Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Suginami-ku Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Suginami-ku

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,393 in Osaka versus $1,231 in Suginami-ku.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,070 in Osaka versus $1,991 in Suginami-ku.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,747 in Osaka versus $2,751 in Suginami-ku.

Living in Osaka is roughly 13% more expensive than in Suginami-ku, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Osaka is 2% above, Suginami-ku is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.65 ¥1,039

$6.52 ¥1,018

1.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.08 ¥5,010

$41.54 ¥6,488

-22.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥819

$5.03 ¥786

4.37%

Cappuccino

$3.05 ¥476

$3.58 ¥559

-14.80%

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

$1.41 ¥220

$1.12 ¥175

25.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 ¥109

$0.82 ¥128

-14.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.79 ¥436

$2.56 ¥400

8.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 ¥605

$3.29 ¥514

17.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 ¥231

$1.46 ¥228

1.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 ¥205

$1.75 ¥273

-25.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.49 ¥858

$3.74 ¥584

46.79%

Eggs

$2.07 ¥323

$2.14 ¥335

-3.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.84 ¥1,536

$12.04 ¥1,880

-18.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 ¥1,511

$6.14 ¥959

57.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.58 ¥2,902

$14.54 ¥2,271

27.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 ¥536

$5.97 ¥933

-42.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 ¥319

$2.89 ¥451

-29.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 ¥332

$2.94 ¥459

-27.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 ¥652

$4.42 ¥690

-5.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ¥250

$2.66 ¥415

-39.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 ¥189

$2.59 ¥405

-53.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ¥212

$1.27 ¥199

7.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.77 ¥120

3.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ¥625

$3.87 ¥604

3.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.49 ¥1,482

$6.41 ¥1,001

48.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 ¥313

$1.81 ¥282

10.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ¥500

$2.12 ¥332

50.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ¥220

$1.35 ¥211

4.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.84 ¥5,129

$56.8 ¥8,872

-42.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ¥614

$3.18 ¥497

23.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.20 ¥500

$2.61 ¥408

22.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.17 ¥3,462

$21.23 ¥3,316

4.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥176

$1.15 ¥180

-1.74%

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

$22.4K ¥3.5M

$22.0K ¥3.4M

1.99%

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

$15.6K ¥2.4M

$18.9K ¥3.0M

-17.77%

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

$140 ¥21.8K

$136 ¥21.2K

2.90%

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

$24.68 ¥3,855

$24.41 ¥3,811

1.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.03 ¥4,847

$33.10 ¥5,169

-6.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 ¥8,290

$60.4 ¥9,435

-12.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ¥2,973

Cinema Ticket

$12.30 ¥1,920

$12.97 ¥2,026

-5.17%

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

$529 ¥82.6K

$635 ¥99.1K

-16.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K ¥2.1M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

-13.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.93 ¥7,642

$65.1 ¥10.2K

-24.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.85 ¥4,974

$33.43 ¥5,221

-4.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 ¥11.9K

$62.6 ¥9,768

21.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 ¥14.7K

$105 ¥16.4K

-10.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$728 ¥113.7K

$509 ¥79.5K

42.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 ¥79.9K

$327 ¥51.1K

56.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,753 ¥273.7K

$1,058 ¥165.2K

65.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$778 ¥121.5K

$776 ¥121.2K

0.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,376 ¥995.7K

$3,694 ¥576.8K

72.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,959 ¥305.9K

$1,970 ¥307.7K

-0.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,342 ¥365.7K

$2,849 ¥444.9K

-17.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

10.50%

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

Last update for Osaka: September 13, 2026

Last update for Suginami-ku: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $728 in Osaka and $509 in Suginami-ku. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Suginami-ku pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Osaka vs $42.00 in Suginami-ku. Groceries flip the comparison at $308 vs $301, with Suginami-ku cheaper for home cooking.

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 Suginami-ku: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Osaka and Suginami-ku differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,393 vs $1,231 including rent). Suginami-ku is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Suginami-ku. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $728 in Osaka versus $509 in Suginami-ku. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Suginami-ku runs roughly 73% less than in Osaka. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $529 in Osaka versus $635 in Suginami-ku. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,231 in Suginami-ku versus $1,393 in Osaka, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Suginami-ku but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Suginami-ku the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Suginami-ku are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Suginami-ku gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.