Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Wakayama

For one person, living is cheaper in Wakayama: $1,265 a month against $1,396 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Osaka outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

67

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Wakayama
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Wakayama Living Index

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Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,396

/mo nomad

Wakayama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,265

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Wakayama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,396 in Osaka versus $1,265 in Wakayama.

Osaka $1,396
Wakayama $1,265

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Osaka versus $2,078 in Wakayama.

Osaka $2,027
Wakayama $2,078

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,658 in Osaka versus $2,890 in Wakayama.

Osaka $2,658
Wakayama $2,890

Living in Osaka is roughly 10% more expensive than in Wakayama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Osaka is 3% above, Wakayama is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.50 ¥1,027

$6.32 ¥998

2.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.93 ¥5,041

$32.23 ¥5,089

-0.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 ¥813

$5.22 ¥824

-1.34%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ¥478

$2.61 ¥412

16.09%

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

$1.39 ¥220

$1.30 ¥205

6.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥113

$0.95 ¥150

-25.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.75 ¥434

$3.12 ¥493

-11.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 ¥614

$1.89 ¥298

105.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥230

$1.52 ¥240

-3.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ¥205

$1.54 ¥243

-15.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 ¥863

$4.06 ¥641

34.48%

Eggs

$2.03 ¥321

$2.21 ¥348

-8.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ¥1,520

$15.58 ¥2,460

-38.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 ¥1,492

$6.93 ¥1,095

36.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.58 ¥2,933

$16.97 ¥2,680

9.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ¥535

$8.61 ¥1,359

-60.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 ¥316

$2.99 ¥472

-33.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥329

$5.15 ¥813

-59.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ¥654

$7.67 ¥1,211

-46.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 ¥247

$3.91 ¥617

-59.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥185

$4.57 ¥721

-74.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 ¥217

$1.18 ¥186

16.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥128

$0.94 ¥148

-13.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ¥635

$3.87 ¥611

3.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,535

$9.65 ¥1,524

0.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 ¥306

$2.52 ¥398

-23.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ¥503

$2.11 ¥333

51.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 ¥213

$1.61 ¥254

-16.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.79 ¥5,178

$63.7 ¥10.1K

-48.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 ¥616

$3.22 ¥509

21.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 ¥515

$2.93 ¥462

11.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.50 ¥3,395

$15.82 ¥2,498

35.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥176

$1.10 ¥174

0.91%

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

$22.3K ¥3.5M

$22.2K ¥3.5M

0.69%

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

$14.9K ¥2.3M

$15.0K ¥2.4M

-1.12%

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

$141 ¥22.3K

$118 ¥18.6K

19.39%

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

$24.00 ¥3,790

$23.84 ¥3,764

0.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.50 ¥4,815

$31.84 ¥5,027

-4.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 ¥8,168

$49.43 ¥7,804

4.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.86 ¥2,978

Cinema Ticket

$12.85 ¥2,028

$12.61 ¥1,991

1.90%

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

$709 ¥111.9K

$685 ¥108.2K

3.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

$15.0K ¥2.4M

-11.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.77 ¥7,700

$50.3 ¥7,942

-3.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.94 ¥4,885

$35.61 ¥5,622

-13.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 ¥11.5K

$60.8 ¥9,593

20.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 ¥14.3K

$99.4 ¥15.7K

-8.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 ¥115.6K

$475 ¥75.0K

54.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 ¥81.5K

$311 ¥49.1K

65.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 ¥267.3K

$1,147 ¥181.0K

47.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 ¥122.1K

$810 ¥127.8K

-4.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,542 ¥1.0M

$4,633 ¥731.5K

41.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,063 ¥483.6K

$2,252 ¥355.6K

36.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,363 ¥373.1K

$3,949 ¥623.5K

-40.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

1.67

32.34%

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

Last update for Osaka: October 25, 2026

Last update for Wakayama: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$516 37%

Wakayama

$311 24.6% 39.7% $205

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$305 21.9%

Wakayama

$381 30.1% 24.8% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$195 14%

Wakayama

$174 13.7% 11.1% $22

Eating Out

Osaka

$134 9.6%

Wakayama

$126 10% 5.9% $7.9

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$110 7.9%

Wakayama

$111 8.8% 1.1% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$77 5.6%

Wakayama

$75 5.9% 3.6% $2.8

Getting Around

Osaka

$58 4.2%

Wakayama

$88 7% 50.7% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $732 in Osaka and $475 in Wakayama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wakayama pays 67% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Osaka vs $32 in Wakayama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $381 per month, with Osaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇯🇵 Wakayama

🕒 Local time

05:35 5:35 AM

Same time as Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

362,163

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Wakayama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,396 in Osaka and $1,265 in Wakayama, so Wakayama is about 9% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 40% lower in Osaka. 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: $732 in Osaka versus $475 in Wakayama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $709 in Osaka versus $685 in Wakayama. 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 49% less than in Wakayama. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your 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.