Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Nagano

For one person, living is cheaper in Nagano: $1,231 a month against $1,378 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
Learn more

Osaka Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Nagano
Learn more

Nagano Living Index

Jump to prices

Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,378

/mo nomad

Nagano

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,231

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Nagano

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

A single person spends $1,378 per month in Osaka vs $1,231 in Nagano, rent included.

Osaka $1,378
Nagano $1,231

A couple spends around $2,005 per month in Osaka vs $1,891 in Nagano, rent included.

Osaka $2,005
Nagano $1,891

A family of three spends $2,632 per month in Osaka vs $2,550 in Nagano, rent included.

Osaka $2,632
Nagano $2,550

Osaka costs about 12% more than Nagano, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Osaka sits 2% above the global median, while Nagano is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.25 ¥987

$6.45 ¥1,019

-3.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.70 ¥5,008

$40.32 ¥6,370

-21.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 ¥774

$5.13 ¥810

-4.48%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ¥466

$3.37 ¥532

-12.46%

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

$1.44 ¥228

$1.06 ¥167

35.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥119

$0.80 ¥126

-6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 ¥419

$2.59 ¥409

2.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 ¥611

$3.06 ¥483

26.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ¥227

$1.45 ¥228

-0.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 ¥211

$1.64 ¥260

-18.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.25 ¥830

$3.57 ¥564

47.06%

Eggs

$2.14 ¥338

$1.99 ¥315

7.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.33 ¥1,475

$10.32 ¥1,630

-9.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 ¥1,456

$6.17 ¥975

49.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.39 ¥2,906

$14.40 ¥2,275

27.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 ¥541

$5.82 ¥919

-41.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 ¥303

$2.69 ¥425

-28.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 ¥314

$2.84 ¥448

-29.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 ¥640

$4.06 ¥642

-0.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ¥247

$2.50 ¥396

-37.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥185

$2.54 ¥401

-53.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ¥205

$1.25 ¥197

4.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥139

$0.76 ¥121

15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ¥631

$3.68 ¥582

8.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.60 ¥1,517

$6.21 ¥982

54.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ¥308

$1.82 ¥287

7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ¥512

$2.01 ¥317

61.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 ¥219

$1.31 ¥207

6.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.34 ¥5,109

$51.2 ¥8,082

-36.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ¥583

$3.17 ¥501

16.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 ¥486

$2.70 ¥427

13.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.76 ¥3,437

$20.17 ¥3,187

7.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥173

$1.05 ¥166

3.81%

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

$22.3K ¥3.5M

$21.6K ¥3.4M

3.24%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$15.5K ¥2.4M

-2.39%

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

$139 ¥22.0K

$130 ¥20.6K

6.89%

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

$24.50 ¥3,870

$23.91 ¥3,778

2.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.67 ¥4,846

$12.76 ¥2,016

140.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.03 ¥7,746

$53.1 ¥8,387

-7.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.06 ¥2,853

Cinema Ticket

$12.72 ¥2,010

$12.71 ¥2,008

0.08%

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

$510 ¥80.5K

$622 ¥98.3K

-18.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K ¥2.0M

$14.9K ¥2.4M

-13.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.57 ¥7,673

$61.8 ¥9,759

-21.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.98 ¥4,894

$36.29 ¥5,733

-14.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 ¥11.7K

$62.0 ¥9,797

19.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.5 ¥14.5K

$100 ¥15.8K

-8.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 ¥110.5K

$557 ¥88.0K

25.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 ¥80.6K

$375 ¥59.2K

36.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 ¥270.1K

$1,142 ¥180.4K

49.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 ¥122.0K

$648 ¥102.4K

19.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,183 ¥976.8K

$4,188 ¥661.7K

47.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,908 ¥301.4K

$1,974 ¥311.9K

-3.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,424 ¥382.9K

$627 ¥99.0K

286.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

2.64

-16.29%

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

Last update for Osaka: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nagano: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$510 37.1%

Nagano

$375 30.4% 26.6% $136

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$302 21.9%

Nagano

$287 23.3% 4.7% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$194 14.1%

Nagano

$167 13.6% 14.1% $27

Eating Out

Osaka

$130 9.4%

Nagano

$134 10.9% 3.1% $4

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$110 8%

Nagano

$117 9.5% 6.1% $6.8

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$74 5.4%

Nagano

$79 6.4% 5.4% $4

Getting Around

Osaka

$57 4.1%

Nagano

$73 5.9% 28.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $699 in Osaka versus $557 in Nagano. 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 287% higher in Osaka, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Osaka versus $40.00 in Nagano. Groceries tell a different story – $302 in Osaka vs $287 in Nagano – so Nagano wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇯🇵 Nagano

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

Same time as Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

372,760

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Osaka Nagano 330 km

From you

Osaka
Nagano

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 Nagano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Osaka costs about 12% more than Nagano, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,067 per month in Osaka and $1,847 in Nagano. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Osaka and $40.00 in Nagano. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,378 in Osaka and $1,231 in Nagano. That's a gap of about 12%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nagano, where all-in costs run around $1,231, than in Osaka at $1,378. In Nagano it covers expenses comfortably, while in Osaka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nagano costs $1,231 versus $1,378 in Osaka. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Nagano. 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.