Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Kashiwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Kashiwa: $1,241 a month against $1,396 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Kashiwa
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Kashiwa Living Index

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Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,396

/mo nomad

Kashiwa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,241

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Kashiwa

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

A single person spends $1,396 per month in Osaka vs $1,241 in Kashiwa, rent included.

Osaka $1,396
Kashiwa $1,241

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Osaka vs $1,861 in Kashiwa, rent included.

Osaka $2,027
Kashiwa $1,861

A family of three spends $2,658 per month in Osaka vs $2,481 in Kashiwa, rent included.

Osaka $2,658
Kashiwa $2,481

Osaka costs about 12% more than Kashiwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Osaka sits 3% above the global median, while Kashiwa is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.50 ¥1,027

$6.27 ¥990

3.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.93 ¥5,041

$25.74 ¥4,064

24.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 ¥813

$5.23 ¥826

-1.53%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ¥478

$3.46 ¥547

-12.43%

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

$1.39 ¥220

$0.70 ¥110

98.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥113

$0.79 ¥125

-10.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.75 ¥434

$2.56 ¥404

7.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 ¥614

$3.11 ¥492

25.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥230

$1.29 ¥203

13.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ¥205

$1.10 ¥173

18.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 ¥863

$3.61 ¥570

51.25%

Eggs

$2.03 ¥321

$1.96 ¥309

3.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ¥1,520

$6.46 ¥1,020

49.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 ¥1,492

$6.05 ¥956

56.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.58 ¥2,933

$9.59 ¥1,515

93.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ¥535

$5.55 ¥877

-38.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 ¥316

$2.73 ¥432

-26.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥329

$2.97 ¥469

-29.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ¥654

$4.24 ¥670

-2.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 ¥247

$2.67 ¥421

-41.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥185

$2.55 ¥403

-54.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 ¥217

$0.60 ¥95.4

128.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥128

$0.66 ¥104

22.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ¥635

$3.92 ¥620

2.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,535

$6.43 ¥1,015

51.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 ¥306

$1.82 ¥287

6.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ¥503

$1.86 ¥293

71.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ¥213

$1.51 ¥238

-10.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.79 ¥5,178

$57.3 ¥9,051

-42.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 ¥616

$3.11 ¥492

25.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 ¥515

$1.55 ¥245

110.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.50 ¥3,395

$20.28 ¥3,201

6.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥176

$1.02 ¥161

8.82%

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

$22.3K ¥3.5M

$21.5K ¥3.4M

3.62%

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

$14.9K ¥2.3M

$15.8K ¥2.5M

-6.20%

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

$141 ¥22.3K

$124 ¥19.7K

13.28%

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

$24.00 ¥3,790

$24.64 ¥3,890

-2.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.50 ¥4,815

$32.79 ¥5,176

-6.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 ¥8,168

$56.3 ¥8,890

-8.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.86 ¥2,978

Cinema Ticket

$12.85 ¥2,028

$12.78 ¥2,017

0.55%

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

$709 ¥111.9K

$815 ¥128.6K

-13.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$14.6K ¥2.3M

-9.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.77 ¥7,700

$62.0 ¥9,785

-21.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.94 ¥4,885

$36.55 ¥5,771

-15.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 ¥11.5K

$62.0 ¥9,791

17.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 ¥14.3K

$101 ¥15.9K

-10.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 ¥115.6K

$526 ¥83.0K

39.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 ¥81.5K

$402 ¥63.5K

28.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 ¥267.3K

$1,000 ¥157.9K

69.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 ¥122.1K

$716 ¥113.0K

8.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,542 ¥1.0M

$4,322 ¥682.3K

51.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,063 ¥483.6K

$2,597 ¥410.1K

17.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,363 ¥373.1K

$2,664 ¥420.7K

-11.32%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Kashiwa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$516 37%

Kashiwa

$402 32.4% 22% $114

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$305 21.9%

Kashiwa

$251 20.2% 17.8% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$195 14%

Kashiwa

$182 14.7% 7% $14

Eating Out

Osaka

$134 9.6%

Kashiwa

$132 10.7% 1% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$110 7.9%

Kashiwa

$118 9.5% 7.4% $8.1

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$77 5.6%

Kashiwa

$82 6.6% 5.7% $4.4

Getting Around

Osaka

$58 4.2%

Kashiwa

$74 6% 27.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $732 in Osaka versus $526 in Kashiwa. 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 13% higher in Kashiwa, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Osaka versus $26 in Kashiwa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $251 – making Kashiwa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇯🇵 Kashiwa

🕒 Local time

08:12 8:12 AM

Same time as Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

417,394

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Kashiwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,396 in Osaka, $1,241 in Kashiwa – Kashiwa comes out roughly 11% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,094 per month in Osaka and $1,862 in Kashiwa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kashiwa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $526 there versus $732 in Osaka.

Kindergarten costs $709 per month in Osaka and $815 in Kashiwa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Osaka, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,396 in Osaka and $1,241 in Kashiwa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kashiwa costs $1,241 versus $1,396 in Osaka. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.