Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Kobe

For one person, living costs are similar in Osaka and in Kobe: $1,396 and $1,392 a month, rent and utilities included.

67

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Kobe
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Kobe Living Index

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Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,396

/mo nomad

Kobe

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,392

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Kobe

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,396 in Osaka versus $1,392 in Kobe.

Osaka $1,396
Kobe $1,392

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Osaka versus $2,067 in Kobe.

Osaka $2,027
Kobe $2,067

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,658 in Osaka versus $2,742 in Kobe.

Osaka $2,658
Kobe $2,742

Monthly costs are close between Osaka and Kobe; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Osaka 3% above, Kobe 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.50 ¥1,027

$7.70 ¥1,216

-15.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.93 ¥5,041

$31.86 ¥5,031

0.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 ¥813

$4.91 ¥776

4.89%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ¥478

$2.37 ¥375

27.85%

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

$1.39 ¥220

$1.19 ¥188

16.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥113

$0.57 ¥90.0

24.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.75 ¥434

$2.12 ¥335

29.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 ¥614

$2.30 ¥363

69.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥230

$1.57 ¥248

-7.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ¥205

$1.34 ¥211

-2.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 ¥863

$4.17 ¥658

30.94%

Eggs

$2.03 ¥321

$2.04 ¥322

-0.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ¥1,520

$12.61 ¥1,990

-23.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 ¥1,492

$6.78 ¥1,070

39.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.58 ¥2,933

$17.06 ¥2,694

8.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ¥535

$7.70 ¥1,216

-55.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 ¥316

$3.06 ¥484

-34.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥329

$4.97 ¥784

-57.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ¥654

$7.71 ¥1,217

-46.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 ¥247

$3.84 ¥606

-59.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥185

$3.45 ¥545

-66.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 ¥217

$1.13 ¥179

21.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥128

$0.94 ¥148

-13.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ¥635

$3.48 ¥549

15.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,535

$8.05 ¥1,271

20.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 ¥306

$1.96 ¥310

-1.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ¥503

$1.45 ¥229

120.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ¥213

$1.45 ¥229

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.79 ¥5,178

$62.4 ¥9,856

-47.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 ¥616

$3.11 ¥491

25.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 ¥515

$3.24 ¥511

0.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.50 ¥3,395

$26.72 ¥4,218

-19.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥176

$1.06 ¥168

4.72%

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

$22.3K ¥3.5M

$19.9K ¥3.1M

12.17%

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

$14.9K ¥2.3M

$15.4K ¥2.4M

-3.82%

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

$141 ¥22.3K

$148 ¥23.3K

-4.60%

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

$24.00 ¥3,790

$23.26 ¥3,672

3.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.50 ¥4,815

$31.25 ¥4,933

-2.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 ¥8,168

$46.90 ¥7,405

10.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.86 ¥2,978

$11.83 ¥1,868

59.43%

Cinema Ticket

$12.85 ¥2,028

$12.86 ¥2,031

-0.08%

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

$709 ¥111.9K

$321 ¥50.6K

121.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$6,141 ¥969.5K

115.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.77 ¥7,700

$50.6 ¥7,990

-3.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.94 ¥4,885

$25.01 ¥3,949

23.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 ¥11.5K

$45.98 ¥7,260

58.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 ¥14.3K

$65.6 ¥10.4K

38.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 ¥115.6K

$691 ¥109.0K

5.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 ¥81.5K

$463 ¥73.1K

11.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 ¥267.3K

$1,100 ¥173.7K

53.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 ¥122.1K

$737 ¥116.4K

4.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,542 ¥1.0M

$4,325 ¥682.9K

51.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,063 ¥483.6K

$2,894 ¥456.9K

5.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,363 ¥373.1K

$1,975 ¥311.8K

19.63%

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 Kobe: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$516 37%

Kobe

$463 33.3% 10.3% $53

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$305 21.9%

Kobe

$355 25.5% 16.4% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$195 14%

Kobe

$202 14.5% 3.5% $6.8

Eating Out

Osaka

$134 9.6%

Kobe

$127 9.1% 5% $6.7

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$110 7.9%

Kobe

$84 6.1% 23.1% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$77 5.6%

Kobe

$73 5.2% 6.2% $4.8

Getting Around

Osaka

$58 4.2%

Kobe

$88 6.3% 49.9% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $732 in Osaka and $691 in Kobe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Osaka pays 20% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Osaka vs $32 in Kobe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $355 per month, with Osaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇯🇵 Kobe

🕒 Local time

01:03 1:03 AM

Same time as Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

1,537,272

💱 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

On the map

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Osaka Kobe 28 km

From you

Osaka
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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 Kobe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 20% 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: $732 in Osaka versus $691 in Kobe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Osaka pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

A monthly transit pass in Osaka runs roughly 47% less than in Kobe. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Kobe is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kobe delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,392 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kobe hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Osaka and Kobe are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Kobe wins on affordability, Osaka on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.