Cost of Living Comparison Between Ube and Osaka Cost of Living Comparison Between Ube and Osaka

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,245 in Ube versus $1,393 in Osaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,932 in Ube versus $2,070 in Osaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,620 in Ube versus $2,747 in Osaka.

Living in Ube costs roughly 11% less than in Osaka, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ube is 9% below, Osaka is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.11 ¥1,115

$6.65 ¥1,044

6.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.40 ¥5,395

$32.08 ¥5,032

7.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 ¥858

$5.25 ¥823

4.19%

Cappuccino

$3.10 ¥487

$3.05 ¥478

1.64%

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

$1.13 ¥178

$1.41 ¥221

-19.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥127

$0.70 ¥109

15.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 ¥331

$2.79 ¥438

-24.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ¥501

$3.88 ¥608

-17.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ¥250

$1.48 ¥232

7.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 ¥248

$1.31 ¥206

20.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 ¥728

$5.49 ¥862

-15.48%

Eggs

$2.27 ¥355

$2.07 ¥325

9.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 ¥1,596

$9.84 ¥1,543

3.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 ¥975

$9.68 ¥1,518

-35.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.72 ¥2,465

$18.58 ¥2,915

-15.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.43 ¥851

$3.43 ¥538

58.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 ¥415

$2.04 ¥320

29.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 ¥649

$2.13 ¥333

94.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 ¥704

$4.18 ¥655

7.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.18 ¥499

$1.60 ¥251

98.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 ¥423

$1.21 ¥190

122.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 ¥215

$1.36 ¥213

0.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥129

$0.80 ¥126

2.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.09 ¥642

$4.00 ¥628

2.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.63 ¥1,041

$9.49 ¥1,488

-30.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 ¥311

$2.00 ¥314

-1.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ¥364

$3.20 ¥502

-27.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 ¥257

$1.41 ¥221

16.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.1 ¥8,636

$32.84 ¥5,151

67.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 ¥539

$3.93 ¥617

-12.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.97 ¥465

$3.20 ¥502

-7.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.86 ¥3,272

$22.17 ¥3,477

-5.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥185

$1.13 ¥177

4.42%

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

$22.9K ¥3.6M

$22.4K ¥3.5M

2.24%

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

$17.1K ¥2.7M

$15.6K ¥2.4M

9.58%

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

$142 ¥22.2K

$140 ¥21.9K

1.27%

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

$26.74 ¥4,194

$24.68 ¥3,872

8.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.18 ¥5,362

$31.03 ¥4,868

10.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 ¥9,236

$53.1 ¥8,326

10.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.82 ¥2,167

$19.04 ¥2,986

-27.42%

Cinema Ticket

$13.00 ¥2,040

$12.30 ¥1,929

5.69%

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

$276 ¥43.4K

$529 ¥83.0K

-47.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K ¥2.1M

$13.3K ¥2.1M

0.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.78 ¥6,868

$48.93 ¥7,676

-10.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ¥4,560

$31.85 ¥4,996

-8.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.2 ¥9,601

$76.1 ¥11.9K

-19.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.6 ¥14.5K

$94.3 ¥14.8K

-1.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥73.9K

$728 ¥114.2K

-35.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 ¥51.4K

$512 ¥80.3K

-35.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$859 ¥134.8K

$1,753 ¥274.9K

-50.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 ¥101.5K

$778 ¥122.1K

-16.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,798 ¥438.8K

$6,376 ¥1.0M

-56.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,801 ¥282.5K

$1,959 ¥307.2K

-8.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,342 ¥367.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.81

2.21

-18.10%

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

Last update for Ube: September 13, 2026

Last update for Osaka: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $471 in Ube and $728 in Osaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Ube vs $32.00 in Osaka. Groceries flip the comparison at $308 vs $308, with Ube cheaper for home cooking.

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

Ube vs Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ube and Osaka differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,245 vs $1,393 including rent). Ube is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,867 in Ube and $2,089 in Osaka 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: $471 in Ube versus $728 in Osaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ube runs roughly 68% less than in Osaka. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $276 in Ube versus $529 in Osaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,245 in Ube versus $1,393 in Osaka, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ube but tight or insufficient in Osaka. The gap between the two cities makes Ube 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, Ube 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 Ube gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Osaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.