Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Matsudo

For one person, living is cheaper in Matsudo: $1,200 a month against $1,362 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Matsudo
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Matsudo Living Index

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Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,362

/mo nomad

Matsudo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,200

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Matsudo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,362 in Osaka versus $1,200 in Matsudo.

Osaka $1,362
Matsudo $1,200

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,986 in Osaka versus $1,896 in Matsudo.

Osaka $1,986
Matsudo $1,896

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,609 in Osaka versus $2,593 in Matsudo.

Osaka $2,609
Matsudo $2,593

Living in Osaka is roughly 14% more expensive than in Matsudo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Osaka is 1% above, Matsudo is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.46 ¥1,021

$6.47 ¥1,023

-0.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.30 ¥4,945

$37.31 ¥5,895

-16.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 ¥774

$5.02 ¥793

-2.39%

Cappuccino

$2.96 ¥468

$3.43 ¥542

-13.70%

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

$1.37 ¥216

$1.10 ¥174

24.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ¥116

$0.78 ¥124

-6.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 ¥432

$2.45 ¥387

11.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 ¥614

$3.17 ¥501

22.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 ¥230

$1.44 ¥227

0.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ¥203

$1.65 ¥260

-21.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.29 ¥835

$3.59 ¥567

47.35%

Eggs

$2.04 ¥323

$2.09 ¥330

-2.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ¥1,522

$10.21 ¥1,613

-5.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 ¥1,489

$6.06 ¥957

55.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.22 ¥2,878

$14.09 ¥2,226

29.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ¥523

$4.81 ¥759

-31.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 ¥305

$2.29 ¥361

-15.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ¥321

$2.94 ¥464

-30.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ¥654

$4.21 ¥666

-1.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ¥240

$2.64 ¥417

-42.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 ¥187

$2.67 ¥421

-55.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 ¥216

$1.15 ¥181

19.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.76 ¥120

5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.86 ¥611

$3.79 ¥599

1.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.54 ¥1,507

$6.21 ¥981

53.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 ¥307

$1.63 ¥258

19.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ¥485

$2.01 ¥318

52.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 ¥212

$1.53 ¥241

-12.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.00 ¥5,055

$53.9 ¥8,521

-40.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ¥611

$3.17 ¥501

22.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 ¥507

$2.74 ¥433

17.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.07 ¥3,328

$18.67 ¥2,950

12.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥167

$1.04 ¥164

1.92%

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

$21.5K ¥3.4M

$21.4K ¥3.4M

0.50%

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

$14.9K ¥2.4M

$15.7K ¥2.5M

-4.86%

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

$138 ¥21.7K

$130 ¥20.5K

5.96%

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

$24.11 ¥3,809

$21.89 ¥3,458

10.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.75 ¥4,857

$30.21 ¥4,772

1.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 ¥7,997

$55.9 ¥8,832

-9.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.49 ¥2,921

Cinema Ticket

$11.74 ¥1,855

$12.39 ¥1,957

-5.25%

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

$513 ¥81.0K

$628 ¥99.3K

-18.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$14.8K ¥2.3M

-10.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.11 ¥7,442

$54.9 ¥8,670

-14.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.51 ¥4,820

$33.28 ¥5,257

-8.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 ¥11.3K

$61.5 ¥9,718

16.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 ¥14.3K

$71.8 ¥11.3K

25.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 ¥110.3K

$456 ¥72.1K

52.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 ¥78.6K

$348 ¥54.9K

43.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,687 ¥266.5K

$1,160 ¥183.3K

45.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$755 ¥119.3K

$738 ¥116.6K

2.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,157 ¥972.7K

$4,559 ¥720.3K

35.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,964 ¥310.3K

$1,840 ¥290.7K

6.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,386 ¥377.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

2.25

-1.78%

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

Last update for Osaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Matsudo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$498 36.5%

Matsudo

$348 29% 30.1% $150

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$301 22.1%

Matsudo

$279 23.2% 7.4% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$192 14.1%

Matsudo

$182 15.2% 5.5% $11

Eating Out

Osaka

$132 9.7%

Matsudo

$134 11.2% 1.8% $2.3

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$108 7.9%

Matsudo

$100 8.3% 7.6% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$74 5.4%

Matsudo

$81 6.7% 8.9% $6.6

Getting Around

Osaka

$57 4.2%

Matsudo

$77 6.4% 34.2% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $698 in Osaka and $456 in Matsudo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $31.00 in Osaka vs $37.00 in Matsudo. Groceries flip the comparison at $301 vs $279, with Matsudo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇯🇵 Matsudo

🕒 Local time

23:04 11:04 PM

Same time as Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

485,803

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Matsudo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Matsudo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,044 in Osaka and $1,800 in Matsudo to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $698 in Osaka versus $456 in Matsudo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Matsudo runs roughly 69% less than in Osaka. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $513 in Osaka versus $628 in Matsudo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,200 in Matsudo versus $1,362 in Osaka, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Matsudo but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Matsudo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Matsudo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Osaka, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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

Expats usually find Matsudo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.