Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Kawasaki

For one person, living is cheaper in Osaka: $1,396 a month against $1,476 in Kawasaki, rent and utilities included – about $960 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
Learn more

Osaka Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Kawasaki
Learn more

Kawasaki Living Index

Jump to prices

Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,396

/mo nomad

Kawasaki

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,476

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Kawasaki

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

A single person spends $1,396 per month in Osaka vs $1,476 in Kawasaki, rent included.

Osaka $1,396
Kawasaki $1,476

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Osaka vs $2,239 in Kawasaki, rent included.

Osaka $2,027
Kawasaki $2,239

A family of three spends $2,658 per month in Osaka vs $3,003 in Kawasaki, rent included.

Osaka $2,658
Kawasaki $3,003

Osaka is about 5% cheaper than Kawasaki, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Osaka and Kawasaki sit above the global median – Osaka by 3%, Kawasaki by 8%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.50 ¥1,024

$7.43 ¥1,171

-12.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.93 ¥5,029

$37.97 ¥5,981

-15.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 ¥812

$4.99 ¥785

3.21%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ¥477

$2.59 ¥407

16.99%

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

$1.39 ¥220

$1.57 ¥248

-11.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥112

$0.91 ¥144

-21.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.75 ¥433

$3.23 ¥508

-14.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 ¥612

$3.13 ¥493

24.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥229

$1.51 ¥238

-3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ¥204

$1.56 ¥246

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 ¥861

$4.21 ¥663

29.69%

Eggs

$2.03 ¥320

$2.15 ¥339

-5.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ¥1,516

$11.44 ¥1,802

-15.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 ¥1,489

$6.72 ¥1,058

40.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.58 ¥2,926

$16.41 ¥2,585

13.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ¥534

$6.02 ¥949

-43.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 ¥315

$2.85 ¥449

-29.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥329

$4.99 ¥785

-58.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ¥653

$5.18 ¥816

-20.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 ¥247

$3.40 ¥535

-53.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥185

$3.09 ¥486

-62.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 ¥216

$1.19 ¥188

15.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥127

$0.78 ¥122

3.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ¥634

$3.97 ¥625

1.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,532

$9.29 ¥1,463

4.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 ¥305

$2.39 ¥377

-18.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ¥502

$2.65 ¥417

20.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ¥213

$1.92 ¥303

-29.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.79 ¥5,166

$50.5 ¥7,948

-35.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 ¥615

$3.10 ¥488

25.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 ¥513

$3.20 ¥504

1.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.50 ¥3,387

$18.58 ¥2,926

15.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.07 ¥168

3.74%

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

$22.3K ¥3.5M

$22.1K ¥3.5M

0.92%

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

$14.9K ¥2.3M

$15.4K ¥2.4M

-3.28%

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

$141 ¥22.2K

$129 ¥20.2K

9.70%

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

$24.00 ¥3,781

$23.08 ¥3,635

3.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.50 ¥4,804

$31.16 ¥4,908

-2.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 ¥8,149

$55.8 ¥8,790

-7.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.86 ¥2,971

$6.47 ¥1,019

191.50%

Cinema Ticket

$12.85 ¥2,024

$12.62 ¥1,989

1.82%

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

$709 ¥111.6K

$695 ¥109.5K

1.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$14.9K ¥2.3M

-11.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.77 ¥7,683

$51.2 ¥8,065

-4.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.94 ¥4,874

$33.12 ¥5,217

-6.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 ¥11.5K

$66.4 ¥10.5K

9.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 ¥14.3K

$70.4 ¥11.1K

28.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 ¥115.3K

$771 ¥121.5K

-5.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 ¥81.3K

$565 ¥89.0K

-8.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 ¥266.7K

$1,281 ¥201.7K

32.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 ¥121.8K

$1,006 ¥158.5K

-23.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,542 ¥1.0M

$4,670 ¥735.7K

40.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,063 ¥482.5K

$3,220 ¥507.3K

-4.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,363 ¥372.2K

$2,608 ¥410.7K

-9.38%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Kawasaki: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$516 37%

Kawasaki

$565 38.3% 9.5% $49

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$305 21.9%

Kawasaki

$333 22.5% 9% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$195 14%

Kawasaki

$183 12.4% 6.5% $13

Eating Out

Osaka

$134 9.6%

Kawasaki

$138 9.3% 3% $4

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$110 7.9%

Kawasaki

$99 6.7% 9.2% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$77 5.6%

Kawasaki

$81 5.5% 4.7% $3.6

Getting Around

Osaka

$58 4.2%

Kawasaki

$77 5.2% 32.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $732 in Osaka versus $771 in Kawasaki. 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 10% higher in Kawasaki. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Osaka versus $38 in Kawasaki. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $333 – making Osaka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇯🇵 Kawasaki

🕒 Local time

06:01 6:01 AM

Same time as Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

1,538,262

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Osaka Kawasaki 390 km

From you

Osaka
Kawasaki

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 Kawasaki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kawasaki costs about 6% more than Osaka, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,094 per month in Osaka and $2,214 in Kawasaki. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $732 in Osaka and $771 in Kawasaki. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Osaka and $38 in Kawasaki. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,396 in Osaka and $1,476 in Kawasaki. That makes Osaka about 5% cheaper.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,396 in Osaka and $1,476 in Kawasaki, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Osaka costs $1,396 versus $1,476 in Kawasaki. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Osaka. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kawasaki makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.