Cost Of Living For a Student in Osaka 2024

Average monthly spending for students in Osaka

How much money does a student need in a month to survive in Osaka?

Students in Osaka spend around 260,000 JPY per month on average. Depending on the lifestyle, a student can survive with a monthly budget as low as 40,000 JPY or as high as 1.7M JPY. Location is a very important factor and has a huge influence on expenditure and budget.

How do students spend their money in Osaka?

We asked thousands of students about their spending habits and expenditure break down.

Housing and accomodation expenditure for students

Students in Osaka typically spend from 15% to 26% of their total monthly expenditure on housing with 20% being the average. The average monthly spend on housing is 62,000 JPY with expenditure ranging from 9,500 JPY to 410,000 JPY. This cost mainly goes for rent but it also includes other accommodation-related expenses.

Electricity, utilities, energy, water, internet, and mobile expenditure for students

Utility expenditure like electricity, water, and gas in Osaka ranges from 4% to 10% of total expenses with 6% being the average for most students. The average monthly cost of utilities is 10,000 JPY with 1,600 JPY and 69,000 JPY being the upper and lower limits for a student of four.

Transport, fuel, and commute expenditure for students

Fuel consumption and cost of transport depend heavily on whether a student resides near school and work, but roughly speaking a student would expect to spend from 2,800 JPY to 120,000 JPY in a month on commuting with 18,000 JPY being the norm for most students. This means that money spent on transport constitutes about 5% of total spending on average but can go as low as 5% or as high as 11%.

Food, groceries, and basic shopping expenditure for students

The average outlay on groceries and basic houshold items for a typical student in a month in Osaka is 51,000 JPY. The cost of groceries can range between 7,900 JPY to 340,000 JPY. Students spend on average about 22% on food and groceries with upper and lower bounds of 16% and 26% respectively.

Healthcare and medical services expenditure for students

Students in Osaka allocate 5% to 11% of their total monthly expenditure to healthcare including health insurance and out-of-pocket medical expenses. The average spending on medical services and clinic visits is around 8%. The range of medical expenses range from 2,400 JPY to 100,000 JPY with 15,000 JPY being the norm for most students.

Leisure and shopping expenditure for students

This category mostly contains discretionary or non-essential expenses but also some non-discretionary spending like furniture for example. The monthly expenses range from 2,000 JPY to 86,000 JPY with 13,000 JPY being the average. Speaking of percentages, that equates to 2% to 7% of total expenses with an average of 3% for most students.

Education and schooling expenditure for students

Spending on education can vary drastically between different students. On average, education constitutes 19% of the monthly expenditure of students with 12% and 24% being the lower and upper bounds respectively. The average reported education cost is 49,000 JPY per month with 7,500 JPY being the minimum spent amount and 330,000 JPY being the maximum.

A typical and healthy budgeting structure

The 50/30/20 rule

Spending among different people can vary significantly based on factors such as their income, lifestyle, location, and personal preferences. A commonly used guideline for budgeting is the 50/30/20 rule, which suggests allocating your income into three main categories in the following percentages.

• 50% for needs and financial obligations

  This category includes essential expenses like housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, and healthcare.

• 30% for wants and discretionary spending

  This category covers discretionary spending on non-essential items, such as dining out, entertainment, travel, and other lifestyle choices.

• 20% for savings and emergency fund

  This is the percentage that must be allocated to savings, emergency funds, and retirement accounts.

About financial planning, money management, and household budgeting

Affordable living in Osaka

Income and cost of living compatibility

We asked students one simple question and recorded their answers.

Is it affordable or economical to live in Osaka?

Around 78% of surveyed students think that living in Osaka is affordable with proper budgeting while 22% reported that it is just too expensive and not affordable even with frugality and thriftness.

Low-cost alternatives in Osaka

People are always looking for ways to cut down expenses and reduce expenditures. The hallmark of any affordable place is the availability of discount stores, bargain deals, smart or secondhand shopping, refurbished items, and couponing. We asked students how easily cost-cutting is and the answers were distributed as follows:

Plenty of low-cost options64%

Few low-cost options36%

Based on the survey, 64% of the students living in Osaka have no problem finding low-cost alternatives to support a frugal lifestyle while 36% think that thriftness is difficult due to scarcity in discount markets and secondhand outlets.

Emergency Funds For Students

An emergency fund is a financial safety net comprised of easily accessible savings set aside to cover unexpected expenses or financial emergencies, typically amounting to three to six months' worth of living expenses. We asked students of Osaka whether they have an emergency fund and the answers were as follows.

Yes76%

No24%

Based on the survey, 24% of the students living in Osaka said that they don't have an emergency fund while 76% said that they do.

Financial Literacy in Japan

Financial literacy is the knowledge of concepts and principles related to personal finance that allow individuals to make informed decisions regarding their money such as budgeting, saving, investing, borrowing, managing debt, financial risk management, and planning.

