Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Himeji

For one person, living is cheaper in Himeji: $1,283 a month against $1,378 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.

66

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Himeji
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Himeji Living Index

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Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,378

/mo nomad

Himeji

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,283

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Himeji

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

A single person spends $1,378 per month in Osaka vs $1,283 in Himeji, rent included.

Osaka $1,378
Himeji $1,283

A couple spends around $2,005 per month in Osaka vs $2,047 in Himeji, rent included.

Osaka $2,005
Himeji $2,047

A family of three spends $2,632 per month in Osaka vs $2,811 in Himeji, rent included.

Osaka $2,632
Himeji $2,811

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

Osaka sits 2% above the global median, while Himeji is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.25 ¥987

$8.46 ¥1,336

-26.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.70 ¥5,008

$31.07 ¥4,909

2.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 ¥774

$5.11 ¥807

-4.11%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ¥466

$2.35 ¥371

25.53%

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

$1.44 ¥228

$1.24 ¥196

16.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥119

$0.82 ¥129

-8.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 ¥419

$3.20 ¥505

-17.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 ¥611

$3.06 ¥483

26.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ¥227

$1.56 ¥247

-7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 ¥211

$1.48 ¥233

-9.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.25 ¥830

$4.12 ¥650

27.43%

Eggs

$2.14 ¥338

$2.18 ¥344

-1.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.33 ¥1,475

$15.50 ¥2,449

-39.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 ¥1,456

$6.78 ¥1,072

35.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.39 ¥2,906

$16.88 ¥2,667

8.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 ¥541

$8.37 ¥1,323

-59.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 ¥303

$2.97 ¥470

-35.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 ¥314

$5.06 ¥799

-60.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 ¥640

$7.86 ¥1,241

-48.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ¥247

$3.90 ¥617

-60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥185

$4.70 ¥743

-75.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ¥205

$1.12 ¥177

16.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥139

$0.89 ¥141

-1.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ¥631

$3.87 ¥611

3.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.60 ¥1,517

$9.74 ¥1,539

-1.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ¥308

$2.61 ¥412

-25.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ¥512

$2.10 ¥332

54.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 ¥219

$1.44 ¥228

-3.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.34 ¥5,109

$53.0 ¥8,373

-38.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ¥583

$3.13 ¥494

17.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 ¥486

$2.82 ¥446

8.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.76 ¥3,437

$15.45 ¥2,441

40.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥173

$1.07 ¥168

1.87%

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

$22.3K ¥3.5M

$21.5K ¥3.4M

3.67%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

0.03%

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

$139 ¥22.0K

$118 ¥18.6K

18.28%

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

$24.50 ¥3,870

$23.44 ¥3,704

4.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.67 ¥4,846

$31.67 ¥5,003

-3.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.03 ¥7,746

$52.6 ¥8,314

-6.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.06 ¥2,853

Cinema Ticket

$12.72 ¥2,010

$11.36 ¥1,795

11.97%

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

$510 ¥80.5K

$564 ¥89.1K

-9.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K ¥2.0M

$14.7K ¥2.3M

-12.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.57 ¥7,673

$49.92 ¥7,886

-2.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.98 ¥4,894

$35.51 ¥5,611

-12.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 ¥11.7K

$61.6 ¥9,739

20.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.5 ¥14.5K

$99.2 ¥15.7K

-7.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 ¥110.5K

$541 ¥85.4K

29.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 ¥80.6K

$328 ¥51.8K

55.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 ¥270.1K

$1,100 ¥173.8K

55.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 ¥122.0K

$729 ¥115.2K

5.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,183 ¥976.8K

$4,304 ¥680.0K

43.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,908 ¥301.4K

$1,725 ¥272.5K

10.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,424 ¥382.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

2.02

9.41%

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

Last update for Osaka: October 17, 2026

Last update for Himeji: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$510 37.1%

Himeji

$328 25.6% 35.7% $182

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$302 21.9%

Himeji

$379 29.5% 25.6% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$194 14.1%

Himeji

$173 13.5% 11.1% $22

Eating Out

Osaka

$130 9.4%

Himeji

$142 11% 9% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$110 8%

Himeji

$111 8.6% 0.4% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$74 5.4%

Himeji

$75 5.9% 1.2% $0.9

Getting Around

Osaka

$57 4.1%

Himeji

$76 5.9% 33.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $699 in Osaka versus $541 in Himeji. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Osaka versus $31.00 in Himeji. Groceries tell a different story – $302 in Osaka vs $379 in Himeji – so Osaka wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇯🇵 Himeji

🕒 Local time

09:54 9:54 AM

Same time as Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

535,571

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Osaka Himeji 76 km

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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 Himeji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Osaka is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,067 per month in Osaka and $1,925 in Himeji. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Himeji, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 26% cheaper in Osaka – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Osaka and $31.00 in Himeji. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Himeji, where all-in costs run around $1,283, than in Osaka at $1,378. In Himeji it covers expenses comfortably, while in Osaka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Himeji – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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