Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Matsuyama

For one person, living is cheaper in Matsuyama: $1,277 a month against $1,378 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Osaka outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

66

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Matsuyama
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Matsuyama Living Index

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Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,378

/mo nomad

Matsuyama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,277

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Matsuyama

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

A single person spends $1,378 per month in Osaka vs $1,277 in Matsuyama, rent included.

Osaka $1,378
Matsuyama $1,277

A couple spends around $2,005 per month in Osaka vs $2,017 in Matsuyama, rent included.

Osaka $2,005
Matsuyama $2,017

A family of three spends $2,632 per month in Osaka vs $2,758 in Matsuyama, rent included.

Osaka $2,632
Matsuyama $2,758

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

Osaka sits 2% above the global median, while Matsuyama is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.25 ¥987

$6.38 ¥1,008

-2.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.70 ¥5,008

$30.99 ¥4,896

2.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 ¥774

$4.71 ¥744

4.03%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ¥466

$2.38 ¥376

23.95%

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

$1.44 ¥228

$1.19 ¥188

21.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥119

$0.58 ¥91.7

29.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 ¥419

$2.09 ¥330

26.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 ¥611

$2.29 ¥361

69.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ¥227

$1.50 ¥238

-4.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 ¥211

$1.33 ¥210

0.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.25 ¥830

$5.40 ¥853

-2.78%

Eggs

$2.14 ¥338

$2.08 ¥329

2.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.33 ¥1,475

$12.49 ¥1,974

-25.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 ¥1,456

$9.48 ¥1,498

-2.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.39 ¥2,906

$32.49 ¥5,134

-43.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 ¥541

$3.67 ¥579

-6.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 ¥303

$2.32 ¥367

-17.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 ¥314

$6.34 ¥1,001

-68.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 ¥640

$4.24 ¥670

-4.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ¥247

$3.67 ¥580

-57.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥185

$3.45 ¥545

-66.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ¥205

$1.24 ¥196

4.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥139

$0.97 ¥154

-9.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ¥631

$3.51 ¥555

13.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.60 ¥1,517

$7.99 ¥1,262

20.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ¥308

$1.97 ¥312

-1.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ¥512

$1.44 ¥227

125.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 ¥219

$1.44 ¥228

-3.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.34 ¥5,109

$52.7 ¥8,327

-38.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ¥583

$3.23 ¥510

14.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 ¥486

$3.08 ¥486

-0.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.76 ¥3,437

$26.40 ¥4,170

-17.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥173

$1.10 ¥173

-0.91%

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

$22.3K ¥3.5M

$20.0K ¥3.2M

11.32%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$16.7K ¥2.6M

-9.56%

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

$139 ¥22.0K

$144 ¥22.8K

-3.59%

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

$24.50 ¥3,870

$23.66 ¥3,738

3.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.67 ¥4,846

$43.16 ¥6,819

-28.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.03 ¥7,746

$53.0 ¥8,379

-7.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.06 ¥2,853

Cinema Ticket

$12.72 ¥2,010

$12.54 ¥1,982

1.44%

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

$510 ¥80.5K

$319 ¥50.3K

59.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K ¥2.0M

$6,069 ¥958.9K

111.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.57 ¥7,673

$49.43 ¥7,809

-1.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.98 ¥4,894

$25.19 ¥3,980

22.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 ¥11.7K

$46.18 ¥7,297

60.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.5 ¥14.5K

$66.3 ¥10.5K

38.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 ¥110.5K

$526 ¥83.2K

32.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 ¥80.6K

$328 ¥51.8K

55.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 ¥270.1K

$1,122 ¥177.3K

52.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 ¥122.0K

$724 ¥114.4K

6.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,183 ¥976.8K

$4,302 ¥679.6K

43.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,908 ¥301.4K

$1,726 ¥272.6K

10.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,424 ¥382.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

2.28

-3.07%

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

Last update for Osaka: October 17, 2026

Last update for Matsuyama: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$510 37.1%

Matsuyama

$328 25.7% 35.8% $183

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$302 21.9%

Matsuyama

$383 30% 26.9% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$194 14.1%

Matsuyama

$211 16.5% 8.7% $17

Eating Out

Osaka

$130 9.4%

Matsuyama

$116 9.1% 10.8% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$110 8%

Matsuyama

$84 6.6% 23.7% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$74 5.4%

Matsuyama

$78 6.1% 4.9% $3.7

Getting Around

Osaka

$57 4.1%

Matsuyama

$77 6% 35.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $699 in Osaka versus $526 in Matsuyama. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Osaka versus $31.00 in Matsuyama. Groceries tell a different story – $302 in Osaka vs $383 in Matsuyama – so Osaka wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇯🇵 Matsuyama

🕒 Local time

11:50 11:50 AM

Same time as Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

511,192

💱 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 Matsuyama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,378 in Osaka, $1,277 in Matsuyama – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,067 per month in Osaka and $1,915 in Matsuyama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Matsuyama, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 63% less in Matsuyama. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $510 per month in Osaka and $319 in Matsuyama. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Matsuyama, where all-in costs run around $1,277, than in Osaka at $1,378. In Matsuyama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Osaka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Osaka has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,277 in Matsuyama to $1,378 in Osaka. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

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