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Osaka vs Yufuin cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฏ๐ต Osaka
๐ฏ๐ต Yufuin
At a glance
- Where Yufuin is clearly cheaper: Street food (67%โ), Haircut (57%โ), Cocktail & wine (50%โ)
- Where Osaka is clearly cheaper: Transit (42%โ), Hotel night (35%โ), Local meal (17%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Osaka 2 vs Yufuin 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Osaka | Yufuin | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | ยฅ 1,200$8.11 | Osaka โ17% |
| Street food1 item | ยฅ 600$4.05 | ยฅ 200$1.35 | Yufuin โ67% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ยฅ 3,500$23.6 | ยฅ 3,000$20.3 | Yufuin โ14% |
| Coffeeone cup | ยฅ 500$3.38 | ยฅ 500$3.38 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | ยฅ 550$3.72 | ยฅ 550$3.72 | similar |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ยฅ 1,200$8.11 | ยฅ 600$4.05 | Yufuin โ50% |
| Bottled water | ยฅ 130$0.88 | ยฅ 120$0.81 | Yufuin โ8% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ยฅ 180$1.22 | ยฅ 160$1.08 | Yufuin โ11% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ยฅ 2,200$14.9 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Yufuin โ9% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ยฅ 900$6.08 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Osaka โ10% |
| Transitone ride | ยฅ 210$1.42 | ยฅ 360$2.43 | Osaka โ42% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ยฅ 1,500$10.1 | ยฅ 1,200$8.11 | Yufuin โ20% |
| Hotel night3-star | ยฅ 13,000$87.8 | ยฅ 20,000$135 | Osaka โ35% |
| Studio rent (month) | ยฅ 85,000$574 | ยฅ 45,000$304 | Yufuin โ47% |
| Laundry | ยฅ 900$6.08 | ยฅ 800$5.41 | Yufuin โ11% |
| SIM card1 week data | ยฅ 2,500$16.9 | ยฅ 3,000$20.3 | Osaka โ17% |
| Haircutcut | ยฅ 3,500$23.6 | ยฅ 1,500$10.1 | Yufuin โ57% |
| Massage1 hour | ยฅ 5,000$33.8 | ยฅ 5,000$33.8 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | ยฅ 8,500$57.4 | ยฅ 7,000$47.3 | Yufuin โ18% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ยฅ 1,500$10.1 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Yufuin โ33% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Osaka or Yufuin?
Osaka and Yufuin cost about the same. Daily budget $181 vs $225; a month $2,585 vs $2,124.
Which is easier to travel, Osaka or Yufuin?
About the same: Osaka 1.8/5, Yufuin 1.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Osaka and Yufuin?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Osaka is about $2,585 and Yufuin about $2,124 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.