Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Nara, Japan

For one person, living is cheaper in Nara: $1,233 a month against $1,396 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Osaka outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

67

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Nara
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Nara Living Index

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Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,396

/mo nomad

Nara

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,233

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Nara

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,396 in Osaka versus $1,233 in Nara.

Osaka $1,396
Nara $1,233

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Osaka versus $1,851 in Nara.

Osaka $2,027
Nara $1,851

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,658 in Osaka versus $2,468 in Nara.

Osaka $2,658
Nara $2,468

Living in Osaka is roughly 13% more expensive than in Nara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Osaka is 3% above, Nara is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.50 ¥1,024

$6.33 ¥996

2.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.93 ¥5,029

$32.27 ¥5,083

-1.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 ¥812

$4.99 ¥785

3.21%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ¥477

$2.50 ¥394

21.20%

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

$1.39 ¥220

$1.26 ¥198

10.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥112

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.75 ¥433

$3.21 ¥506

-14.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 ¥612

$3.10 ¥488

25.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥229

$1.57 ¥247

-7.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ¥204

$1.30 ¥205

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 ¥861

$4.12 ¥649

32.52%

Eggs

$2.03 ¥320

$2.23 ¥352

-8.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ¥1,516

$9.75 ¥1,537

-1.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 ¥1,489

$7.07 ¥1,114

33.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.58 ¥2,926

$18.13 ¥2,855

2.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ¥534

$3.30 ¥520

2.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 ¥315

$1.93 ¥304

3.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥329

$2.12 ¥334

-1.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ¥653

$4.08 ¥642

1.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 ¥247

$1.50 ¥236

4.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥185

$1.14 ¥179

2.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 ¥216

$1.13 ¥179

21.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥127

$0.88 ¥138

-7.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ¥634

$3.88 ¥612

3.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,532

$9.54 ¥1,502

1.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 ¥305

$1.87 ¥295

3.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ¥502

$2.15 ¥339

48.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ¥213

$1.48 ¥233

-8.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.79 ¥5,166

$74.3 ¥11.7K

-55.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 ¥615

$3.15 ¥497

23.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 ¥513

$2.92 ¥461

11.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.50 ¥3,387

$15.66 ¥2,467

37.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.08 ¥169

2.78%

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

$22.3K ¥3.5M

$21.8K ¥3.4M

2.56%

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

$14.9K ¥2.3M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

-3.04%

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

$141 ¥22.2K

$118 ¥18.6K

19.58%

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

$24.00 ¥3,781

$24.81 ¥3,909

-3.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.50 ¥4,804

$30.74 ¥4,843

-0.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 ¥8,149

$83.2 ¥13.1K

-37.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.86 ¥2,971

$7.58 ¥1,195

148.81%

Cinema Ticket

$12.85 ¥2,024

$12.57 ¥1,980

2.23%

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

$709 ¥111.6K

$693 ¥109.1K

2.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$13.3K ¥2.1M

-0.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.77 ¥7,683

$47.11 ¥7,420

3.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.94 ¥4,874

$30.96 ¥4,877

-0.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 ¥11.5K

$61.8 ¥9,728

18.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 ¥14.3K

$89.9 ¥14.2K

0.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 ¥115.3K

$411 ¥64.8K

78.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 ¥81.3K

$340 ¥53.5K

51.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 ¥266.7K

$832 ¥131.1K

103.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 ¥121.8K

$547 ¥86.1K

41.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,542 ¥1.0M

$2,671 ¥420.7K

144.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,063 ¥482.5K

$2,040 ¥321.3K

50.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,363 ¥372.2K

$1,123 ¥176.8K

110.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

2.02

9.41%

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

Last update for Osaka: October 25, 2026

Last update for Nara: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$516 37%

Nara

$340 27.6% 34.1% $176

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$305 21.9%

Nara

$285 23.1% 6.7% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$195 14%

Nara

$173 14.1% 11.3% $22

Eating Out

Osaka

$134 9.6%

Nara

$126 10.2% 6% $8

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$110 7.9%

Nara

$103 8.4% 5.6% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$77 5.6%

Nara

$108 8.8% 39.9% $31

Getting Around

Osaka

$58 4.2%

Nara

$98 8% 67.9% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $732 in Osaka and $411 in Nara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Osaka pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Osaka vs $32 in Nara. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $285, with Nara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇯🇵 Nara

🕒 Local time

02:50 2:50 AM

Same time as Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

355,280

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 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 Nara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nara is about 12% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Osaka is about 2.1 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $732 in Osaka versus $411 in Nara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Osaka. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,396 per month in Osaka versus $1,233 in Nara – Nara is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Nara wins on affordability, Osaka on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.