Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Kitakyushu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kitakyushu: $1,250 a month against $1,396 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
Learn more

Osaka Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Kitakyushu
Learn more

Kitakyushu Living Index

Jump to prices

Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,396

/mo nomad

Kitakyushu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,250

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Kitakyushu

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

A single person spends $1,396 per month in Osaka vs $1,250 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

Osaka $1,396
Kitakyushu $1,250

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Osaka vs $1,923 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

Osaka $2,027
Kitakyushu $1,923

A family of three spends $2,658 per month in Osaka vs $2,596 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

Osaka $2,658
Kitakyushu $2,596

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

Osaka sits 3% above the global median, while Kitakyushu is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.50 ¥1,025

$7.03 ¥1,108

-7.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.93 ¥5,034

$32.97 ¥5,198

-3.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 ¥812

$5.43 ¥855

-5.16%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ¥477

$3.40 ¥536

-10.88%

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

$1.39 ¥220

$1.06 ¥167

31.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥112

$0.70 ¥111

1.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.75 ¥433

$3.04 ¥479

-9.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 ¥613

$2.18 ¥343

78.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥230

$1.42 ¥224

2.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ¥204

$1.28 ¥201

1.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 ¥862

$5.29 ¥834

3.21%

Eggs

$2.03 ¥320

$2.20 ¥347

-7.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ¥1,518

$9.42 ¥1,485

2.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 ¥1,491

$5.25 ¥828

80.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.58 ¥2,929

$18.86 ¥2,973

-1.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ¥535

$3.59 ¥566

-5.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 ¥315

$1.88 ¥296

6.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥329

$2.79 ¥440

-25.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ¥653

$2.87 ¥453

44.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 ¥247

$2.23 ¥351

-29.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥185

$2.64 ¥417

-55.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 ¥217

$1.05 ¥165

30.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥127

$0.99 ¥156

-18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ¥634

$4.05 ¥639

-0.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,533

$6.23 ¥983

56.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 ¥305

$1.64 ¥259

18.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ¥502

$1.72 ¥270

85.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ¥213

$1.62 ¥256

-16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.79 ¥5,171

$56.8 ¥8,950

-42.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 ¥616

$3.98 ¥627

-2.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 ¥514

$2.04 ¥322

59.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.50 ¥3,390

$17.83 ¥2,811

20.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.05 ¥165

5.71%

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

$22.3K ¥3.5M

$20.3K ¥3.2M

10.14%

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

$14.9K ¥2.3M

$15.4K ¥2.4M

-3.47%

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

$141 ¥22.2K

$196 ¥31.0K

-28.25%

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

$24.00 ¥3,785

$25.10 ¥3,959

-4.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.50 ¥4,809

$32.21 ¥5,079

-5.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 ¥8,157

$52.1 ¥8,220

-0.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.86 ¥2,974

$3.22 ¥508

485.71%

Cinema Ticket

$12.85 ¥2,026

$12.65 ¥1,995

1.58%

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

$709 ¥111.7K

$379 ¥59.7K

87.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$12.3K ¥1.9M

7.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.77 ¥7,691

$48.55 ¥7,656

0.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.94 ¥4,879

$26.37 ¥4,158

17.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 ¥11.5K

$67.0 ¥10.6K

8.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 ¥14.3K

$55.7 ¥8,784

62.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 ¥115.4K

$555 ¥87.5K

31.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 ¥81.4K

$338 ¥53.2K

52.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 ¥267.0K

$1,005 ¥158.5K

68.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 ¥121.9K

$715 ¥112.8K

8.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,542 ¥1.0M

$4,304 ¥678.7K

51.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,063 ¥483.0K

$2,319 ¥365.6K

32.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,363 ¥372.6K

$1,533 ¥241.8K

54.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

1.69

30.77%

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

Last update for Osaka: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kitakyushu: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$516 37%

Kitakyushu

$338 27% 34.6% $178

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$305 21.9%

Kitakyushu

$275 22% 9.9% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$195 14%

Kitakyushu

$254 20.3% 29.8% $58

Eating Out

Osaka

$134 9.6%

Kitakyushu

$140 11.2% 4.6% $6.1

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$110 7.9%

Kitakyushu

$89 7.1% 18.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$77 5.6%

Kitakyushu

$77 6.2% 0% $0

Getting Around

Osaka

$58 4.2%

Kitakyushu

$77 6.2% 32.6% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $732 in Osaka versus $555 in Kitakyushu. 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 54% higher in Osaka. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Osaka versus $33 in Kitakyushu. Groceries tell a different story – $305 in Osaka vs $275 in Kitakyushu – so Kitakyushu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇯🇵 Kitakyushu

🕒 Local time

20:08 8:08 PM

Same time as Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

939,029

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Osaka Kitakyushu 430 km

From you

Osaka
Kitakyushu

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 Kitakyushu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,396 in Osaka, $1,250 in Kitakyushu – Kitakyushu comes out roughly 10% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,094 per month in Osaka and $1,875 in Kitakyushu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kitakyushu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $555 there versus $732 in Osaka.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Osaka, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Osaka and $33 in Kitakyushu. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,396 in Osaka and $1,250 in Kitakyushu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Kitakyushu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,250 in Kitakyushu to $1,396 in Osaka. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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