Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Yaren

For one person, living is cheaper in Yaren: $531 a month against $1,400 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 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
135

Cost of Living Index in Yaren
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Yaren Living Index

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Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,400

/mo nomad

Yaren

🇳🇷 Nauru

$531

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Osaka and in Yaren

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,400 in Osaka versus $531 in Yaren.

Osaka $1,400
Yaren $531

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,991 in Osaka versus $2,918 in Yaren.

Osaka $1,991
Yaren $2,918

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,582 in Osaka versus $5,305 in Yaren.

Osaka $2,582
Yaren $5,305

Living in Osaka is roughly 164% more expensive than in Yaren, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Osaka is 4% above, Yaren is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.19 ¥979

$10.72 A$15.34

-42.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.80 ¥5,032

$24.65 A$35.28

29.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.93 ¥781

Cappuccino

$3.00 ¥474

$3.52 A$5.04

-14.77%

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

$1.45 ¥229

$1.03 A$1.47

40.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥113

$1.07 A$1.54

-32.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.62 ¥415

$7.08 A$10.13

-62.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 ¥618

$5.00 A$7.15

-21.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥230

$3.10 A$4.44

-52.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 ¥207

$1.74 A$2.49

-24.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.25 ¥831

Eggs

$2.03 ¥321

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.77 ¥1,545

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 ¥1,460

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.95 ¥2,841

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ¥520

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 ¥317

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 ¥334

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 ¥650

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ¥239

$3.41 A$4.88

-55.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ¥188

$3.45 A$4.94

-65.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ¥206

$3.52 A$5.04

-63.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥137

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 ¥604

Wine (Bottle)

$9.74 ¥1,542

$17.72 A$25.36

-45.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ¥296

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 ¥499

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 ¥212

$1.43 A$2.04

-6.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.68 ¥5,171

$87.2 A$125

-62.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 ¥610

$7.01 A$10.03

-45.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.19 ¥505

$3.55 A$5.08

-10.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.93 ¥3,470

$42.35 A$60.6

-48.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥173

$1.70 A$2.43

-35.29%

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

$21.5K ¥3.4M

$34.8K A$49.7K

-38.11%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$10.4K A$14.9K

45.26%

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

$140 ¥22.2K

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

$24.14 ¥3,821

$7.00 A$10.01

244.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.58 ¥4,840

$27.63 A$39.54

10.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.41 ¥7,819

$0.01 A$0.02

494000.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.41 ¥2,914

$13.90 A$19.90

32.45%

Cinema Ticket

$12.27 ¥1,941

$7.17 A$10.26

71.13%

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

$511 ¥80.9K

$347 A$497

47.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K ¥2.1M

$10.6K A$15.1K

23.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.50 ¥7,517

$14.17 A$20.28

235.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.12 ¥4,767

$10.66 A$15.25

182.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.4 ¥11.6K

$34.98 A$50.1

109.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.0 ¥14.4K

$69.6 A$99.6

30.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$704 ¥111.3K

$2,828 A$4,047

-75.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$508 ¥80.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 ¥277.2K

$5,101 A$7,300

-65.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$765 ¥121.1K

$4,267 A$6,107

-82.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,208 ¥982.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,938 ¥306.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,346 ¥371.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

-44.75%

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

Last update for Osaka: October 3, 2026

Last update for Yaren: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$508 36.9%

Yaren

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$301 21.9%

Yaren

$115 * 22.1% 61.8% $186

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$195 14.2%

Yaren

$35 * 6.6% 82.2% $160

Eating Out

Osaka

$130 9.5%

Yaren

$182 * 34.8% 40% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$109 7.9%

Yaren

$58 11.2% 46.5% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$74 5.4%

Yaren

$14 2.8% 80.6% $60

Getting Around

Osaka

$58 4.2%

Yaren

$118 22.6% 104% $60

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $704 in Osaka and $2,828 in Yaren. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Osaka vs $25.00 in Yaren for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $301 vs $115 per month, with Yaren cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇳🇷 Yaren

🕒 Local time

20:56 8:56 PM

23:56 11:56 PM

3 h ahead of Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

1,100 Capital

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Osaka Yaren 5,100 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Osaka
Yaren

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 Yaren: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Osaka and Yaren differ by about 164% in total monthly costs ($1,400 vs $531 including rent). Yaren is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,100 in Osaka and $796 in Yaren to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $704 in Osaka versus $2,828 in Yaren. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Yaren runs roughly 167% less than in Osaka. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $511 in Osaka versus $347 in Yaren. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $531 in Yaren versus $1,400 in Osaka, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yaren but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Yaren 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 Yaren 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 Yaren gentler on the wallet – expenses run 164% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.