✦ Compare
Osaka vs
Washington
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
Osaka, JP vs Washington, DC at a glance — Washington, DC is 13% more expensive than Osaka, JP overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $2,300/mo versus $850/mo. Top income tax: 37% vs 45%.
To keep the same standard of living in Washington, DC, you'd need
$84,651 / year
Washington, DC is 13% more expensive overall
Category breakdown (Washington, DC vs Osaka, JP)
- Housing+57%
- Food & groceries-7%
- Transport+16%
- Utilities-22%
- Healthcare+2%
- Goods & services-7%
◎ How Osaka, JP and Washington, DC compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Osaka, JP | Washington, DC | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 96 | 108 |
| Housing | 92 | 144 |
| Food | 98 | 91 |
| Transport | 82 | 95 |
| Utilities | 110 | 86 |
| Healthcare | 85 | 87 |
| Goods & services | 104 | 97 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $850/mo | $2,300/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $600/mo | $1,800/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $1,600/mo | $4,500/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $6,500 | $8,500 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $1,040 | $922 |
| Inexpensive meal | $8 | $20 |
| Monthly transit pass | $60 | $100 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 45% | 37% |
| VAT / sales tax | 10% | 0% |
| Social security (employee) | — | 7.7% |
| Corporate tax | 30% | 21% |
| Capital gains | 20.3% | 20% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $2,600/mo | $4,300/mo |
| Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP) | $50,183✓ | $86,977✓ |
| Minimum wage | $1,300/mo | $1,257/mo✓ |
| GDP per capita | $35,951✓ | $90,027✓ |
| Inflation (annual) | 3.2%✓ | — |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | Yes | No |
| English proficiency | Low | Native |
| Coworking spaces | 25 | 80 |
| Time zone | UTC+9 | UTC-5 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | 79 | 67 |
| Safety index | 82 | 50 |
| Healthcare index | 84 | 80 |
| Pollution index | 40 | 40 |
| Internet speed | 230 Mbps | 200 Mbps |
| Walkability | 80 | 77 |
| Public transport | 88 | 72 |
| Family-friendly | 72 | 62 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Health insurance | — | $470/mo |
| Life expectancy | 84 yr✓ | 79 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | Moderate | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +6 °C | +2 °C |
| July avg | +28 °C | +27 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 200 | 203 |
| Rainfall / year | 1,300 mm | 1,000 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 2 h | 1 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Japan vs United States. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (OECD (PPP), US DOL (federal), World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: Osaka vs Washington — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to Osaka
Japan's warm, wisecracking second city and its street-food heart — cheaper and more laid-back than Tokyo, with the same safety, transit and reliability. The gateway to Kansai (Kyoto and Kobe are minutes away), it's an easy-going base with a big food and startup scene.
- Currency
- Japanese yen (¥ JPY)
- Languages
- Japanese
- Time zone
- UTC+9
- Internet
- 230 Mbps
- English
- Rarely spoken
- Safety
- 82/100
- Climate
- ❄ 6°C · ☀ 28°C · 200 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 100V
- Driving
- Left-hand side
- Popular areas
- Namba · Umeda · Tennoji · Nakazakicho
Good to know before you move to Washington
The US capital — stable government and consulting jobs, a strong transit system and grand monuments.
- Currency
- US dollar ($ USD)
- Languages
- English
- Time zone
- UTC-5
- Internet
- 200 Mbps
- English
- Native language
- Safety
- 50/100
- Climate
- ❄ 2°C · ☀ 27°C · 203 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 120V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Dupont Circle · Georgetown · Shaw
Plan your move to Osaka
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalDiscoverCars
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
Sponsored
Plan your move to Washington
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalDiscoverCars
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Parking & carWay.com
Sponsored
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Osaka to Washington: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Osaka to Washington, your cost of living will be roughly 13% more expensive. Washington’s cost-of-living index is 108 versus 96 for Osaka (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Osaka cheaper than Washington?
Washington is about 13% more expensive than Osaka overall — its cost-of-living index is 108 versus 96 for Osaka.
Which is more expensive, Osaka or Washington?
Washington is more expensive than Osaka. Its cost-of-living index is 108 vs 96 (US = 100) — about 13% higher.
Is rent cheaper in Osaka or Washington?
Rent is cheaper in Osaka — about $850/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $2,300 in Washington.
How much do you need to earn in Washington to live like in Osaka?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Osaka is worth about $84,651 in Washington. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Osaka or Washington?
United States has the lower top income-tax rate — 37% versus 45% in Japan.
◷ More comparisons from Osaka
How we calculate these figures →
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.