Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Kamakura

For one person, living is cheaper in Kamakura: $1,138 a month against $1,378 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Kamakura
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Kamakura Living Index

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Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,378

/mo nomad

Kamakura

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Kamakura

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,378 in Osaka versus $1,138 in Kamakura.

Osaka $1,378
Kamakura $1,138

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,005 in Osaka versus $1,853 in Kamakura.

Osaka $2,005
Kamakura $1,853

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,632 in Osaka versus $2,568 in Kamakura.

Osaka $2,632
Kamakura $2,568

Living in Osaka is roughly 21% more expensive than in Kamakura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Osaka is 2% above, Kamakura is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.25 ¥987

$6.18 ¥976

1.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.70 ¥5,008

$31.14 ¥4,920

1.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 ¥774

$5.03 ¥795

-2.58%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ¥466

$2.45 ¥388

20.41%

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

$1.44 ¥228

$1.09 ¥172

32.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥119

$0.76 ¥120

-1.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 ¥419

$2.55 ¥402

3.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 ¥611

$3.17 ¥501

22.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ¥227

$1.43 ¥227

0.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 ¥211

$1.53 ¥242

-12.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.25 ¥830

$3.56 ¥562

47.47%

Eggs

$2.14 ¥338

$1.98 ¥312

8.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.33 ¥1,475

$10.36 ¥1,638

-9.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 ¥1,456

$6.21 ¥981

48.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.39 ¥2,906

$14.45 ¥2,283

27.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 ¥541

$5.56 ¥879

-38.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 ¥303

$2.69 ¥425

-28.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 ¥314

$2.80 ¥442

-28.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 ¥640

$4.11 ¥649

-1.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ¥247

$2.56 ¥404

-39.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥185

$2.61 ¥413

-55.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ¥205

$1.18 ¥186

10.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥139

$0.76 ¥120

15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ¥631

$3.76 ¥594

6.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.60 ¥1,517

$6.13 ¥968

56.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ¥308

$1.81 ¥286

7.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ¥512

$2.06 ¥326

57.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 ¥219

$1.50 ¥237

-7.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.34 ¥5,109

$49.83 ¥7,873

-35.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ¥583

$3.19 ¥504

15.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 ¥486

$2.72 ¥430

12.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.76 ¥3,437

$16.07 ¥2,540

35.41%

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

$21.7K ¥3.4M

2.71%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

-1.17%

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

$139 ¥22.0K

$114 ¥18.0K

22.28%

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

$24.50 ¥3,870

$23.64 ¥3,735

3.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.67 ¥4,846

$30.91 ¥4,883

-0.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.03 ¥7,746

$52.0 ¥8,218

-5.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.06 ¥2,853

Cinema Ticket

$12.72 ¥2,010

$12.90 ¥2,038

-1.40%

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

$510 ¥80.5K

$585 ¥92.4K

-12.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K ¥2.0M

$14.4K ¥2.3M

-10.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.57 ¥7,673

$49.91 ¥7,884

-2.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.98 ¥4,894

$35.52 ¥5,612

-12.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 ¥11.7K

$60.4 ¥9,543

22.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.5 ¥14.5K

$97.5 ¥15.4K

-6.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 ¥110.5K

$483 ¥76.4K

44.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 ¥80.6K

$304 ¥48.1K

67.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 ¥270.1K

$1,075 ¥169.8K

59.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 ¥122.0K

$761 ¥120.3K

1.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,183 ¥976.8K

$4,688 ¥740.6K

31.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,908 ¥301.4K

$1,728 ¥273.0K

10.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,424 ¥382.9K

$1,749 ¥276.4K

38.53%

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 Kamakura: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$510 37.1%

Kamakura

$304 26.7% 40.4% $206

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$302 21.9%

Kamakura

$285 25.1% 5.5% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$194 14.1%

Kamakura

$168 14.8% 13.4% $26

Eating Out

Osaka

$130 9.4%

Kamakura

$120 10.6% 7.3% $9.4

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$110 8%

Kamakura

$110 9.6% 0.8% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$74 5.4%

Kamakura

$78 6.8% 4.5% $3.3

Getting Around

Osaka

$57 4.1%

Kamakura

$73 6.4% 27.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $699 in Osaka and $483 in Kamakura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Osaka pays 39% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Osaka vs $31.00 in Kamakura for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $285 per month, with Kamakura cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇯🇵 Kamakura

🕒 Local time

01:57 1:57 AM

Same time as Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

172,710

💱 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 Kamakura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kamakura is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 39% higher in Osaka, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $699 in Osaka versus $483 in Kamakura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $510 in Osaka versus $585 in Kamakura. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Osaka. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,138 in Kamakura versus $1,378 in Osaka, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kamakura but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Kamakura the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kamakura 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 Kamakura 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 Kamakura gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.