Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Shiga

For one person, living is cheaper in Shiga: $1,207 a month against $1,396 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Shiga
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Shiga Living Index

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Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,396

/mo nomad

Shiga

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Shiga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,396 in Osaka versus $1,207 in Shiga.

Osaka $1,396
Shiga $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Osaka versus $1,897 in Shiga.

Osaka $2,027
Shiga $1,897

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,658 in Osaka versus $2,588 in Shiga.

Osaka $2,658
Shiga $2,588

Living in Osaka is roughly 16% more expensive than in Shiga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Osaka is 3% above, Shiga is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.50 ¥1,025

$6.19 ¥976

5.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.93 ¥5,034

$31.73 ¥5,003

0.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 ¥812

$4.96 ¥782

3.83%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ¥477

$2.95 ¥465

2.71%

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

$1.39 ¥220

$1.31 ¥206

6.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥112

$0.70 ¥110

1.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.75 ¥433

$2.76 ¥436

-0.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 ¥613

$3.53 ¥557

10.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥230

$1.28 ¥203

14.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ¥204

$1.24 ¥196

4.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 ¥862

$3.89 ¥613

40.36%

Eggs

$2.03 ¥320

$2.04 ¥321

-0.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ¥1,518

$9.45 ¥1,490

1.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 ¥1,491

$9.19 ¥1,450

2.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.58 ¥2,929

$18.48 ¥2,914

0.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ¥535

$3.44 ¥542

-1.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 ¥315

$2.03 ¥320

-1.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥329

$2.04 ¥322

2.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ¥653

$3.97 ¥625

4.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 ¥247

$1.52 ¥240

3.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥185

$1.14 ¥179

2.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 ¥217

$1.36 ¥215

0.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥127

$0.87 ¥137

-6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ¥634

$3.97 ¥626

1.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,533

$9.77 ¥1,541

-0.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 ¥305

$1.90 ¥300

2.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ¥502

$3.13 ¥493

1.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ¥213

$1.16 ¥183

16.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.79 ¥5,171

$56.2 ¥8,863

-41.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 ¥616

$3.86 ¥609

1.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 ¥514

$3.20 ¥504

1.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.50 ¥3,390

$21.98 ¥3,466

-2.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.09 ¥172

1.83%

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

$22.3K ¥3.5M

$22.7K ¥3.6M

-1.59%

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

$14.9K ¥2.3M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

-2.67%

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

$141 ¥22.2K

$137 ¥21.6K

2.84%

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

$24.00 ¥3,785

$24.58 ¥3,876

-2.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.50 ¥4,809

$18.76 ¥2,957

62.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 ¥8,157

$52.0 ¥8,202

-0.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.86 ¥2,974

Cinema Ticket

$12.85 ¥2,026

$12.55 ¥1,979

2.39%

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

$709 ¥111.7K

$697 ¥110.0K

1.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$13.4K ¥2.1M

-0.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.77 ¥7,691

$48.59 ¥7,662

0.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.94 ¥4,879

$30.84 ¥4,863

0.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 ¥11.5K

$73.3 ¥11.6K

-0.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 ¥14.3K

$90.1 ¥14.2K

0.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 ¥115.4K

$551 ¥86.9K

32.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 ¥81.4K

$337 ¥53.1K

53.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 ¥267.0K

$998 ¥157.3K

69.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 ¥121.9K

$727 ¥114.7K

6.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,542 ¥1.0M

$4,617 ¥728.0K

41.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,063 ¥483.0K

$2,022 ¥318.8K

51.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,363 ¥372.6K

$1,210 ¥190.9K

95.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

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

Last update for Osaka: October 25, 2026

Last update for Shiga: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$516 37%

Shiga

$337 27.9% 34.7% $179

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$305 21.9%

Shiga

$294 24.4% 3.6% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$195 14%

Shiga

$180 15% 7.7% $15

Eating Out

Osaka

$134 9.6%

Shiga

$129 10.7% 3.8% $5.1

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$110 7.9%

Shiga

$109 9.1% 0.2% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$77 5.6%

Shiga

$77 6.4% 0.4% $0.3

Getting Around

Osaka

$58 4.2%

Shiga

$81 6.7% 38.2% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $732 in Osaka and $551 in Shiga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Osaka pays 95% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Osaka vs $32 in Shiga. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $294, with Shiga cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇯🇵 Shiga

🕒 Local time

21:12 9:12 PM

Same time as Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

23,836

💱 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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Osaka
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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 Shiga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,396 in Osaka and $1,207 in Shiga, so Shiga is about 14% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 95% higher in Osaka, 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 $551 in Shiga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $709 in Osaka versus $697 in Shiga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Osaka runs roughly 42% less than in Shiga. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Shiga gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Shiga are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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