Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Nago, Okinawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Nago, Okinawa: $1,231 a month against $1,378 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Nago, Okinawa
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Nago, Okinawa Living Index

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Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,378

/mo nomad

Nago, Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,231

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Nago, Okinawa

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

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

Osaka $1,378
Nago, Okinawa $1,231

A couple spends around $2,005 per month in Osaka vs $1,923 in Nago, Okinawa, rent included.

Osaka $2,005
Nago, Okinawa $1,923

A family of three spends $2,632 per month in Osaka vs $2,614 in Nago, Okinawa, rent included.

Osaka $2,632
Nago, Okinawa $2,614

Osaka costs about 12% more than Nago, Okinawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.25 ¥987

$6.82 ¥1,077

-8.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.70 ¥5,008

$35.35 ¥5,586

-10.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 ¥774

$5.68 ¥898

-13.73%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ¥466

$3.03 ¥479

-2.64%

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

$1.44 ¥228

$1.10 ¥173

30.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥119

$0.76 ¥121

-1.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 ¥419

$2.10 ¥332

26.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 ¥611

$3.05 ¥482

26.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ¥227

$1.52 ¥239

-5.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 ¥211

$1.64 ¥259

-18.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.25 ¥830

$4.67 ¥738

12.42%

Eggs

$2.14 ¥338

$2.28 ¥361

-6.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.33 ¥1,475

$10.13 ¥1,601

-7.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 ¥1,456

$6.15 ¥971

49.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.39 ¥2,906

$15.49 ¥2,448

18.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 ¥541

$5.36 ¥847

-36.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 ¥303

$2.55 ¥402

-24.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 ¥314

$4.13 ¥652

-51.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 ¥640

$4.53 ¥716

-10.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ¥247

$3.24 ¥511

-51.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥185

$2.56 ¥404

-54.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ¥205

$1.38 ¥217

-5.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥139

$0.88 ¥140

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ¥631

$4.26 ¥674

-6.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.60 ¥1,517

$6.50 ¥1,027

47.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ¥308

$1.91 ¥302

2.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ¥512

$2.37 ¥375

36.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 ¥219

$1.58 ¥250

-12.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.34 ¥5,109

$56.0 ¥8,840

-42.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ¥583

$3.43 ¥542

7.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 ¥486

$2.87 ¥454

6.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.76 ¥3,437

$21.07 ¥3,329

3.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥173

$1.23 ¥194

-11.38%

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

$22.3K ¥3.5M

$23.5K ¥3.7M

-5.10%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$16.9K ¥2.7M

-10.39%

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

$139 ¥22.0K

$139 ¥21.9K

0.32%

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

$24.50 ¥3,870

$27.18 ¥4,294

-9.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.67 ¥4,846

$34.51 ¥5,452

-11.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.03 ¥7,746

$57.1 ¥9,012

-14.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.06 ¥2,853

$13.97 ¥2,207

29.28%

Cinema Ticket

$12.72 ¥2,010

$13.04 ¥2,061

-2.45%

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

$510 ¥80.5K

$285 ¥45.0K

79.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K ¥2.0M

$13.5K ¥2.1M

-5.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.57 ¥7,673

$43.95 ¥6,944

10.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.98 ¥4,894

$28.96 ¥4,575

6.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 ¥11.7K

$59.0 ¥9,328

25.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.5 ¥14.5K

$92.2 ¥14.6K

-0.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 ¥110.5K

$461 ¥72.8K

51.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 ¥80.6K

$328 ¥51.9K

55.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 ¥270.1K

$878 ¥138.6K

94.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 ¥122.0K

$659 ¥104.1K

17.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,183 ¥976.8K

$2,826 ¥446.5K

118.76%

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

1.81

22.10%

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

Last update for Osaka: October 17, 2026

Last update for Nago, Okinawa: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$510 37.1%

Nago, Okinawa

$328 26.7% 35.7% $182

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$302 21.9%

Nago, Okinawa

$306 24.9% 1.6% $4.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$194 14.1%

Nago, Okinawa

$200 16.3% 3.1% $6.1

Eating Out

Osaka

$130 9.4%

Nago, Okinawa

$132 10.7% 1.6% $2.1

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$110 8%

Nago, Okinawa

$101 8.2% 8.6% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$74 5.4%

Nago, Okinawa

$83 6.8% 11.6% $8.7

Getting Around

Osaka

$57 4.1%

Nago, Okinawa

$80 6.5% 40.7% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $699 in Osaka versus $461 in Nago, Okinawa. 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 $35.00 in Nago, Okinawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $302 vs $306 – making Osaka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇯🇵 Nago, Okinawa

🕒 Local time

01:11 1:11 AM

Same time as Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

63,554

💱 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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Osaka Nago, Okinawa 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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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 Nago, Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Osaka is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

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

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

Public transport costs about 73% less in Nago, Okinawa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $510 per month in Osaka and $285 in Nago, Okinawa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nago, Okinawa, where all-in costs run around $1,231, than in Osaka at $1,378. In Nago, Okinawa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Osaka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nago, Okinawa – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Nago, Okinawa. 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.