Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Fukuoka

For one person, living is cheaper in Fukuoka: $1,307 a month against $1,396 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Osaka outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

67

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Fukuoka
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Fukuoka Living Index

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Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,396

/mo nomad

Fukuoka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,307

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Fukuoka

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

A single person spends $1,396 per month in Osaka vs $1,307 in Fukuoka, rent included.

Osaka $1,396
Fukuoka $1,307

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Osaka vs $2,031 in Fukuoka, rent included.

Osaka $2,027
Fukuoka $2,031

A family of three spends $2,658 per month in Osaka vs $2,754 in Fukuoka, rent included.

Osaka $2,658
Fukuoka $2,754

Osaka costs about 7% more than Fukuoka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Osaka sits 3% above the global median, while Fukuoka is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.50 ¥1,024

$7.33 ¥1,155

-11.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.93 ¥5,029

$43.83 ¥6,904

-27.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 ¥812

$5.97 ¥940

-13.74%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ¥477

$3.72 ¥586

-18.55%

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

$1.39 ¥220

$1.06 ¥166

31.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥112

$0.75 ¥118

-5.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.75 ¥433

$3.85 ¥607

-28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 ¥612

$2.16 ¥340

80.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥229

$1.55 ¥244

-5.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ¥204

$1.83 ¥288

-28.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 ¥861

$6.43 ¥1,013

-15.09%

Eggs

$2.03 ¥320

$2.30 ¥363

-11.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ¥1,516

$18.19 ¥2,866

-47.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 ¥1,489

$5.34 ¥841

76.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.58 ¥2,926

$18.96 ¥2,987

-2.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ¥534

$3.62 ¥570

-6.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 ¥315

$1.85 ¥292

8.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥329

$2.83 ¥445

-26.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ¥653

$3.33 ¥525

24.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 ¥247

$2.15 ¥338

-26.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥185

$2.59 ¥408

-54.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 ¥216

$1.03 ¥162

33.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥127

$0.98 ¥154

-17.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ¥634

$3.98 ¥626

1.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,532

$6.41 ¥1,009

51.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 ¥305

$1.71 ¥270

13.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ¥502

$1.92 ¥303

66.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ¥213

$1.29 ¥204

4.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.79 ¥5,166

$52.9 ¥8,332

-38.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 ¥615

$4.11 ¥647

-5.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 ¥513

$2.39 ¥376

36.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.50 ¥3,387

$17.92 ¥2,823

19.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.10 ¥173

0.91%

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

$22.3K ¥3.5M

$22.2K ¥3.5M

0.67%

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

$14.9K ¥2.3M

$15.0K ¥2.4M

-1.19%

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

$141 ¥22.2K

$215 ¥33.9K

-34.43%

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

$24.00 ¥3,781

$25.33 ¥3,990

-5.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.50 ¥4,804

$34.10 ¥5,371

-10.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 ¥8,149

$48.11 ¥7,579

7.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.86 ¥2,971

Cinema Ticket

$12.85 ¥2,024

$12.61 ¥1,986

1.90%

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

$709 ¥111.6K

$702 ¥110.6K

0.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$12.4K ¥1.9M

7.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.77 ¥7,683

$48.84 ¥7,694

-0.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.94 ¥4,874

$26.49 ¥4,172

16.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 ¥11.5K

$65.8 ¥10.4K

10.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 ¥14.3K

$47.48 ¥7,479

91.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 ¥115.3K

$523 ¥82.4K

39.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 ¥81.3K

$332 ¥52.2K

55.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 ¥266.7K

$1,173 ¥184.8K

44.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 ¥121.8K

$709 ¥111.7K

9.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,542 ¥1.0M

$4,674 ¥736.2K

39.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,063 ¥482.5K

$2,568 ¥404.5K

19.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,363 ¥372.2K

$1,647 ¥259.5K

43.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

1.97

12.18%

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

Last update for Osaka: October 25, 2026

Last update for Fukuoka: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$516 37%

Fukuoka

$332 25.4% 35.7% $184

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$305 21.9%

Fukuoka

$317 24.2% 3.8% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$195 14%

Fukuoka

$274 21% 40.4% $79

Eating Out

Osaka

$134 9.6%

Fukuoka

$152 11.6% 13.6% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$110 7.9%

Fukuoka

$85 6.5% 22.5% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$77 5.6%

Fukuoka

$73 5.6% 5.3% $4.1

Getting Around

Osaka

$58 4.2%

Fukuoka

$74 5.7% 26.9% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $732 in Osaka versus $523 in Fukuoka. 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 43% higher in Osaka. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Osaka versus $44 in Fukuoka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $317 – making Osaka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇯🇵 Fukuoka

🕒 Local time

17:14 5:14 PM

Same time as Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

1,612,392

💱 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

Osaka vs Fukuoka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,396 in Osaka, $1,307 in Fukuoka – Fukuoka comes out roughly 6% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,094 per month in Osaka and $1,961 in Fukuoka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fukuoka, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $523 there versus $732 in Osaka.

Kindergarten costs $709 per month in Osaka and $702 in Fukuoka. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Osaka – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,396 in Osaka and $1,307 in Fukuoka, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Fukuoka costs $1,307 versus $1,396 in Osaka. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Fukuoka. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Osaka makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.