Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Osaka Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Osaka

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,371 in Taipei versus $1,346 in Osaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Taipei versus $1,976 in Osaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,104 in Taipei versus $2,606 in Osaka.

Living in Taipei is roughly 2% more expensive than in Osaka, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taipei is 0% above, Osaka is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.62 NT$146

$6.13 ¥954

-24.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.10 NT$1,524

$30.75 ¥4,786

56.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.87 NT$186

$4.81 ¥748

22.04%

Cappuccino

$3.44 NT$109

$2.93 ¥456

17.41%

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

$0.92 NT$29.18

$1.43 ¥223

-35.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 NT$20.97

$0.69 ¥108

-4.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 NT$87.5

$2.63 ¥409

4.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 NT$119

$3.64 ¥567

2.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 NT$96.4

$1.43 ¥222

112.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 NT$62.3

$1.28 ¥199

53.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 NT$96.0

$5.25 ¥817

-42.29%

Eggs

$2.77 NT$87.9

$2.10 ¥327

31.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.90 NT$630

$9.80 ¥1,525

103.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 NT$315

$9.18 ¥1,429

8.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.25 NT$674

$18.09 ¥2,816

17.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 NT$160

$3.38 ¥526

49.11%

Banana (1kg)

$3.36 NT$106

$1.91 ¥298

75.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 NT$98.8

$1.98 ¥308

57.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.46 NT$141

$3.89 ¥605

14.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 NT$88.8

$1.54 ¥239

81.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 NT$73.6

$1.17 ¥182

98.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 NT$54.3

$1.29 ¥200

32.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 NT$37.32

$0.81 ¥127

45.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 NT$124

$3.84 ¥597

1.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.43 NT$457

$9.50 ¥1,479

51.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 NT$52.8

$1.87 ¥290

-10.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 NT$73.1

$3.22 ¥502

-28.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 NT$21.98

$1.36 ¥212

-49.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.23 NT$1,180

$31.99 ¥4,979

16.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 NT$85.4

$3.77 ¥587

-28.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 NT$23.84

$3.04 ¥473

-75.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.50 NT$301

$21.01 ¥3,270

-54.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.12

$1.09 ¥170

-7.34%

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

$33.8K NT$1.1M

$21.4K ¥3.3M

58.03%

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

$24.1K NT$763.9K

$15.1K ¥2.4M

59.17%

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

$85.7 NT$2,716

$136 ¥21.2K

-37.07%

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

$18.27 NT$579

$23.92 ¥3,722

-23.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.88 NT$884

$30.63 ¥4,767

-8.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.07 NT$1,302

$48.60 ¥7,563

-15.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.95 NT$506

$17.90 ¥2,786

-10.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.66 NT$306

$12.04 ¥1,874

-19.77%

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

$633 NT$20.1K

$520 ¥80.9K

21.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K NT$534.5K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

28.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 NT$1,956

$44.15 ¥6,872

39.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.47 NT$1,283

$29.71 ¥4,624

36.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 NT$2,656

$72.6 ¥11.3K

15.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 NT$3,398

$88.8 ¥13.8K

20.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$866 NT$27.5K

$699 ¥108.8K

23.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 NT$15.7K

$507 ¥78.9K

-2.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 NT$49.8K

$1,682 ¥261.8K

-6.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$955 NT$30.3K

$761 ¥118.4K

25.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.7K NT$401.2K

$5,636 ¥877.2K

124.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,665 NT$242.9K

$1,822 ¥283.6K

320.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,716 NT$54.4K

$2,245 ¥349.4K

-23.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

2.21

8.60%

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

Last update for Taipei: August 31, 2026

Last update for Osaka: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $866 in Taipei and $699 in Osaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Osaka pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Taipei vs $31.00 in Osaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $402 vs $298 per month, with Osaka cheaper across the board.

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

Taipei vs Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taipei and Osaka differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,371 vs $1,346 including rent). Osaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 31% 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: $866 in Taipei versus $699 in Osaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Osaka runs roughly 16% less than in Taipei. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $633 in Taipei versus $520 in Osaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,346 in Osaka versus $1,371 in Taipei, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Osaka but tight or insufficient in Taipei. 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, Taipei 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 Osaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.