Financial Leteracy69%

We asked student guardians and parents in Osaka whether they acquired any adequate personal financial training in their lives. Approximately 31% of the people who participated in the survey said that they are not well informed about the topics of budgeting, saving, etc., and just manage things based on their own experience, while 69% said that they know about the general principles of personal finance from sources other than their own experience.

Difficulty in Budgeting and Financial Planning

We wanted to understand whether students of Japan have problems or difficulties in managing their expenditures and savings so we asked people one simple question: do you struggle with your personal finances? 28% of the participants reported that they indeed struggle in creating budgets and in organizing their finances while 72% said that they have everything under control.

Struggles with finance28%

Easily manages finances72%

Housing costs, accommodation, and housing affordability in Osaka

Rent Cost in Osaka

Monthly Rent Prices

Studio apartment monthly rent cost

46,000 JPY

69,000 JPY

180,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$310

$460

$1,200

1-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost

69,000 JPY

110,000 JPY

280,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$460

$740

$1,800

2-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost

92,000 JPY

140,000 JPY

370,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$610

$920

$2,500

3-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost

110,000 JPY

180,000 JPY

500,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$740

$1,200

$3,300

Furnished apartment monthly rent cost

220,000 JPY

550,000 JPY

1.1M JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1,500

$3,700

$7,400

Townhouse monthly rent cost

180,000 JPY

280,000 JPY

790,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1,200

$1,800

$5,300

House monthly rent cost

220,000 JPY

550,000 JPY

1.1M JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1,500

$3,700

$7,400

Villa monthly rent cost

280,000 JPY

690,000 JPY

1.1M JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1,800

$4,600

$7,400

The monthly rental cost of a studio apartment in Osaka ranges between 46,000 JPY and 180,000 JPY, meanwhile the cost of monthly rental of a one-bedroom apartment can be anywhere from 69,000 JPY to 280,000 JPY. Two-bedroom rentals rate ranges between 92,000 JPY and 370,000 JPY per month. The monthly rental for a three-bedroom apartment ranges from 110,000 JPY to 500,000 JPY. The average rent of a townhouse in Osaka is around 280,000 JPY while house rental costs can be as high as 550,000 JPY per month. Finally, if you want to rent a villa, expect to pay anywhere from 280,000 JPY to 1.1M JPY per month.

Apartment and house prices in Osaka

Cost of buying a property

Studio apartment price

9.2M JPY

14M JPY

28M JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$61,000

$92,000

$180,000

1-bedroom apartment price

11M JPY

18M JPY

69M JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$74,000

$120,000

$460,000

2-bedroom apartment price

18M JPY

55M JPY

110M JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$120,000

$370,000

$740,000

3-bedroom apartment price

62M JPY

92M JPY

280M JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$410,000

$610,000

$1.8M

Townhouse price

79M JPY

180M JPY

690M JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$530,000

$1.2M

$4.6M

House price

92M JPY

550M JPY

790M JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$610,000

$3.7M

$5.3M

Villa price

110M JPY

620M JPY

920M JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$740,000

$4.1M

$6.1M

The average price of a studio apartment in Osaka can range from 9.2M JPY to 28M JPY depending on location. One bedroom cost can be anywhere from 11M JPY to 69M JPY. A villa can cost you 620M JPY on average with prices ranging from 110M JPY to 920M JPY.

House / apartment prices to income ratio

Property prices in Osaka can be x121 to x220 multiples of the monthly income depending on the property and the income of the person. On average, property prices are approximately x121 multiples of the average monthly salary in Osaka.

Rent to income ratio

The average rent-to-income ratio in Osaka is around 33%. This means that people pay 33% of their income for rent. Those figures can range from 22% to 43% depending on the salary, location, and type of property.

Housing affordability index

The housing affordability index measures how affordable accommodation is in a particular place. This can measured in multiple ways, the most common being housing expenditure to total expenditure ratio and the rent to income ratio. The housing expenditure ratio is a figure reported by individuals on the percentage they allocate for housing. Rent to income ratio is calculated by dividing the average monthly rent by the average income. Because these values are both percentages, we can find their average and get the best of the two worlds.

Property Taxes

Real estate owners pay property taxes to local tax authorities, which are determined by the assessed value of their property. Typically, these taxes are paid once a year. Property tax funds contribute to community development, financing infrastructure improvements, public services, and local education initiatives.

Home Maintenance Costs

Home maintenance costs encompass various expenses associated with the upkeep and repair of a residence. These expenditures include regular tasks such as lawn care, pest control, and HVAC system servicing, as well as occasional repairs and renovations like fixing leaks, painting, or replacing appliances.

