Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Kyoto

For one person, living is cheaper in Kyoto: $1,290 a month against $1,396 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Osaka outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

67

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Kyoto
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Kyoto Living Index

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Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,396

/mo nomad

Kyoto

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,290

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Kyoto

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

A single person spends $1,396 per month in Osaka vs $1,290 in Kyoto, rent included.

Osaka $1,396
Kyoto $1,290

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Osaka vs $1,932 in Kyoto, rent included.

Osaka $2,027
Kyoto $1,932

A family of three spends $2,658 per month in Osaka vs $2,574 in Kyoto, rent included.

Osaka $2,658
Kyoto $2,574

Osaka costs about 8% more than Kyoto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Osaka sits 3% above the global median, while Kyoto is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.50 ¥1,027

$9.77 ¥1,542

-33.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.93 ¥5,041

$32.34 ¥5,106

-1.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 ¥813

$5.11 ¥807

0.78%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ¥478

$3.22 ¥508

-5.90%

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

$1.39 ¥220

$0.89 ¥141

56.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥113

$0.71 ¥112

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.75 ¥434

$3.22 ¥509

-14.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 ¥614

$5.85 ¥924

-33.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥230

$1.55 ¥245

-5.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ¥205

$1.61 ¥254

-19.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 ¥863

$5.84 ¥923

-6.51%

Eggs

$2.03 ¥321

$2.11 ¥333

-3.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ¥1,520

$8.84 ¥1,395

8.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 ¥1,492

$7.92 ¥1,251

19.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.58 ¥2,933

$10.70 ¥1,690

73.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ¥535

$5.19 ¥819

-34.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 ¥316

$2.37 ¥374

-15.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥329

$5.15 ¥813

-59.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ¥654

$3.69 ¥582

12.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 ¥247

$1.87 ¥295

-16.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥185

$1.66 ¥262

-29.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 ¥217

$1.14 ¥180

20.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥128

$0.94 ¥148

-13.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ¥635

$4.04 ¥639

-0.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,535

$7.73 ¥1,221

25.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 ¥306

$1.61 ¥255

20.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ¥503

$3.37 ¥531

-5.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ¥213

$1.42 ¥225

-4.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.79 ¥5,178

$62.1 ¥9,804

-47.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 ¥616

$3.30 ¥520

18.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 ¥515

$3.88 ¥612

-15.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.50 ¥3,395

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥176

$1.10 ¥174

0.91%

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

$22.3K ¥3.5M

$22.7K ¥3.6M

-1.75%

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

$14.9K ¥2.3M

$15.5K ¥2.4M

-4.14%

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

$141 ¥22.3K

$101 ¥16.0K

39.39%

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

$24.00 ¥3,790

$23.51 ¥3,712

2.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.50 ¥4,815

$30.41 ¥4,801

0.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 ¥8,168

$51.6 ¥8,145

0.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.86 ¥2,978

$18.87 ¥2,980

-0.05%

Cinema Ticket

$12.85 ¥2,028

$13.72 ¥2,166

-6.34%

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

$709 ¥111.9K

$718 ¥113.4K

-1.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$6,490 ¥1.0M

104.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.77 ¥7,700

$56.7 ¥8,956

-14.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.94 ¥4,885

$45.07 ¥7,116

-31.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 ¥11.5K

$70.3 ¥11.1K

3.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 ¥14.3K

$102 ¥16.1K

-11.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 ¥115.6K

$638 ¥100.7K

14.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 ¥81.5K

$379 ¥59.9K

36.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 ¥267.3K

$1,176 ¥185.6K

44.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 ¥122.1K

$577 ¥91.1K

33.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,542 ¥1.0M

$4,226 ¥667.2K

54.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,063 ¥483.6K

$2,921 ¥461.2K

4.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,363 ¥373.1K

$1,873 ¥295.6K

26.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

2.23

-0.90%

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

Last update for Osaka: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kyoto: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$516 37%

Kyoto

$379 29.4% 26.5% $137

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$305 21.9%

Kyoto

$296 22.9% 3% $9.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$195 14%

Kyoto

$155 12% 20.7% $40

Eating Out

Osaka

$134 9.6%

Kyoto

$166 12.9% 24.3% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$110 7.9%

Kyoto

$123 9.6% 12.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$77 5.6%

Kyoto

$79 6.1% 2.1% $1.6

Getting Around

Osaka

$58 4.2%

Kyoto

$90 7% 54.9% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $732 in Osaka versus $638 in Kyoto. 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 26% higher in Osaka. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Osaka versus $32 in Kyoto. Groceries tell a different story – $305 in Osaka vs $296 in Kyoto – so Kyoto wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇯🇵 Kyoto

🕒 Local time

07:07 7:07 AM

Same time as Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

1,475,183

💱 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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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 Kyoto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,396 in Osaka, $1,290 in Kyoto – Kyoto comes out roughly 8% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,094 per month in Osaka and $1,934 in Kyoto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kyoto, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $638 there versus $732 in Osaka.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,396 in Osaka and $1,290 in Kyoto. That makes Kyoto about 8% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $709 per month in Osaka and $718 in Kyoto. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,396 in Osaka and $1,290 in Kyoto, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kyoto costs $1,290 versus $1,396 in Osaka. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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