Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Osaka: $1,400 a month against $1,635 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 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
80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index

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Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,400

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Tokyo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,400 in Osaka versus $1,635 in Tokyo.

Osaka $1,400
Tokyo $1,635

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,991 in Osaka versus $2,608 in Tokyo.

Osaka $1,991
Tokyo $2,608

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,582 in Osaka versus $3,581 in Tokyo.

Osaka $2,582
Tokyo $3,581

Living in Osaka costs roughly 14% less than in Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Osaka 4% above, Tokyo 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.19 ¥978

$7.64 ¥1,207

-18.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.80 ¥5,026

$38.51 ¥6,087

-17.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.93 ¥780

$5.05 ¥799

-2.38%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ¥474

$3.61 ¥570

-16.90%

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

$1.45 ¥228

$1.62 ¥257

-10.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥113

$0.86 ¥135

-16.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ¥415

$3.69 ¥583

-29.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 ¥618

$5.27 ¥834

-25.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥230

$1.53 ¥242

-4.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 ¥207

$1.76 ¥278

-25.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.25 ¥830

$5.59 ¥883

-6.08%

Eggs

$2.03 ¥321

$2.24 ¥354

-9.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.77 ¥1,544

$10.65 ¥1,684

-8.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 ¥1,458

$6.60 ¥1,043

39.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.95 ¥2,838

$16.74 ¥2,646

7.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ¥519

$4.86 ¥768

-32.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 ¥317

$2.35 ¥371

-14.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 ¥333

$4.33 ¥684

-51.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 ¥649

$5.28 ¥835

-22.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ¥239

$3.41 ¥539

-55.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ¥187

$3.19 ¥504

-62.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ¥206

$1.18 ¥187

10.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥137

$0.83 ¥131

3.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 ¥604

$3.84 ¥607

-0.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.74 ¥1,540

$9.27 ¥1,466

5.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ¥296

$1.64 ¥259

14.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 ¥498

$2.75 ¥434

14.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 ¥211

$1.29 ¥204

3.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.68 ¥5,165

$62.1 ¥9,819

-47.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 ¥609

$3.08 ¥487

25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.19 ¥504

$3.21 ¥507

-0.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.93 ¥3,466

$18.41 ¥2,909

19.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥173

$1.07 ¥169

2.80%

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

$21.5K ¥3.4M

$22.2K ¥3.5M

-2.97%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

-1.03%

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

$140 ¥22.1K

$148 ¥23.3K

-5.09%

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

$24.14 ¥3,816

$21.97 ¥3,472

9.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.58 ¥4,834

$30.43 ¥4,810

0.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.41 ¥7,810

$65.1 ¥10.3K

-24.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.41 ¥2,910

$25.55 ¥4,039

-27.95%

Cinema Ticket

$12.27 ¥1,939

$12.87 ¥2,034

-4.66%

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

$511 ¥80.8K

$1,360 ¥215.0K

-62.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K ¥2.1M

$18.3K ¥2.9M

-28.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.50 ¥7,508

$56.5 ¥8,932

-15.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.12 ¥4,761

$33.16 ¥5,241

-9.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.4 ¥11.6K

$64.4 ¥10.2K

14.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.0 ¥14.4K

$71.8 ¥11.3K

26.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 ¥111.2K

$1,275 ¥201.5K

-44.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$508 ¥80.3K

$702 ¥111.0K

-27.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 ¥276.8K

$2,565 ¥405.5K

-31.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$765 ¥120.9K

$1,480 ¥234.0K

-48.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,208 ¥981.2K

$9,152 ¥1.4M

-32.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,938 ¥306.4K

$4,191 ¥662.4K

-53.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,346 ¥370.8K

$2,998 ¥473.8K

-21.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

2.25

-1.78%

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

Last update for Osaka: October 3, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$508 36.9%

Tokyo

$702 42.2% 38.3% $194

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$301 21.9%

Tokyo

$325 19.5% 8% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$195 14.2%

Tokyo

$200 12% 2.7% $5.2

Eating Out

Osaka

$130 9.5%

Tokyo

$158 9.5% 22.1% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$109 7.9%

Tokyo

$102 6.1% 6.7% $7.3

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$74 5.4%

Tokyo

$91 5.5% 22.8% $17

Getting Around

Osaka

$58 4.2%

Tokyo

$86 5.2% 49.5% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $704 in Osaka and $1,275 in Tokyo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tokyo pays 28% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Osaka vs $39.00 in Tokyo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $301 vs $325 per month, with Osaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

11:25 11:25 AM

Same time as Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

13,613,660 Capital

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Osaka vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Osaka and Tokyo differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($1,400 vs $1,635 including rent). Osaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Tokyo. 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: $704 in Osaka versus $1,275 in Tokyo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Osaka runs roughly 90% less than in Tokyo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $511 in Osaka versus $1,360 in Tokyo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,400 in Osaka versus $1,635 in Tokyo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Osaka but tight or insufficient in Tokyo. 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 Tokyo 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 17% less than in Tokyo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.