Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Nagasaki

For one person, living is cheaper in Nagasaki: $1,287 a month against $1,396 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Nagasaki
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Nagasaki Living Index

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Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,396

/mo nomad

Nagasaki

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,287

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Nagasaki

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,396 in Osaka versus $1,287 in Nagasaki.

Osaka $1,396
Nagasaki $1,287

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Osaka versus $1,907 in Nagasaki.

Osaka $2,027
Nagasaki $1,907

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,658 in Osaka versus $2,527 in Nagasaki.

Osaka $2,658
Nagasaki $2,527

Living in Osaka is roughly 8% more expensive than in Nagasaki, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Osaka is 3% above, Nagasaki is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.50 ¥1,025

$5.03 ¥793

29.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.93 ¥5,034

$19.07 ¥3,007

67.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 ¥812

$5.10 ¥803

0.98%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ¥477

$3.63 ¥572

-16.53%

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

$1.39 ¥220

$1.04 ¥164

33.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥112

$0.76 ¥120

-6.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.75 ¥433

$2.16 ¥341

27.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 ¥613

$2.26 ¥356

72.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥230

$1.55 ¥245

-5.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ¥204

$1.84 ¥291

-29.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 ¥862

$6.21 ¥980

-12.08%

Eggs

$2.03 ¥320

$2.03 ¥321

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ¥1,518

$9.36 ¥1,477

2.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 ¥1,491

$3.21 ¥506

194.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.58 ¥2,929

$19.33 ¥3,048

-3.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ¥535

$3.56 ¥561

-4.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 ¥315

$1.83 ¥288

9.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥329

$2.88 ¥454

-27.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ¥653

$3.26 ¥514

26.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 ¥247

$2.24 ¥353

-29.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥185

$2.65 ¥418

-55.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 ¥217

$1.04 ¥163

31.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥127

$0.97 ¥153

-16.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ¥634

$3.87 ¥609

3.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,533

$6.50 ¥1,025

49.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 ¥305

$1.71 ¥269

13.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ¥502

$1.85 ¥292

72.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ¥213

$1.27 ¥200

6.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.79 ¥5,171

$56.4 ¥8,898

-41.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 ¥616

$4.12 ¥649

-5.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 ¥514

$2.40 ¥378

35.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.50 ¥3,390

$17.66 ¥2,785

21.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.08 ¥170

2.78%

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

$22.3K ¥3.5M

$22.8K ¥3.6M

-2.17%

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

$14.9K ¥2.3M

$15.5K ¥2.4M

-3.96%

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

$141 ¥22.2K

$215 ¥33.8K

-34.31%

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

$24.00 ¥3,785

$24.77 ¥3,906

-3.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.50 ¥4,809

$33.03 ¥5,208

-7.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 ¥8,157

$52.3 ¥8,251

-1.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.86 ¥2,974

Cinema Ticket

$12.85 ¥2,026

$12.66 ¥1,997

1.50%

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

$709 ¥111.7K

$706 ¥111.3K

0.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$12.4K ¥2.0M

6.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.77 ¥7,691

$48.40 ¥7,632

0.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.94 ¥4,879

$25.87 ¥4,079

19.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 ¥11.5K

$67.7 ¥10.7K

7.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 ¥14.3K

$46.74 ¥7,370

94.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 ¥115.4K

$550 ¥86.7K

33.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 ¥81.4K

$374 ¥59.0K

37.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 ¥267.0K

$1,085 ¥171.1K

56.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 ¥121.9K

$743 ¥117.1K

4.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,542 ¥1.0M

$4,205 ¥663.0K

55.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,063 ¥483.0K

$2,287 ¥360.6K

33.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,363 ¥372.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

1.97

12.18%

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

Last update for Osaka: October 25, 2026

Last update for Nagasaki: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$516 37%

Nagasaki

$374 29.1% 27.5% $142

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$305 21.9%

Nagasaki

$279 21.7% 8.7% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$195 14%

Nagasaki

$272 21.2% 39.4% $77

Eating Out

Osaka

$134 9.6%

Nagasaki

$122 9.5% 9.1% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$110 7.9%

Nagasaki

$85 6.6% 22.5% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$77 5.6%

Nagasaki

$78 6% 0.3% $0.2

Getting Around

Osaka

$58 4.2%

Nagasaki

$78 6% 32.9% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $732 in Osaka and $550 in Nagasaki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Osaka vs $19 in Nagasaki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $279 per month, with Nagasaki cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇯🇵 Nagasaki

🕒 Local time

09:57 9:57 AM

Same time as Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

409,118

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 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 Nagasaki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nagasaki is about 8% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,094 in Osaka and $1,931 in Nagasaki 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: $732 in Osaka versus $550 in Nagasaki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Osaka. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Nagasaki – a meal for two runs $19 versus $32 in Osaka. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Osaka and Nagasaki are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.