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Marseille vs Osaka

Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.

Marseille, FR vs Osaka, JP at a glance — Osaka, JP is 1% cheaper than Marseille, FR overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $850/mo versus $800/mo. Top income tax: 45% vs 45%.

$/ year

To keep the same standard of living in Osaka, JP, you'd need

$74,091 / year

Osaka, JP is 1% cheaper overall

Category breakdown (Osaka, JP vs Marseille, FR)

  • Housing-3%
  • Food & groceries-7%
  • Transport+8%
  • Utilities0%
  • Healthcare+4%
  • Goods & services-1%

◎ How Marseille, FR and Osaka, JP compare

HousingFood & groceriesTransportUtilitiesHealthcareGoods & services
Marseille, FROsaka, JP

Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.

▤ Full comparison

Marseille, FROsaka, JP
Cost of living
Overall cost index9796
Housing9592
Food10598
Transport7682
Utilities110110
Healthcare8285
Goods & services105104
Housing
Rent, 1-bed centre$800/mo$850/mo
Rent, 1-bed outside$620/mo$600/mo
Rent, 3-bed centre$1,600/mo$1,600/mo
Buy price / m² centre$4,200$6,500
Money & purchasing power
$1,000 goes as far as$1,028$1,040
Inexpensive meal$15$8
Monthly transit pass$45$60
Taxes
Income tax (top rate)45%45%
VAT / sales tax20%10%
Social security (employee)22%—
Corporate tax25%30%
Capital gains30%20.3%
Economy & salaries
Avg net salary$2,600/mo$2,600/mo
Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP)$60,483✓$50,183✓
Minimum wage$2,164/mo✓$1,300/mo
GDP per capita$48,986✓$35,951✓
Inflation (annual)0.9%✓3.2%✓
Work & digital nomad
Digital-nomad visaNoYes
English proficiencyModerateLow
Coworking spaces2025
Time zoneUTC+1UTC+9
Quality of life
Quality of life (overall)7079
Safety index5282
Healthcare index8484
Pollution index4640
Internet speed150 Mbps230 Mbps
Walkability7880
Public transport7088
Family-friendly6672
Tap waterSafe to drinkSafe to drink
Life expectancy83 yr✓84 yr✓
LGBTQ+ acceptanceHighModerate
Climate
January avg+9 °C+6 °C
July avg+24 °C+28 °C
Sunny days / year300200
Rainfall / year520 mm1,300 mm
Connectivity
Flight to nearest hub1 h2 h

Taxes & Economy & salaries: France vs Japan. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.

✓ = official statistics (OECD (PPP), Eurostat 2026, World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →

Cost of living: Marseille vs Osaka — in your currency

MarseilleOsaka
1-bed rent, city centre$800$850
1-bed rent, outside centre$620$600
Inexpensive meal$15$8
Monthly transit pass$45$60
Utilities (monthly)$160$150

Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).

Good to know before you move to Marseille

France's oldest and second-largest city — a sunny, diverse Mediterranean port with a gritty edge, cheaper than Paris or Nice. Turquoise calanques on its doorstep and a fierce local identity make up for rougher infrastructure.

Currency
Euro (€ EUR)
Languages
French
Time zone
UTC+1
Internet
150 Mbps
English
Fairly common
Safety
52/100
Climate
❄ 9°C · ☀ 24°C · 300 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
E · 230V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
Le Panier · Vieux-Port · Cours Julien · La Plaine

Good to know before you move to Osaka

Japan's warm, wisecracking second city and its street-food heart — cheaper and more laid-back than Tokyo, with the same safety, transit and reliability. The gateway to Kansai (Kyoto and Kobe are minutes away), it's an easy-going base with a big food and startup scene.

Currency
Japanese yen (¥ JPY)
Languages
Japanese
Time zone
UTC+9
Internet
230 Mbps
English
Rarely spoken
Safety
82/100
Climate
❄ 6°C · ☀ 28°C · 200 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
A/B · 100V
Driving
Left-hand side
Popular areas
Namba · Umeda · Tennoji · Nakazakicho

? Frequently asked questions

Moving from Marseille to Osaka: cheaper or more expensive?

Moving from Marseille to Osaka, your cost of living will be roughly 1% cheaper. Osaka’s cost-of-living index is 96 versus 97 for Marseille (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.

Is Marseille cheaper than Osaka?

Osaka is about 1% cheaper than Marseille overall — its cost-of-living index is 96 versus 97 for Marseille.

Which is more expensive, Marseille or Osaka?

Marseille is more expensive than Osaka. Its cost-of-living index is 97 vs 96 (US = 100) — about 1% higher.

Is rent cheaper in Marseille or Osaka?

Rent is cheaper in Marseille — about $800/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $850 in Osaka.

How much do you need to earn in Osaka to live like in Marseille?

To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Marseille is worth about $74,091 in Osaka. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.

Which has lower taxes, Marseille or Osaka?

France has the lower top income-tax rate — 45% versus 45% in Japan.

◷ More comparisons from Marseille

How we calculate these figures →

Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.