Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Fukushima

For one person, living is cheaper in Fukushima: $1,179 a month against $1,409 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Fukushima
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Fukushima Living Index

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Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,409

/mo nomad

Fukushima

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,179

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Fukushima

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,409 in Osaka versus $1,179 in Fukushima.

Osaka $1,409
Fukushima $1,179

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,057 in Osaka versus $1,896 in Fukushima.

Osaka $2,057
Fukushima $1,896

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,706 in Osaka versus $2,613 in Fukushima.

Osaka $2,706
Fukushima $2,613

Living in Osaka is roughly 20% more expensive than in Fukushima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Osaka is 4% above, Fukushima is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.27 ¥993

$5.97 ¥945

5.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.41 ¥4,973

$29.63 ¥4,692

6.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 ¥774

$4.37 ¥692

11.90%

Cappuccino

$2.99 ¥474

$2.47 ¥391

21.05%

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

$1.43 ¥226

$0.97 ¥153

47.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥119

$0.67 ¥105

11.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 ¥434

$2.58 ¥409

6.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 ¥611

$3.18 ¥503

21.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥231

$1.51 ¥240

-3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ¥204

$1.53 ¥243

-15.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 ¥854

$4.10 ¥650

31.46%

Eggs

$2.07 ¥328

$2.09 ¥330

-0.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ¥1,670

$10.23 ¥1,619

3.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.18 ¥1,611

$6.50 ¥1,028

56.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.32 ¥4,010

$17.13 ¥2,712

47.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ¥528

$3.71 ¥588

-10.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 ¥308

$2.23 ¥353

-12.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 ¥322

$2.95 ¥467

-30.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 ¥654

$4.09 ¥647

0.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ¥241

$2.38 ¥376

-36.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ¥179

$2.48 ¥392

-54.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ¥216

$1.32 ¥210

3.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥136

$0.83 ¥132

3.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥616

$3.99 ¥632

-2.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.51 ¥1,980

$6.55 ¥1,037

90.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 ¥307

$1.88 ¥297

3.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 ¥497

$2.15 ¥341

46.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 ¥209

$1.52 ¥241

-13.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.27 ¥5,267

$58.4 ¥9,248

-43.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 ¥588

$3.56 ¥564

4.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.69 ¥426

$2.96 ¥469

-9.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.85 ¥4,251

$23.07 ¥3,652

16.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ¥166

$1.21 ¥192

-13.22%

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

$22.3K ¥3.5M

$22.4K ¥3.5M

-0.47%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$15.0K ¥2.4M

2.03%

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

$141 ¥22.3K

$125 ¥19.7K

12.73%

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

$24.75 ¥3,918

$21.80 ¥3,452

13.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.11 ¥4,926

$32.57 ¥5,156

-4.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 ¥8,068

$51.2 ¥8,103

-0.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.38 ¥2,910

Cinema Ticket

$12.59 ¥1,993

$11.50 ¥1,820

9.48%

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

$685 ¥108.5K

$692 ¥109.6K

-1.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ¥2.5M

$18.2K ¥2.9M

-13.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.04 ¥7,606

$52.5 ¥8,310

-8.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.67 ¥4,856

$34.18 ¥5,411

-10.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥11.8K

$67.4 ¥10.7K

10.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.1 ¥14.3K

$77.2 ¥12.2K

16.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$739 ¥117.0K

$556 ¥88.0K

32.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$504 ¥79.7K

$334 ¥52.9K

50.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 ¥269.2K

$973 ¥154.0K

74.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$761 ¥120.5K

$808 ¥127.9K

-5.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,708 ¥1.1M

$4,329 ¥685.4K

54.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,145 ¥498.0K

$2,479 ¥392.6K

26.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,295 ¥363.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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 Fukushima: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$504 35.8%

Fukushima

$334 28.3% 33.7% $170

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$337 23.9%

Fukushima

$288 24.5% 14.4% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$196 13.9%

Fukushima

$179 15.2% 8.8% $17

Eating Out

Osaka

$131 9.3%

Fukushima

$116 9.9% 11.2% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$109 7.8%

Fukushima

$104 8.8% 4.9% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$76 5.4%

Fukushima

$74 6.3% 2.6% $2

Getting Around

Osaka

$56 4%

Fukushima

$83 7% 48.7% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $739 in Osaka and $556 in Fukushima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $31 in Osaka vs $30 in Fukushima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $288 per month, with Fukushima cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇯🇵 Fukushima

🕒 Local time

23:14 11:14 PM

Same time as Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

282,693

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.62 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.62 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 Fukushima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fukushima is about 16% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,113 in Osaka and $1,768 in Fukushima 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: $739 in Osaka versus $556 in Fukushima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Osaka. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Fukushima – a meal for two runs $30 versus $31 in Osaka. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Fukushima are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.