Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Otsu and Osaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Otsu: $1,301 a month against $1,378 in Osaka, rent and utilities included – about $920 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Osaka outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

63

Cost of Living Index in Otsu
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Otsu Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index

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Otsu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,301

/mo nomad

Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,378

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Otsu and in Osaka

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Otsu and in Osaka actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,301 in Otsu versus $1,378 in Osaka.

Otsu $1,301
Osaka $1,378

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,889 in Otsu versus $2,005 in Osaka.

Otsu $1,889
Osaka $2,005

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,477 in Otsu versus $2,632 in Osaka.

Otsu $2,477
Osaka $2,632

Living in Otsu costs roughly 6% less than in Osaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Otsu is 4% below, Osaka is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.36 ¥1,321

$6.25 ¥987

33.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.98 ¥4,894

$31.70 ¥5,008

-2.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.18 ¥819

$4.90 ¥774

5.71%

Cappuccino

$3.24 ¥513

$2.95 ¥466

9.83%

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

$1.22 ¥193

$1.44 ¥228

-15.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥137

$0.75 ¥119

16.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 ¥483

$2.65 ¥419

15.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 ¥717

$3.87 ¥611

17.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥250

$1.44 ¥227

9.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ¥252

$1.34 ¥211

19.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.55 ¥719

$5.25 ¥830

-13.33%

Eggs

$2.21 ¥350

$2.14 ¥338

3.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.90 ¥2,512

$9.33 ¥1,475

70.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.05 ¥1,114

$9.22 ¥1,456

-23.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.91 ¥2,672

$18.39 ¥2,906

-8.05%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 ¥792

$3.43 ¥541

46.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 ¥403

$1.92 ¥303

32.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.08 ¥803

$1.99 ¥314

155.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 ¥697

$4.05 ¥640

8.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 ¥357

$1.56 ¥247

44.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ¥307

$1.17 ¥185

65.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ¥178

$1.30 ¥205

-13.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ¥140

$0.88 ¥139

1.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 ¥634

$4.00 ¥631

0.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.69 ¥1,531

$9.60 ¥1,517

0.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 ¥310

$1.95 ¥308

0.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 ¥330

$3.24 ¥512

-35.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 ¥228

$1.39 ¥219

3.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.8 ¥8,335

$32.34 ¥5,109

63.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 ¥511

$3.69 ¥583

-12.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.77 ¥438

$3.07 ¥486

-9.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.11 ¥4,441

$21.76 ¥3,437

29.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥167

$1.09 ¥173

-2.75%

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

$22.5K ¥3.6M

$22.3K ¥3.5M

0.90%

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

$15.2K ¥2.4M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

0.53%

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

$116 ¥18.4K

$139 ¥22.0K

-16.50%

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

$23.14 ¥3,656

$24.50 ¥3,870

-5.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.32 ¥4,948

$30.67 ¥4,846

2.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.5 ¥8,290

$49.03 ¥7,746

7.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.63 ¥1,521

$18.06 ¥2,853

-46.68%

Cinema Ticket

$12.76 ¥2,016

$12.72 ¥2,010

0.31%

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

$585 ¥92.5K

$510 ¥80.5K

14.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K ¥2.0M

$12.9K ¥2.0M

-2.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 ¥9,000

$48.57 ¥7,673

17.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.16 ¥5,713

$30.98 ¥4,894

16.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.5 ¥11.1K

$74.2 ¥11.7K

-4.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.7 ¥15.4K

$91.5 ¥14.5K

6.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 ¥69.4K

$699 ¥110.5K

-37.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 ¥58.6K

$510 ¥80.6K

-27.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 ¥101.1K

$1,710 ¥270.1K

-62.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$457 ¥72.3K

$772 ¥122.0K

-40.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,180 ¥660.4K

$6,183 ¥976.8K

-32.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,729 ¥273.2K

$1,908 ¥301.4K

-9.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,800 ¥284.4K

$2,424 ¥382.9K

-25.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.1

2.21

-4.98%

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

Last update for Otsu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Osaka: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Otsu

$371 28.5%

Osaka

$510 37.1% 37.6% $139

Groceries & Markets

Otsu

$334 25.7%

Osaka

$302 21.9% 9.8% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Otsu

$171 13.1%

Osaka

$194 14.1% 13.9% $24

Eating Out

Otsu

$154 11.8%

Osaka

$130 9.4% 15.7% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Otsu

$118 9%

Osaka

$110 8% 6.2% $7.3

Sport & Entertainment

Otsu

$78 6%

Osaka

$74 5.4% 4.5% $3.5

Getting Around

Otsu

$76 5.8%

Osaka

$57 4.1% 24.7% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $439 in Otsu and $699 in Osaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Osaka pays 35% 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: $31.00 in Otsu vs $32.00 in Osaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $334 vs $302, with Osaka cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Otsu

🇯🇵 Osaka

🕒 Local time

19:48 7:48 PM

Same time as Otsu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

341,314

2,691,185

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 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

Otsu vs Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Otsu and Osaka differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,301 vs $1,378 including rent). Otsu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 35% 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: $439 in Otsu versus $699 in Osaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Otsu runs roughly 63% less than in Osaka. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $585 in Otsu versus $510 in Osaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,301 in Otsu versus $1,378 in Osaka, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Otsu but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Otsu 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, Otsu and Osaka 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 Otsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.