Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Ichihara

For one person, living is cheaper in Ichihara: $1,194 a month against $1,362 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Ichihara
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Ichihara Living Index

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Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,362

/mo nomad

Ichihara

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,194

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Ichihara

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,362 in Osaka versus $1,194 in Ichihara.

Osaka $1,362
Ichihara $1,194

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,986 in Osaka versus $1,963 in Ichihara.

Osaka $1,986
Ichihara $1,963

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,609 in Osaka versus $2,731 in Ichihara.

Osaka $2,609
Ichihara $2,731

Living in Osaka is roughly 14% more expensive than in Ichihara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Osaka is 1% above, Ichihara is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.46 ¥1,021

$6.25 ¥987

3.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.30 ¥4,945

$41.68 ¥6,585

-24.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 ¥774

$4.96 ¥784

-1.21%

Cappuccino

$2.96 ¥468

$3.45 ¥545

-14.20%

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

$1.37 ¥216

$1.05 ¥166

30.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ¥116

$0.74 ¥117

-1.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 ¥432

$2.50 ¥395

9.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 ¥614

$3.09 ¥488

25.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 ¥230

$1.40 ¥221

3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ¥203

$1.66 ¥263

-22.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.29 ¥835

$3.60 ¥568

46.94%

Eggs

$2.04 ¥323

$1.99 ¥315

2.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ¥1,522

$10.39 ¥1,641

-7.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 ¥1,489

$5.90 ¥933

59.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.22 ¥2,878

$14.55 ¥2,298

25.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ¥523

$5.75 ¥908

-42.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 ¥305

$2.77 ¥438

-30.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ¥321

$2.81 ¥445

-27.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ¥654

$4.12 ¥650

0.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ¥240

$2.59 ¥409

-41.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 ¥187

$2.58 ¥408

-54.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 ¥216

$1.27 ¥201

7.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.79 ¥125

1.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.86 ¥611

$3.87 ¥612

-0.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.54 ¥1,507

$6.27 ¥991

52.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 ¥307

$1.72 ¥271

12.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ¥485

$2.00 ¥316

53.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 ¥212

$1.49 ¥236

-10.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.00 ¥5,055

$53.1 ¥8,389

-39.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ¥611

$3.08 ¥486

25.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 ¥507

$2.75 ¥435

16.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.07 ¥3,328

$20.19 ¥3,190

4.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥167

$1.11 ¥176

-4.50%

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

$21.5K ¥3.4M

$21.6K ¥3.4M

-0.36%

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

$14.9K ¥2.4M

$18.4K ¥2.9M

-19.26%

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

$138 ¥21.7K

$129 ¥20.4K

6.53%

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

$24.11 ¥3,809

$24.13 ¥3,812

-0.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.75 ¥4,857

$31.50 ¥4,976

-2.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 ¥7,997

$46.03 ¥7,272

9.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.49 ¥2,921

Cinema Ticket

$11.74 ¥1,855

$12.43 ¥1,964

-5.55%

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

$513 ¥81.0K

$632 ¥99.9K

-18.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$14.7K ¥2.3M

-10.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.11 ¥7,442

$63.2 ¥9,981

-25.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.51 ¥4,820

$36.21 ¥5,721

-15.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 ¥11.3K

$61.6 ¥9,726

16.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 ¥14.3K

$100 ¥15.9K

-9.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 ¥110.3K

$470 ¥74.2K

48.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 ¥78.6K

$326 ¥51.5K

52.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,687 ¥266.5K

$1,055 ¥166.7K

59.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$755 ¥119.3K

$816 ¥128.8K

-7.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,157 ¥972.7K

$4,722 ¥746.0K

30.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,964 ¥310.3K

$1,935 ¥305.7K

1.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,386 ¥377.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

2.64

-16.29%

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

Last update for Osaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ichihara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$498 36.5%

Ichihara

$326 27.3% 34.6% $172

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$301 22.1%

Ichihara

$287 24.1% 4.7% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$192 14.1%

Ichihara

$185 15.5% 4% $7.7

Eating Out

Osaka

$132 9.7%

Ichihara

$132 11.1% 0.2% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$108 7.9%

Ichihara

$118 9.9% 9.1% $9.8

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$74 5.4%

Ichihara

$71 5.9% 4.3% $3.2

Getting Around

Osaka

$57 4.2%

Ichihara

$76 6.4% 32.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $698 in Osaka and $470 in Ichihara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $31.00 in Osaka vs $42.00 in Ichihara. Groceries flip the comparison at $301 vs $287, with Ichihara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇯🇵 Ichihara

🕒 Local time

23:04 11:04 PM

Same time as Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

269,524

💱 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 Ichihara 430 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 Ichihara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ichihara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and leisure. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,044 in Osaka and $1,791 in Ichihara 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: $698 in Osaka versus $470 in Ichihara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $513 in Osaka versus $632 in Ichihara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Osaka. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,194 in Ichihara versus $1,362 in Osaka, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ichihara but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Ichihara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ichihara is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Osaka, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Osaka and Ichihara 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 Ichihara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.