Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Kanazawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Kanazawa: $1,277 a month against $1,378 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 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 Kanazawa
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Kanazawa Living Index

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Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,378

/mo nomad

Kanazawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,277

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Kanazawa

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

A single person spends $1,378 per month in Osaka vs $1,277 in Kanazawa, rent included.

Osaka $1,378
Kanazawa $1,277

A couple spends around $2,005 per month in Osaka vs $2,031 in Kanazawa, rent included.

Osaka $2,005
Kanazawa $2,031

A family of three spends $2,632 per month in Osaka vs $2,786 in Kanazawa, rent included.

Osaka $2,632
Kanazawa $2,786

Osaka costs about 8% more than Kanazawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Osaka sits 2% above the global median, while Kanazawa is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.25 ¥987

$7.64 ¥1,206

-18.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.70 ¥5,008

$31.61 ¥4,994

0.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 ¥774

$4.73 ¥747

3.59%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ¥466

$2.26 ¥358

30.53%

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

$1.44 ¥228

$1.14 ¥180

26.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥119

$0.58 ¥91.2

29.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 ¥419

$2.03 ¥320

30.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 ¥611

$2.33 ¥368

66.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ¥227

$1.55 ¥245

-7.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 ¥211

$1.32 ¥208

1.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.25 ¥830

$5.30 ¥837

-0.94%

Eggs

$2.14 ¥338

$2.07 ¥327

3.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.33 ¥1,475

$12.52 ¥1,978

-25.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 ¥1,456

$9.41 ¥1,487

-2.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.39 ¥2,906

$31.96 ¥5,049

-42.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 ¥541

$3.62 ¥572

-5.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 ¥303

$2.28 ¥360

-15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 ¥314

$6.48 ¥1,024

-69.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 ¥640

$4.14 ¥655

-2.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ¥247

$3.73 ¥589

-58.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥185

$3.42 ¥540

-65.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ¥205

$1.28 ¥201

1.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥139

$1.03 ¥163

-14.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ¥631

$3.55 ¥561

12.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.60 ¥1,517

$8.40 ¥1,327

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ¥308

$1.96 ¥310

-0.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ¥512

$1.52 ¥239

113.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 ¥219

$1.49 ¥236

-6.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.34 ¥5,109

$54.4 ¥8,598

-40.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ¥583

$3.11 ¥491

18.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 ¥486

$3.22 ¥508

-4.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.76 ¥3,437

$26.21 ¥4,140

-16.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥173

$1.11 ¥175

-1.80%

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

$22.3K ¥3.5M

$20.3K ¥3.2M

9.76%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$16.4K ¥2.6M

-8.01%

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

$139 ¥22.0K

$148 ¥23.3K

-5.83%

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

$24.50 ¥3,870

$24.34 ¥3,845

0.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.67 ¥4,846

$43.30 ¥6,840

-29.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.03 ¥7,746

$42.68 ¥6,743

14.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.06 ¥2,853

Cinema Ticket

$12.72 ¥2,010

$11.47 ¥1,812

10.90%

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

$510 ¥80.5K

$320 ¥50.6K

59.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K ¥2.0M

$6,140 ¥970.0K

109.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.57 ¥7,673

$49.59 ¥7,834

-2.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.98 ¥4,894

$25.27 ¥3,993

22.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 ¥11.7K

$45.94 ¥7,258

61.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.5 ¥14.5K

$64.9 ¥10.3K

41.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 ¥110.5K

$539 ¥85.1K

29.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 ¥80.6K

$327 ¥51.6K

56.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 ¥270.1K

$1,100 ¥173.7K

55.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 ¥122.0K

$749 ¥118.3K

3.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,183 ¥976.8K

$4,294 ¥678.4K

43.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,908 ¥301.4K

$1,742 ¥275.3K

9.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,424 ¥382.9K

$1,857 ¥293.4K

30.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

2.28

-3.07%

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

Last update for Osaka: October 17, 2026

Last update for Kanazawa: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$510 37.1%

Kanazawa

$327 25.6% 36% $184

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$302 21.9%

Kanazawa

$382 29.9% 26.7% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$194 14.1%

Kanazawa

$215 16.9% 10.8% $21

Eating Out

Osaka

$130 9.4%

Kanazawa

$124 9.7% 4.5% $5.8

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$110 8%

Kanazawa

$84 6.5% 24.3% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$74 5.4%

Kanazawa

$66 5.1% 11.9% $8.9

Getting Around

Osaka

$57 4.1%

Kanazawa

$80 6.2% 39.8% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $699 in Osaka versus $539 in Kanazawa. 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 30% 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 Kanazawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $302 vs $382 – making Osaka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇯🇵 Kanazawa

🕒 Local time

12:51 12:51 PM

Same time as Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

465,699

💱 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 Kanazawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,378 in Osaka, $1,277 in Kanazawa – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,067 per month in Osaka and $1,916 in Kanazawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kanazawa, 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 $1,277 in Kanazawa. That's a gap of about 8%.

Public transport costs about 68% less in Kanazawa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kanazawa, where all-in costs run around $1,277, than in Osaka at $1,378. In Kanazawa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Osaka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Osaka has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,277 in Kanazawa to $1,378 in Osaka. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Kanazawa. 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.