Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Ichikawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Ichikawa: $1,167 a month against $1,362 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Ichikawa
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Ichikawa Living Index

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Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,362

/mo nomad

Ichikawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,167

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Ichikawa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,362 in Osaka versus $1,167 in Ichikawa.

Osaka $1,362
Ichikawa $1,167

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,986 in Osaka versus $1,876 in Ichikawa.

Osaka $1,986
Ichikawa $1,876

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,609 in Osaka versus $2,585 in Ichikawa.

Osaka $2,609
Ichikawa $2,585

Living in Osaka is roughly 17% more expensive than in Ichikawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Osaka is 1% above, Ichikawa is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.46 ¥1,021

$5.13 ¥811

25.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.30 ¥4,945

$31.09 ¥4,912

0.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 ¥774

$4.30 ¥680

13.95%

Cappuccino

$2.96 ¥468

$2.23 ¥352

32.74%

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

$1.37 ¥216

$0.72 ¥113

90.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ¥116

$0.35 ¥55.7

108.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 ¥432

$2.50 ¥395

9.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 ¥614

$3.18 ¥502

22.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 ¥230

$1.38 ¥218

5.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ¥203

$1.65 ¥261

-21.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.29 ¥835

$3.66 ¥578

44.54%

Eggs

$2.04 ¥323

$1.97 ¥311

3.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ¥1,522

$10.53 ¥1,663

-8.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 ¥1,489

$5.86 ¥926

60.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.22 ¥2,878

$14.38 ¥2,272

26.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ¥523

$5.53 ¥874

-40.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 ¥305

$2.80 ¥442

-31.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ¥321

$2.81 ¥444

-27.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ¥654

$4.26 ¥673

-2.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ¥240

$2.61 ¥413

-41.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 ¥187

$2.56 ¥404

-53.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 ¥216

$1.28 ¥202

7.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.75 ¥118

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.86 ¥611

$3.73 ¥590

3.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.54 ¥1,507

$6.38 ¥1,007

49.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 ¥307

$1.78 ¥281

8.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ¥485

$2.02 ¥320

51.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 ¥212

$1.35 ¥213

-0.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.00 ¥5,055

$59.9 ¥9,457

-46.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ¥611

$3.13 ¥494

23.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 ¥507

$2.73 ¥432

17.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.07 ¥3,328

$20.59 ¥3,253

2.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥167

$1.05 ¥166

0.95%

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

$21.5K ¥3.4M

$21.2K ¥3.4M

1.56%

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

$14.9K ¥2.4M

$18.5K ¥2.9M

-19.61%

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

$138 ¥21.7K

$132 ¥20.8K

4.38%

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

$24.11 ¥3,809

$23.97 ¥3,788

0.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.75 ¥4,857

$31.98 ¥5,052

-3.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 ¥7,997

$47.04 ¥7,431

7.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.49 ¥2,921

Cinema Ticket

$11.74 ¥1,855

$12.80 ¥2,022

-8.28%

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

$513 ¥81.0K

$642 ¥101.4K

-20.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$14.6K ¥2.3M

-9.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.11 ¥7,442

$62.0 ¥9,801

-24.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.51 ¥4,820

$37.27 ¥5,889

-18.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 ¥11.3K

$60.5 ¥9,559

18.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 ¥14.3K

$102 ¥16.1K

-11.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 ¥110.3K

$495 ¥78.3K

40.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 ¥78.6K

$317 ¥50.1K

57.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,687 ¥266.5K

$1,186 ¥187.3K

42.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$755 ¥119.3K

$763 ¥120.5K

-0.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,157 ¥972.7K

$4,455 ¥703.9K

38.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,964 ¥310.3K

$1,881 ¥297.2K

4.41%

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 Ichikawa: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$498 36.5%

Ichikawa

$317 27.1% 36.3% $181

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$301 22.1%

Ichikawa

$287 24.6% 4.9% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$192 14.1%

Ichikawa

$188 16.1% 2.4% $4.7

Eating Out

Osaka

$132 9.7%

Ichikawa

$104 8.9% 21.2% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$108 7.9%

Ichikawa

$118 10.1% 9.2% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$74 5.4%

Ichikawa

$73 6.2% 2% $1.5

Getting Around

Osaka

$57 4.2%

Ichikawa

$82 7% 43.2% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $698 in Osaka and $495 in Ichikawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

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

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇯🇵 Ichikawa

🕒 Local time

23:04 11:04 PM

Same time as Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

496,676

💱 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 Ichikawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Osaka and Ichikawa differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($1,362 vs $1,167 including rent). Ichikawa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,044 in Osaka and $1,751 in Ichikawa 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 $495 in Ichikawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in Ichikawa – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $31.00 in Osaka. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,167 in Ichikawa versus $1,362 in Osaka, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ichikawa but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Ichikawa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Ichikawa 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 Ichikawa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.