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: $1,371 in Osaka versus $1,196 in Suginami-ku.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,038 in Osaka versus $1,894 in Suginami-ku.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,705 in Osaka versus $2,592 in Suginami-ku.

Living in Osaka is roughly 15% more expensive than Suginami-ku, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Osaka is 2% above, Suginami-ku is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.95 ¥1,112

$7.00 ¥1,120

-0.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.58 ¥5,531

$34.21 ¥5,473

1.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 ¥797

$5.06 ¥810

-1.58%

Cappuccino

$3.33 ¥532

$3.16 ¥506

5.38%

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

$1.08 ¥173

$1.14 ¥182

-5.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥122

$0.74 ¥119

2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 ¥438

$2.04 ¥326

34.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 ¥695

$2.09 ¥335

108.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ¥257

$1.51 ¥242

6.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ¥229

$1.76 ¥281

-18.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.86 ¥778

$4.84 ¥774

0.41%

Eggs

$2.46 ¥393

$1.52 ¥243

61.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.43 ¥1,669

$10.18 ¥1,628

2.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.38 ¥1,021

$6.27 ¥1,004

1.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.61 ¥2,977

$15.64 ¥2,502

18.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 ¥564

$5.95 ¥952

-40.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 ¥350

$3.08 ¥493

-28.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 ¥397

$4.10 ¥655

-39.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 ¥689

$4.64 ¥742

-7.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 ¥271

$3.33 ¥533

-49.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ¥205

$3.57 ¥570

-64.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 ¥222

$1.34 ¥215

3.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥136

$0.87 ¥139

-2.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.93 ¥629

$4.25 ¥680

-7.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.27 ¥1,482

$9.29 ¥1,486

-0.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 ¥340

$1.84 ¥294

15.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 ¥479

$2.06 ¥330

45.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.61 ¥258

$1.59 ¥254

1.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.32 ¥5,810

$55.1 ¥8,808

-34.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.56 ¥729

$3.57 ¥570

27.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.31 ¥530

$3.02 ¥484

9.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.95 ¥3,830

$21.93 ¥3,507

9.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ¥191

$1.17 ¥188

1.71%

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

$23.6K ¥3.8M

$22.9K ¥3.7M

2.67%

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

$16.9K ¥2.7M

$18.3K ¥2.9M

-7.50%

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

$135 ¥21.6K

$82.5 ¥13.2K

63.38%

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

$27.60 ¥4,415

$27.76 ¥4,440

-0.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.37 ¥4,858

$33.70 ¥5,391

-9.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.1 ¥9,460

$56.2 ¥8,994

5.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.39 ¥3,262

$14.00 ¥2,240

45.64%

Cinema Ticket

$12.36 ¥1,978

$11.32 ¥1,811

9.19%

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

$68.1 ¥10.9K

$287 ¥45.9K

-76.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K ¥1.7M

$14.0K ¥2.2M

-24.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.08 ¥7,050

$20.99 ¥3,357

110.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.47 ¥4,713

$29.03 ¥4,643

1.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.2 ¥10.8K

$60.9 ¥9,737

10.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.8 ¥15.2K

$98.4 ¥15.7K

-3.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$717 ¥114.7K

$463 ¥74.1K

54.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 ¥77.2K

$323 ¥51.7K

49.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 ¥209.6K

$879 ¥140.6K

49.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$807 ¥129.0K

$660 ¥105.5K

22.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,951 ¥951.8K

$4,161 ¥665.5K

43.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,055 ¥328.6K

$2,507 ¥401.0K

-18.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,944 ¥310.9K

$2,769 ¥442.9K

-29.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.81

-9.50%

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

Last update for Osaka: May 30, 2026

Last update for Suginami-ku: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $717 in Osaka and $463 in Suginami-ku. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Suginami-ku pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Osaka vs $34.00 in Suginami-ku. Groceries flip the comparison at $299 vs $320, with Osaka 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 15% in total monthly costs ($1,371 vs $1,196 including rent). Suginami-ku is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Suginami-ku earns 42% less. 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: $717 in Osaka versus $463 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 52% less than in Osaka. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $68.1 in Osaka versus $287 in Suginami-ku. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,196 in Suginami-ku versus $1,371 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 15% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.