Ba

🕒 Local time

09:23 9:23 AM

12:23 12:23 PM

3 h ahead of Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

15,000

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Fijian Dollar FJD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.65 EUR

1 FJD = 0.447 USD

1 FJD = 0.398 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

FJD, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.65 EUR).

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 2.24 FJD (1 FJD = 0.447 USD). 1 EUR = 2.51 FJD (1 FJD = 0.398 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Osaka Ba 7,320 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Osaka
Ba

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 Ba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ba wins on cost – living expenses run 1369% lower than in Osaka. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 519% higher in Osaka, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Dining out is cheaper in Ba – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $31.00 in Osaka. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,362 per month in Osaka versus $92.7 in Ba – a 1369% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $92.7 in Ba versus $1,362 in Osaka, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ba but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Ba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $92.7 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ba hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Osaka and Ba 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 Ba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1369% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.