Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Hiroshima

For one person, living is cheaper in Hiroshima: $961 a month against $1,378 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Hiroshima
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Hiroshima Living Index

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Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,378

/mo nomad

Hiroshima

🇯🇵 Japan

$961

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Hiroshima

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

A single person spends $1,378 per month in Osaka vs $961 in Hiroshima, rent included.

Osaka $1,378
Hiroshima $961

A couple spends around $2,005 per month in Osaka vs $1,557 in Hiroshima, rent included.

Osaka $2,005
Hiroshima $1,557

A family of three spends $2,632 per month in Osaka vs $2,152 in Hiroshima, rent included.

Osaka $2,632
Hiroshima $2,152

Osaka costs about 43% more than Hiroshima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Osaka sits 2% above the global median, while Hiroshima is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.25 ¥987

$6.13 ¥969

1.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.70 ¥5,008

$31.92 ¥5,043

-0.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 ¥774

$5.07 ¥801

-3.35%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ¥466

$2.72 ¥429

8.46%

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

$1.44 ¥228

$0.96 ¥152

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥119

$0.69 ¥109

8.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 ¥419

$2.74 ¥433

-3.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 ¥611

$3.68 ¥582

5.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ¥227

$1.49 ¥236

-3.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 ¥211

$1.52 ¥240

-11.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.25 ¥830

$4.74 ¥748

10.76%

Eggs

$2.14 ¥338

$2.07 ¥327

3.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.33 ¥1,475

$5.11 ¥808

82.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 ¥1,456

$6.18 ¥976

49.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.39 ¥2,906

$10.90 ¥1,722

68.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 ¥541

$3.31 ¥522

3.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 ¥303

$1.98 ¥313

-3.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 ¥314

$3.77 ¥595

-47.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 ¥640

$3.72 ¥588

8.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ¥247

$1.51 ¥238

3.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥185

$3.45 ¥545

-66.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ¥205

$1.35 ¥214

-3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥139

$0.83 ¥130

6.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ¥631

Wine (Bottle)

$9.60 ¥1,517

$7.70 ¥1,217

24.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ¥308

$1.92 ¥303

1.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ¥512

$2.48 ¥392

30.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 ¥219

$1.84 ¥290

-24.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.34 ¥5,109

$32.79 ¥5,181

-1.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ¥583

$3.68 ¥581

0.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 ¥486

$1.22 ¥192

151.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.76 ¥3,437

$21.43 ¥3,386

1.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥173

$1.10 ¥174

-0.91%

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

$22.3K ¥3.5M

$21.8K ¥3.4M

2.21%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$14.8K ¥2.3M

2.39%

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

$139 ¥22.0K

$139 ¥21.9K

0.14%

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

$24.50 ¥3,870

$24.17 ¥3,818

1.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.67 ¥4,846

$30.93 ¥4,887

-0.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.03 ¥7,746

$52.6 ¥8,315

-6.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.06 ¥2,853

$4.65 ¥734

288.39%

Cinema Ticket

$12.72 ¥2,010

$12.72 ¥2,009

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

$510 ¥80.5K

$155 ¥24.5K

228.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K ¥2.0M

$3,400 ¥537.2K

278.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.57 ¥7,673

$28.67 ¥4,529

69.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.98 ¥4,894

$24.54 ¥3,877

26.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 ¥11.7K

$47.85 ¥7,560

55.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.5 ¥14.5K

$64.0 ¥10.1K

43.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 ¥110.5K

$241 ¥38.1K

190.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 ¥80.6K

$186 ¥29.3K

174.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 ¥270.1K

$618 ¥97.7K

176.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 ¥122.0K

$508 ¥80.2K

52.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,183 ¥976.8K

$3,058 ¥483.1K

102.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,908 ¥301.4K

$1,406 ¥222.2K

35.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,424 ¥382.9K

$1,973 ¥311.8K

22.82%

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 17, 2026

Last update for Hiroshima: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$510 37.1%

Hiroshima

$186 19.3% 63.6% $325

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$302 21.9%

Hiroshima

$255 26.5% 15.5% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$194 14.1%

Hiroshima

$194 20.2% 0.1% $0.3

Eating Out

Osaka

$130 9.4%

Hiroshima

$125 13% 4.1% $5.4

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$110 8%

Hiroshima

$74 7.7% 32.7% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$74 5.4%

Hiroshima

$78 8.1% 4.8% $3.6

Getting Around

Osaka

$57 4.1%

Hiroshima

$50 5.2% 12.3% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $699 in Osaka versus $241 in Hiroshima. 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 23% higher in Osaka, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Osaka versus $32.00 in Hiroshima. Groceries tell a different story – $302 in Osaka vs $255 in Hiroshima – so Hiroshima wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇯🇵 Hiroshima

🕒 Local time

12:50 12:50 PM

Same time as Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

1,200,754

💱 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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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 Hiroshima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Osaka costs about 43% more than Hiroshima, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,067 per month in Osaka and $1,442 in Hiroshima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,378 in Osaka and $961 in Hiroshima. That's a gap of about 43%.

Public transport costs about 1% less in Hiroshima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hiroshima, where all-in costs run around $961, than in Osaka at $1,378. In Hiroshima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Osaka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Hiroshima costs $961 versus $1,378 in Osaka. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Hiroshima. 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.