Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Kurume

For one person, living is cheaper in Kurume: $986 a month against $1,396 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
Learn more

Osaka Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Kurume
Learn more

Kurume Living Index

Jump to prices

Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,396

/mo nomad

Kurume

🇯🇵 Japan

$986

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Kurume

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,396 in Osaka versus $986 in Kurume.

Osaka $1,396
Kurume $986

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Osaka versus $1,555 in Kurume.

Osaka $2,027
Kurume $1,555

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,658 in Osaka versus $2,124 in Kurume.

Osaka $2,658
Kurume $2,124

Living in Osaka is roughly 42% more expensive than in Kurume, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Osaka is 3% above, Kurume is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.50 ¥1,027

$4.30 ¥679

51.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.93 ¥5,041

$42.56 ¥6,720

-24.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 ¥813

$3.85 ¥607

33.77%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ¥478

$1.88 ¥298

61.17%

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

$1.39 ¥220

$0.69 ¥108

101.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥113

$0.53 ¥84.3

33.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.75 ¥434

$3.13 ¥494

-12.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 ¥614

$1.63 ¥257

138.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥230

$1.30 ¥206

12.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ¥205

$1.29 ¥203

0.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 ¥863

$5.01 ¥791

8.98%

Eggs

$2.03 ¥321

$1.87 ¥296

8.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ¥1,520

$17.95 ¥2,834

-46.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 ¥1,492

$5.52 ¥872

71.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.58 ¥2,933

$19.22 ¥3,034

-3.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ¥535

$3.54 ¥559

-4.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 ¥316

$1.86 ¥294

7.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥329

$2.92 ¥461

-28.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ¥654

$3.25 ¥514

27.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 ¥247

$2.20 ¥348

-28.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥185

$2.62 ¥413

-55.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 ¥217

$1.04 ¥165

31.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥128

$0.96 ¥152

-15.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ¥635

$3.57 ¥564

12.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,535

$6.52 ¥1,030

49.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 ¥306

$1.68 ¥265

15.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ¥503

$1.10 ¥174

190.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ¥213

$1.47 ¥233

-8.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.79 ¥5,178

$58.0 ¥9,163

-43.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 ¥616

$4.15 ¥655

-6.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 ¥515

$2.31 ¥365

41.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.50 ¥3,395

$17.66 ¥2,788

21.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥176

$0.65 ¥103

70.77%

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

$22.3K ¥3.5M

$22.6K ¥3.6M

-1.11%

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

$14.9K ¥2.3M

$15.2K ¥2.4M

-2.60%

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

$141 ¥22.3K

$215 ¥34.0K

-34.52%

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

$24.00 ¥3,790

$24.93 ¥3,937

-3.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.50 ¥4,815

$22.65 ¥3,576

34.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 ¥8,168

$55.8 ¥8,806

-7.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.86 ¥2,978

Cinema Ticket

$12.85 ¥2,028

$6.91 ¥1,091

85.96%

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

$709 ¥111.9K

$695 ¥109.7K

1.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$12.5K ¥2.0M

5.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.77 ¥7,700

$48.99 ¥7,735

-0.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.94 ¥4,885

$12.62 ¥1,992

145.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 ¥11.5K

$25.10 ¥3,962

190.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 ¥14.3K

$31.59 ¥4,987

187.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 ¥115.6K

$549 ¥86.7K

33.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 ¥81.5K

$127 ¥20.1K

305.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 ¥267.3K

$485 ¥76.6K

249.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 ¥122.1K

$318 ¥50.2K

143.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,542 ¥1.0M

$3,977 ¥627.8K

64.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,063 ¥483.6K

$2,146 ¥338.9K

42.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,363 ¥373.1K

$1,510 ¥238.4K

56.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

1.97

12.18%

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

Last update for Osaka: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kurume: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$516 37%

Kurume

$127 12.9% 75.3% $389

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$305 21.9%

Kurume

$301 30.5% 1.5% $4.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$195 14%

Kurume

$263 26.7% 34.5% $67

Eating Out

Osaka

$134 9.6%

Kurume

$92 9.4% 31% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$110 7.9%

Kurume

$53 5.4% 51.4% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$77 5.6%

Kurume

$70 7.1% 10.1% $7.8

Getting Around

Osaka

$58 4.2%

Kurume

$80 8.1% 36.4% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $732 in Osaka and $549 in Kurume. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Osaka pays 56% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Osaka vs $43 in Kurume. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $301, with Kurume cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇯🇵 Kurume

🕒 Local time

07:11 7:11 AM

Same time as Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

303,316

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Osaka Kurume 480 km

From you

Osaka
Kurume

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 Kurume: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,396 in Osaka and $986 in Kurume, so Kurume is about 29% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 56% 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 $549 in Kurume. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $709 in Osaka versus $695 in Kurume. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Osaka – a meal for two runs $32 versus $43 in Kurume. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $986 in Kurume versus $1,396 in Osaka, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Kurume but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Kurume the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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