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: $1,494 in Taipei versus $1,371 in Osaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,394 in Taipei versus $2,038 in Osaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,295 in Taipei versus $2,705 in Osaka.

Living in Taipei is roughly 9% more expensive than Osaka, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Taipei 11% above, Osaka 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.64 NT$209

$6.95 ¥1,112

-4.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.45 NT$1,274

$34.58 ¥5,533

16.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 NT$183

$4.98 ¥797

16.27%

Cappuccino

$3.75 NT$118

$3.33 ¥532

12.61%

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

$1.13 NT$35.45

$1.08 ¥173

4.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 NT$22.77

$0.76 ¥122

-5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 NT$104

$2.74 ¥438

20.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 NT$104

$4.35 ¥696

-24.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.12 NT$98.3

$1.61 ¥257

93.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 NT$62.4

$1.43 ¥229

38.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 NT$96.6

$4.86 ¥778

-36.83%

Eggs

$2.91 NT$91.8

$2.46 ¥393

18.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.73 NT$621

$10.43 ¥1,669

89.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 NT$312

$6.38 ¥1,021

55.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.36 NT$641

$18.61 ¥2,978

9.40%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 NT$162

$3.53 ¥564

45.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 NT$91.9

$2.19 ¥350

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 NT$90.9

$2.48 ¥397

16.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 NT$134

$4.31 ¥689

-1.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 NT$88.0

$1.69 ¥271

65.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 NT$69.1

$1.28 ¥205

71.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NT$62.1

$1.39 ¥222

41.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 NT$43.76

$0.85 ¥136

63.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 NT$126

$3.93 ¥629

1.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.48 NT$456

$9.27 ¥1,483

56.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NT$55.2

$2.13 ¥340

-17.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 NT$76.2

$2.99 ¥479

-19.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 NT$28.07

$1.61 ¥258

-44.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.16 NT$1,297

$36.32 ¥5,812

13.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 NT$91.7

$4.56 ¥730

-36.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$24.96

$3.31 ¥530

-76.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.05 NT$316

$23.95 ¥3,831

-58.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$33.66

$1.19 ¥191

-10.08%

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

$38.1K NT$1.2M

$23.6K ¥3.8M

61.98%

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

$27.9K NT$878.3K

$16.9K ¥2.7M

64.90%

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

$84.9 NT$2,674

$135 ¥21.6K

-37.03%

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

$18.69 NT$589

$27.60 ¥4,416

-32.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.75 NT$780

$30.37 ¥4,859

-18.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.03 NT$1,324

$59.1 ¥9,462

-28.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.06 NT$443

$20.39 ¥3,263

-31.04%

Cinema Ticket

$11.84 NT$373

$12.36 ¥1,978

-4.21%

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

$626 NT$19.7K

$68.1 ¥10.9K

819.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K NT$587.0K

$10.5K ¥1.7M

76.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 NT$1,856

$44.08 ¥7,052

33.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.01 NT$1,072

$29.47 ¥4,714

15.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 NT$2,997

$67.2 ¥10.8K

41.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 NT$3,894

$94.8 ¥15.2K

30.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 NT$24.8K

$717 ¥114.8K

9.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 NT$17.0K

$483 ¥77.2K

12.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 NT$52.5K

$1,311 ¥209.7K

27.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 NT$35.1K

$807 ¥129.0K

37.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.7K NT$431.0K

$5,951 ¥952.1K

129.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,450 NT$266.2K

$2,055 ¥328.7K

311.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,713 NT$54.0K

$1,944 ¥310.9K

-11.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

1.81

20.99%

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

Last update for Taipei: June 1, 2026

Last update for Osaka: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $789 in Taipei and $717 in Osaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Osaka pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Taipei vs $35.00 in Osaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $299 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 9% in total monthly costs ($1,494 vs $1,371 including rent). Osaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Osaka earns 13% less. 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: $789 in Taipei versus $717 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 13% less than in Taipei. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $626 in Taipei versus $68.1 in Osaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,371 in Osaka versus $1,494 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 9% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.