Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Nishinomiya

For one person, living is cheaper in Nishinomiya: $1,257 a month against $1,378 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 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
61

Cost of Living Index in Nishinomiya
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Nishinomiya Living Index

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Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,378

/mo nomad

Nishinomiya

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,257

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Nishinomiya

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

A single person spends $1,378 per month in Osaka vs $1,257 in Nishinomiya, rent included.

Osaka $1,378
Nishinomiya $1,257

A couple spends around $2,005 per month in Osaka vs $2,020 in Nishinomiya, rent included.

Osaka $2,005
Nishinomiya $2,020

A family of three spends $2,632 per month in Osaka vs $2,783 in Nishinomiya, rent included.

Osaka $2,632
Nishinomiya $2,783

Osaka costs about 10% more than Nishinomiya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Osaka sits 2% above the global median, while Nishinomiya is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.25 ¥987

$8.71 ¥1,377

-28.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.70 ¥5,008

$31.81 ¥5,025

-0.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 ¥774

$5.02 ¥794

-2.39%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ¥466

$2.26 ¥358

30.53%

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

$1.44 ¥228

$1.17 ¥185

23.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥119

$0.63 ¥99.4

19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 ¥419

$2.09 ¥331

26.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 ¥611

$2.23 ¥353

73.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ¥227

$1.49 ¥236

-3.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 ¥211

$1.49 ¥236

-10.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.25 ¥830

$5.61 ¥886

-6.42%

Eggs

$2.14 ¥338

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.33 ¥1,475

$12.69 ¥2,005

-26.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 ¥1,456

$9.42 ¥1,489

-2.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.39 ¥2,906

$31.74 ¥5,015

-42.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 ¥541

$5.13 ¥810

-33.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 ¥303

$1.81 ¥286

6.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 ¥314

$3.04 ¥480

-34.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 ¥640

$6.01 ¥949

-32.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ¥247

$1.62 ¥256

-3.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥185

$2.53 ¥400

-53.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ¥205

$1.13 ¥179

15.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥139

$0.94 ¥149

-6.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ¥631

$3.41 ¥538

17.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.60 ¥1,517

$9.56 ¥1,511

0.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ¥308

$2.35 ¥371

-17.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ¥512

$1.52 ¥240

113.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 ¥219

$1.50 ¥237

-7.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.34 ¥5,109

$53.1 ¥8,392

-39.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ¥583

$3.23 ¥510

14.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 ¥486

$2.81 ¥444

9.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.76 ¥3,437

$15.51 ¥2,450

40.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥173

$1.10 ¥174

-0.91%

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

$22.3K ¥3.5M

$19.8K ¥3.1M

12.69%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$15.0K ¥2.4M

0.46%

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

$139 ¥22.0K

$117 ¥18.4K

19.24%

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

$24.50 ¥3,870

$23.12 ¥3,653

5.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.67 ¥4,846

$30.51 ¥4,819

0.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.03 ¥7,746

$62.2 ¥9,820

-21.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.06 ¥2,853

Cinema Ticket

$12.72 ¥2,010

$11.49 ¥1,816

10.70%

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

$510 ¥80.5K

$323 ¥51.0K

57.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K ¥2.0M

$6,082 ¥960.9K

111.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.57 ¥7,673

$49.33 ¥7,793

-1.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.98 ¥4,894

$25.09 ¥3,964

23.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 ¥11.7K

$46.56 ¥7,356

59.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.5 ¥14.5K

$64.4 ¥10.2K

42.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 ¥110.5K

$523 ¥82.6K

33.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 ¥80.6K

$328 ¥51.9K

55.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 ¥270.1K

$1,114 ¥175.9K

53.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 ¥122.0K

$751 ¥118.6K

2.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,183 ¥976.8K

$4,265 ¥673.9K

44.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,908 ¥301.4K

$1,735 ¥274.1K

9.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,424 ¥382.9K

$1,977 ¥312.4K

22.56%

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 17, 2026

Last update for Nishinomiya: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$510 37.1%

Nishinomiya

$328 26.1% 35.7% $182

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$302 21.9%

Nishinomiya

$380 30.2% 25.9% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$194 14.1%

Nishinomiya

$170 13.5% 12.3% $24

Eating Out

Osaka

$130 9.4%

Nishinomiya

$134 10.7% 3.3% $4.2

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$110 8%

Nishinomiya

$83 6.6% 24.4% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$74 5.4%

Nishinomiya

$85 6.8% 14.3% $11

Getting Around

Osaka

$57 4.1%

Nishinomiya

$76 6.1% 34.2% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $699 in Osaka versus $523 in Nishinomiya. 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 23% 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 $32.00 in Nishinomiya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $302 vs $380 – making Osaka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇯🇵 Nishinomiya

🕒 Local time

12:18 12:18 PM

Same time as Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

488,873

💱 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)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Osaka vs Nishinomiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Osaka is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,067 per month in Osaka and $1,886 in Nishinomiya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nishinomiya, 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 $32.00 in Nishinomiya. 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 $1,257 in Nishinomiya. That's a gap of about 10%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nishinomiya, where all-in costs run around $1,257, than in Osaka at $1,378. In Nishinomiya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Osaka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nishinomiya – 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 Nishinomiya. 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.