For one person, living is cheaper in Osaka: $1,378 a month against $2,182 in Maia, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Maia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $1,378 per month in Osaka vs $2,182 in Maia, rent included.
Osaka $1,378
Maia $2,182
A couple spends around $2,005 per month in Osaka vs $2,718 in Maia, rent included.
Osaka $2,005
Maia $2,718
A family of three spends $2,632 per month in Osaka vs $3,254 in Maia, rent included.
Osaka $2,632
Maia $3,254
🙂
Osaka is about 37% cheaper than Maia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
Both Osaka and Maia sit above the global median – Osaka by 2%, Maia by 61%.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Osaka
Maia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.25¥987
$11.42€10.16
-45.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.70¥5,008
$50.0€44.49
-36.63%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$4.90¥774
$8.88€7.90
-44.82%
Cappuccino
$2.95¥466
$2.00€1.78
47.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.44¥228
$1.93€1.71
-25.39%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.75¥119
$1.45€1.29
-48.28%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.65¥419
$2.23€1.98
18.83%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.87¥611
$4.01€3.57
-3.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Osaka
Maia
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.44¥227
$1.10€0.98
30.91%
White Bread(500g)
$1.34¥211
$1.69€1.50
-20.71%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$5.25¥830
$1.53€1.37
243.14%
Eggs
$2.14¥338
$2.89€2.57
-25.95%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.33¥1,475
$13.29€11.82
-29.80%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.22¥1,456
$7.93€7.05
16.27%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$18.39¥2,906
$14.73€13.10
24.85%
Apples(1kg)
$3.43¥541
$2.23€1.98
53.81%
Banana(1kg)
$1.92¥303
$1.74€1.55
10.34%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.99¥314
$2.07€1.84
-3.86%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.05¥640
$2.33€2.07
73.82%
Potato(1kg)
$1.56¥247
$2.22€1.97
-29.73%
Onion(1kg)
$1.17¥185
$2.19€1.95
-46.58%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.30¥205
$0.93€0.82
39.78%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88¥139
$1.10€0.98
-20.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.00¥631
$6.62€5.89
-39.58%
Wine(Bottle)
$9.60¥1,517
$4.61€4.10
108.24%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95¥308
$1.31€1.17
48.85%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.24¥512
$2.46€2.19
31.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Osaka
Maia
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.39¥219
$2.47€2.20
-43.72%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$32.34¥5,109
$44.74€39.80
-27.72%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.69¥583
$4.55€4.04
-18.90%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$3.07¥486
$1.44€1.28
113.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$21.76¥3,437
$16.93€15.06
28.53%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.09¥173
$2.10€1.87
-48.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.3K¥3.5M
$32.3K€28.7K
-30.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.1K¥2.4M
$38.5K€34.2K
-60.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Osaka
Maia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$139¥22.0K
$106€94.3
31.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.50¥3,870
$20.07€17.85
22.07%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.67¥4,846
$38.05€33.84
-19.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Osaka
Maia
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$49.03¥7,746
$44.89€39.93
9.22%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.06¥2,853
$34.01€30.25
-46.90%
Cinema Ticket
$12.72¥2,010
$8.65€7.70
47.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Osaka
Maia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$510¥80.5K
$439€390
16.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$12.9K¥2.0M
$6,437€5,726
99.70%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Osaka
Maia
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.57¥7,673
$111€98.9
-56.30%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.98¥4,894
$22.04€19.60
40.56%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$74.2¥11.7K
$75.9€67.5
-2.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.5¥14.5K
$106€94.0
-13.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Osaka
Maia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$699¥110.5K
$1,072€953
-34.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$510¥80.6K
$1,313€1,168
-61.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,710¥270.1K
$1,706€1,518
0.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$772¥122.0K
$1,242€1,105
-37.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$6,183¥976.8K
$3,036€2,701
103.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,908¥301.4K
$1,673€1,488
14.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Osaka
Maia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$2,424¥382.9K
$1,420€1,263
70.62%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
2.21
3.7
-40.27%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Osaka: October 17, 2026
Last update for Maia: October 17, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Osaka
$510 37.1%
Maia
$1.3K 60.2% ↑ 157%$803
🛒Groceries & Markets
Osaka
$302 21.9%
Maia
$259 11.9% ↓ 14%$42
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Osaka
$194 14.1%
Maia
$164 7.5% ↓ 15.5%$30
🍽Eating Out
Osaka
$130 9.4%
Maia
$175 8% ↑ 34.5%$45
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Osaka
$110 8%
Maia
$142 6.5% ↑ 28.3%$31
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Osaka
$74 5.4%
Maia
$62 2.9% ↓ 16.5%$12
🚌Getting Around
Osaka
$57 4.1%
Maia
$66 3% ↑ 16.6%$9.4
🏠Accommodation & Living
Osaka
$772 29.4%
Maia
$1.2K 38.2% ↑ 60.9%$470
🛒Groceries & Markets
Osaka
$696 26.4%
Maia
$615 18.9% ↓ 11.7%$81
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Osaka
$219 8.3%
Maia
$184 5.7% ↓ 15.8%$35
🍽Eating Out
Osaka
$416 15.8%
Maia
$602 18.5% ↑ 44.7%$186
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Osaka
$245 9.3%
Maia
$315 9.7% ↑ 28.3%$70
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Osaka
$167 6.4%
Maia
$158 4.9% ↓ 5.1%$8.6
🚌Getting Around
Osaka
$117 4.4%
Maia
$138 4.2% ↑ 18.1%$21
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $699 in Osaka versus $1,072 in Maia. 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 71% higher in Osaka, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.
🛒A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Osaka versus $50.0 in Maia. Groceries tell a different story – $302 in Osaka vs $259 in Maia – so Maia wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.
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 Maia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Osaka or Maia?
Maia costs about 58% more than Osaka, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Osaka and in Maia?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,067 per month in Osaka and $3,273 in Maia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Osaka or Maia?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Osaka, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Osaka and in Maia?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Osaka and $50.0 in Maia. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Osaka compared to Maia?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,378 in Osaka and $2,182 in Maia. That's a gap of about 58%.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Osaka or in Maia?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Osaka, where all-in costs run around $1,378, than in Maia at $2,182. In Osaka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Maia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Osaka or Maia?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Osaka costs $1,378 versus $2,182 in Maia. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Osaka compared to Maia?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Osaka or to Maia?
If budget matters most, go with Osaka. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Maia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.