Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Yamanashi

For one person, living is cheaper in Yamanashi: $1,193 a month against $1,362 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Osaka
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,362
/mo nomad
Yamanashi
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,193
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Yamanashi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,362 in Osaka versus $1,193 in Yamanashi.

  • Osaka $1,362
  • Yamanashi $1,193

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,986 in Osaka versus $1,928 in Yamanashi.

  • Osaka $1,986
  • Yamanashi $1,928

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,609 in Osaka versus $2,663 in Yamanashi.

  • Osaka $2,609
  • Yamanashi $2,663

Living in Osaka is roughly 14% more expensive than in Yamanashi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Osaka is 1% above, Yamanashi is 12% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Osaka
Yamanashi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.46 ¥1,021
$8.69 ¥1,373
-25.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.30 ¥4,945
$32.03 ¥5,060
-2.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.90 ¥774
$5.17 ¥817
-5.22%
Cappuccino
$2.96 ¥468
$2.43 ¥384
21.81%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 ¥216
$1.24 ¥196
10.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 ¥116
$0.81 ¥127
-9.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.74 ¥432
$3.08 ¥486
-11.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.88 ¥614
$3.21 ¥507
20.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Osaka
Yamanashi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 ¥230
$0.91 ¥144
59.34%
White Bread (500g)
$1.29 ¥203
$0.79 ¥125
63.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.29 ¥835
$1.29 ¥204
310.08%
Eggs
$2.04 ¥323
$1.61 ¥254
26.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.63 ¥1,522
$12.72 ¥2,010
-24.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.43 ¥1,489
$5.52 ¥872
70.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.22 ¥2,878
$16.70 ¥2,638
9.10%
Apples (1kg)
$3.31 ¥523
$5.09 ¥805
-34.97%
Banana (1kg)
$1.93 ¥305
$3.02 ¥477
-36.09%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 ¥321
$1.94 ¥307
4.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.14 ¥654
$3.57 ¥564
15.97%
Potato (1kg)
$1.52 ¥240
$1.72 ¥271
-11.63%
Onion (1kg)
$1.18 ¥187
$2.44 ¥385
-51.64%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 ¥216
$1.10 ¥174
24.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.80 ¥126
$0.72 ¥114
11.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.86 ¥611
$3.84 ¥606
0.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.54 ¥1,507
$9.51 ¥1,502
0.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 ¥307
$2.62 ¥413
-25.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07 ¥485
$2.07 ¥327
48.31%
🚌 Getting Around
Osaka
Yamanashi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.34 ¥212
$1.49 ¥235
-10.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$32.00 ¥5,055
$49.25 ¥7,780
-35.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.87 ¥611
$3.18 ¥502
21.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.21 ¥507
$2.77 ¥438
15.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.07 ¥3,328
$15.55 ¥2,457
35.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.06 ¥167
$1.06 ¥167
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.5K ¥3.4M
$22.0K ¥3.5M
-2.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$14.9K ¥2.4M
$14.9K ¥2.4M
-0.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Osaka
Yamanashi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$138 ¥21.7K
$115 ¥18.2K
19.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.11 ¥3,809
$23.26 ¥3,674
3.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.75 ¥4,857
$30.67 ¥4,846
0.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Osaka
Yamanashi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.6 ¥7,997
$51.7 ¥8,174
-2.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.49 ¥2,921
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.74 ¥1,855
$11.55 ¥1,825
1.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Osaka
Yamanashi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$513 ¥81.0K
$580 ¥91.6K
-11.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.2K ¥2.1M
$14.7K ¥2.3M
-10.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Osaka
Yamanashi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$47.11 ¥7,442
$50.0 ¥7,904
-5.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.51 ¥4,820
$35.45 ¥5,601
-13.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.6 ¥11.3K
$59.8 ¥9,448
19.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.5 ¥14.3K
$95.8 ¥15.1K
-5.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Osaka
Yamanashi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$698 ¥110.3K
$523 ¥82.6K
33.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$498 ¥78.6K
$351 ¥55.5K
41.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,687 ¥266.5K
$1,251 ¥197.6K
34.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$755 ¥119.3K
$843 ¥133.2K
-10.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,157 ¥972.7K
$3,889 ¥614.4K
58.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,964 ¥310.3K
$1,885 ¥297.9K
4.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Osaka
Yamanashi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,386 ¥377.0K
$4,536 ¥716.6K
-47.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.21
2.02
9.41%

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

Last update for Osaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Yamanashi: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Osaka
$498
Yamanashi
$351 29.4% $146
Groceries & Markets
Osaka
$301
Yamanashi
$273 9.4% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Osaka
$192
Yamanashi
$169 12.1% $23
Eating Out
Osaka
$132
Yamanashi
$144 9.4% $12
Clothing & Footwear
Osaka
$108
Yamanashi
$108 0.6% $0.6
Sport & Entertainment
Osaka
$74
Yamanashi
$75 1% $0.7
Getting Around
Osaka
$57
Yamanashi
$72 26.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $698 in Osaka and $523 in Yamanashi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yamanashi pays 90% 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 $32.00 in Yamanashi. Groceries flip the comparison at $301 vs $273, with Yamanashi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Osaka
🇯🇵 Yamanashi
🕒 Local time
13:56 1:56 PM
13:56 1:56 PM
Same time as Osaka
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,691,185
34,494
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Osaka Yamanashi 310 km
From you
  • Osaka
  • Yamanashi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Yamanashi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Osaka and in Yamanashi?
Osaka and Yamanashi differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($1,362 vs $1,193 including rent). Yamanashi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 90% lower in Yamanashi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Osaka and in Yamanashi?
Rent for a central apartment: $698 in Osaka versus $523 in Yamanashi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Osaka and in Yamanashi?
A monthly transit pass in Yamanashi runs roughly 54% less than in Osaka. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Osaka and Yamanashi?
Childcare runs $513 in Osaka versus $580 in Yamanashi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $1,193 in Yamanashi versus $1,362 in Osaka, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yamanashi but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Yamanashi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Osaka and Yamanashi?
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.
Is Osaka or Yamanashi safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Osaka and Yamanashi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Osaka or Yamanashi?
Expats usually find Yamanashi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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