Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Sagamihara

For one person, living is cheaper in Sagamihara: $1,257 a month against $1,362 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Osaka outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Osaka
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,362
/mo nomad
Sagamihara
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,257
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Sagamihara

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,362 in Osaka versus $1,257 in Sagamihara.

  • Osaka $1,362
  • Sagamihara $1,257

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,986 in Osaka versus $2,021 in Sagamihara.

  • Osaka $1,986
  • Sagamihara $2,021

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,609 in Osaka versus $2,785 in Sagamihara.

  • Osaka $2,609
  • Sagamihara $2,785

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Osaka is 1% above, Sagamihara is 7% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Osaka
Sagamihara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.46 ¥1,021
$8.53 ¥1,348
-24.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.30 ¥4,945
$32.01 ¥5,057
-2.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.90 ¥774
$4.91 ¥775
-0.20%
Cappuccino
$2.96 ¥468
$2.46 ¥389
20.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 ¥216
$1.23 ¥195
11.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 ¥116
$0.86 ¥135
-15.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.74 ¥432
$3.11 ¥492
-11.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.88 ¥614
$3.08 ¥486
25.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Osaka
Sagamihara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 ¥230
$0.93 ¥147
55.91%
White Bread (500g)
$1.29 ¥203
$0.62 ¥97.4
108.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.29 ¥835
$4.18 ¥660
26.56%
Eggs
$2.04 ¥323
$1.83 ¥290
11.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.63 ¥1,522
$15.74 ¥2,486
-38.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.43 ¥1,489
$6.96 ¥1,099
35.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.22 ¥2,878
$17.26 ¥2,727
5.56%
Apples (1kg)
$3.31 ¥523
$2.27 ¥358
45.81%
Banana (1kg)
$1.93 ¥305
$1.60 ¥252
20.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 ¥321
$5.02 ¥794
-59.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.14 ¥654
$7.96 ¥1,257
-47.99%
Potato (1kg)
$1.52 ¥240
$3.90 ¥616
-61.03%
Onion (1kg)
$1.18 ¥187
$4.74 ¥749
-75.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 ¥216
$1.13 ¥178
21.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.80 ¥126
$0.42 ¥67.1
90.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.86 ¥611
$3.98 ¥629
-3.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.54 ¥1,507
$9.59 ¥1,515
-0.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 ¥307
$2.61 ¥412
-25.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07 ¥485
$2.13 ¥337
44.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Osaka
Sagamihara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.34 ¥212
$1.32 ¥209
1.52%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$32.00 ¥5,055
$47.24 ¥7,463
-32.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.87 ¥611
$3.09 ¥488
25.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.21 ¥507
$2.81 ¥444
14.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.07 ¥3,328
$15.55 ¥2,457
35.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.06 ¥167
$1.06 ¥167
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.5K ¥3.4M
$21.4K ¥3.4M
0.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$14.9K ¥2.4M
$15.1K ¥2.4M
-1.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Osaka
Sagamihara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$138 ¥21.7K
$117 ¥18.5K
17.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.11 ¥3,809
$23.13 ¥3,654
4.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.75 ¥4,857
$31.04 ¥4,904
-0.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Osaka
Sagamihara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.6 ¥7,997
$58.1 ¥9,172
-12.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.49 ¥2,921
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.74 ¥1,855
$11.33 ¥1,790
3.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Osaka
Sagamihara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$513 ¥81.0K
$580 ¥91.6K
-11.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.2K ¥2.1M
$14.5K ¥2.3M
-9.09%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Osaka
Sagamihara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$47.11 ¥7,442
$49.53 ¥7,826
-4.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.51 ¥4,820
$35.82 ¥5,659
-14.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.6 ¥11.3K
$61.4 ¥9,695
16.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.5 ¥14.3K
$97.3 ¥15.4K
-7.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Osaka
Sagamihara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$698 ¥110.3K
$468 ¥73.9K
49.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$498 ¥78.6K
$362 ¥57.1K
37.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,687 ¥266.5K
$1,074 ¥169.7K
57.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$755 ¥119.3K
$845 ¥133.5K
-10.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,157 ¥972.7K
$4,844 ¥765.3K
27.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,964 ¥310.3K
$1,779 ¥281.0K
10.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Osaka
Sagamihara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,386 ¥377.0K
-
-
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 10, 2026

Last update for Sagamihara: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Osaka
$498
Sagamihara
$362 27.4% $136
Groceries & Markets
Osaka
$301
Sagamihara
$321 6.7% $20
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Osaka
$192
Sagamihara
$172 10.9% $21
Eating Out
Osaka
$132
Sagamihara
$143 8.2% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Osaka
$108
Sagamihara
$110 1.8% $2
Sport & Entertainment
Osaka
$74
Sagamihara
$81 8.9% $6.6
Getting Around
Osaka
$57
Sagamihara
$70 21.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $698 in Osaka and $468 in Sagamihara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $31.00 in Osaka vs $32.00 in Sagamihara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $301 vs $321 per month, with Osaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Osaka
🇯🇵 Sagamihara
🕒 Local time
23:04 11:04 PM
23:04 11:04 PM
Same time as Osaka
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,691,185
725,493
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Osaka Sagamihara 370 km
From you
  • Osaka
  • Sagamihara

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 Sagamihara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Osaka and in Sagamihara?
Osaka and Sagamihara differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,362 vs $1,257 including rent). Sagamihara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Osaka compared to Sagamihara?
You'd need roughly $2,044 in Osaka and $1,886 in Sagamihara 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Osaka and in Sagamihara?
Rent for a central apartment: $698 in Osaka versus $468 in Sagamihara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Osaka and in Sagamihara?
A monthly transit pass in Sagamihara runs roughly 48% less than in Osaka. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Osaka and Sagamihara?
Childcare runs $513 in Osaka versus $580 in Sagamihara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $1,257 in Sagamihara versus $1,362 in Osaka, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sagamihara but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Sagamihara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Osaka and Sagamihara?
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.
Is Osaka or Sagamihara safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Osaka and Sagamihara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Osaka or Sagamihara?
Expats usually find Sagamihara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Osaka vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?