Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Taipei Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Taipei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,346 in Osaka versus $1,371 in Taipei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,976 in Osaka versus $2,237 in Taipei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,606 in Osaka versus $3,104 in Taipei.

Living in Osaka costs roughly 2% less than in Taipei, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Osaka is 2% below, Taipei is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.13 ¥954

$4.62 NT$146

32.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.75 ¥4,786

$48.10 NT$1,524

-36.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.81 ¥748

$5.87 NT$186

-18.06%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ¥456

$3.44 NT$109

-14.83%

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

$1.43 ¥223

$0.92 NT$29.18

55.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 ¥108

$0.66 NT$20.97

4.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 ¥409

$2.76 NT$87.5

-4.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ¥567

$3.74 NT$119

-2.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 ¥222

$3.04 NT$96.4

-52.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 ¥199

$1.97 NT$62.3

-35.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.25 ¥817

$3.03 NT$96.0

73.27%

Eggs

$2.10 ¥327

$2.77 NT$87.9

-24.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.80 ¥1,525

$19.90 NT$630

-50.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 ¥1,429

$9.95 NT$315

-7.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.09 ¥2,816

$21.25 NT$674

-14.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 ¥526

$5.04 NT$160

-32.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 ¥298

$3.36 NT$106

-43.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ¥308

$3.12 NT$98.8

-36.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 ¥605

$4.46 NT$141

-12.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥239

$2.80 NT$88.8

-45.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥182

$2.32 NT$73.6

-49.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 ¥200

$1.71 NT$54.3

-24.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥127

$1.18 NT$37.32

-31.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 ¥597

$3.90 NT$124

-1.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.50 ¥1,479

$14.43 NT$457

-34.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ¥290

$1.67 NT$52.8

11.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 ¥502

$2.31 NT$73.1

39.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ¥212

$0.69 NT$21.98

97.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.99 ¥4,979

$37.23 NT$1,180

-14.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 ¥587

$2.70 NT$85.4

39.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.04 ¥473

$0.75 NT$23.84

305.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.01 ¥3,270

$9.50 NT$301

121.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ¥170

$1.01 NT$32.12

7.92%

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

$21.4K ¥3.3M

$33.8K NT$1.1M

-36.72%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$24.1K NT$763.9K

-37.18%

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

$136 ¥21.2K

$85.7 NT$2,716

58.90%

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

$23.92 ¥3,722

$18.27 NT$579

30.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.63 ¥4,767

$27.88 NT$884

9.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.60 ¥7,563

$41.07 NT$1,302

18.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.90 ¥2,786

$15.95 NT$506

12.23%

Cinema Ticket

$12.04 ¥1,874

$9.66 NT$306

24.64%

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

$520 ¥80.9K

$633 NT$20.1K

-17.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$16.9K NT$534.5K

-21.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.15 ¥6,872

$61.7 NT$1,956

-28.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.71 ¥4,624

$40.47 NT$1,283

-26.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 ¥11.3K

$83.8 NT$2,656

-13.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.8 ¥13.8K

$107 NT$3,398

-17.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 ¥108.8K

$866 NT$27.5K

-19.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 ¥78.9K

$494 NT$15.7K

2.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,682 ¥261.8K

$1,572 NT$49.8K

7.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$761 ¥118.4K

$955 NT$30.3K

-20.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,636 ¥877.2K

$12.7K NT$401.2K

-55.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,822 ¥283.6K

$7,665 NT$242.9K

-76.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,245 ¥349.4K

$1,716 NT$54.4K

30.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

2.4

-7.92%

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

Last update for Osaka: August 30, 2026

Last update for Taipei: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $699 in Osaka and $866 in Taipei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Osaka pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31.00 in Osaka vs $48.00 in Taipei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $402 per month, with Osaka cheaper across the board.

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 Taipei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Osaka and Taipei differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,346 vs $1,371 including rent). Osaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 31% 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: $699 in Osaka versus $866 in Taipei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Osaka runs roughly 16% less than in Taipei. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $520 in Osaka versus $633 in Taipei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,346 in Osaka versus $1,371 in Taipei, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Osaka but tight or insufficient in Taipei. The gap between the two cities makes Osaka 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 Taipei 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 Osaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.