Urban vs. rural living costs

Urban living typically entails higher housing and transportation costs due to demand and limited space, while rural areas generally offer lower housing expenses but may have higher prices for goods and services. The differnce in rental rates between urban areas and rural areas can be as high as 300% in some cases.

Monthly costs and expenses of energy and basic utilities in Osaka

Energy, electricity, water, gas, internet, and mobile cost in Osaka

Utility Bill Cost / Electricity + Water + Gas / Student

1,600 JPY

10,000 JPY

69,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$11

$68

$460

Internet and cable cost

2,600 JPY

5,200 JPY

6,900 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$17

$34

$46

Mobile phone bill and charges

2,100 JPY

3,400 JPY

10,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$14

$23

$69

The average monthly energy and water consumption of students is around 10,000 JPY. The cost of internet and WiFi ranges from 2,600 JPY to 6,900 JPY with 5,200 JPY being the average internet bill. Finally, the average monthly mobile charges is around 3,400 JPY but can range between 2,100 JPY and 10,000 JPY depending on consumption. Mobile charges include both calling minutes as well as data packages.

Energy / Utility expense to income ratio

The average utility-to-income ratio in Osaka is around 5.3%. This means that people pay 5.3% of their income for energy, water, internet, and mobile charges. Those figures can range from 2.1% to 9.5% depending on salary and location.

Food Prices, Dining Expenses, and Grocery Costs in Osaka

Prices and cost of goods and services in Osaka

Dining out, food, and beverages costs. Price variations for common food items.

Fast food combo meal price

520 JPY

1,000 JPY

1,700 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$3.4

$6.9

$11

The average price of a regular combo meal at a fast food outlet or chain like McDonald's, Pizzahut, or KFC in Osaka is approximatly 1,000 JPY with meal cost ranging from 520 JPY to 1,700 JPY. The typical combo meal consists of a burger, french fries, and a drink.

Restaurant meal for one price

1,800 JPY

2,700 JPY

5,400 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$12

$18

$36

If you are planning to have a nice meal at a mid-range restaurant, expect to pay anywhere between 1,800 JPY and 5,400 JPY with 2,700 JPY being the average price of a plate for one person at a regular restaurant in Osaka.

Fine dining meal for one price

3,600 JPY

5,400 JPY

21,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$24

$36

$140

The price range of a meal at fine-dining restaurant is 3,600 JPY to 21,000 JPY with the average cost being 5,400 JPY for one person. This is what you would expect to pay a top-tier diner in Osaka.

Beverage prices, cappuccino, latte etc..

430 JPY

690 JPY

1,000 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$2.9

$4.6

$6.9

The average price of a regular beverage like cappuccino or latte at Starbucks, Costa, or similar coffee shops and cafes in Osaka is around 690 JPY. Price ranges between 430 JPY and 1,000 JPY depending on the type of beverage, the size, and optional add-ons.

Grocery and market costs

Large bottle of milk price

340 JPY

410 JPY

520 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$2.3

$2.8

$3.4

The average price of a large bottle of milk in Osaka is 410 JPY. The maximum what you would pay for milk is 520 JPY and the minimum being 340 JPY depending on the brand of milk and other properties.

12 eggs price

260 JPY

340 JPY

520 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1.7

$2.3

$3.4

A dozen eggs costs around 340 JPY on average with 260 JPY and 520 JPY being the lower and upper limits respectively.

Fresh whole chicken price

590 JPY

760 JPY

1,100 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$3.9

$5.1

$7.2

The price range of a fresh whole chicken in Osaka is between 590 JPY and 1,100 JPY depending on the size of the chicken and whether it is oraganic or not. The average price is approximatly 760 JPY.

Pack of beef price

690 JPY

1,000 JPY

2,100 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$4.6

$6.9

$14

The price of a regular pack of beef or meat is around 1,000 JPY. A pack of beef contains around 1Kg or 1lb depending on packing.

Medium bag of rice price

280 JPY

380 JPY

540 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1.8

$2.5

$3.6

A bag of rice in Osaka costs around 380 JPY on average with prices rangeing between 280 JPY and 540 JPY depending on the brand and quality.

Bag of tomatos price

100 JPY

140 JPY

260 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$0.69

$0.92

$1.7

A bag of tomatoes costs anywhere from 100 JPY to 260 JPY. A bag of tomatoes denotes 1Kg or 1lb depending on location.

Bag of apples price

180 JPY

240 JPY

400 JPY

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1.2

$1.6

$2.6

A bag of apples costs 240 JPY on average. A bag of apples denotes 1Kg or 1lb depending on location.

Grocery and food expenditure to income ratio

The average grocery-to-income ratio in Osaka is around 27%. This means that students spend 27% of their income on grocery and basic household items. The expenditure can range from 19% to 34% depending on salary and location.

Expenditure on food and grocery for students