Living in Osaka
In Osaka, rents across existing tenancies average €10.65 per m² a month (2023).
Osaka had an unemployment rate of 4.93% at the end of 2020. Osaka's population density measured 12,215.6 people per km² at the end of 2020.
Pricier rent than 93% of Japanese cities that publish it, higher unemployment than 89% of Japanese cities that publish it and dirtier air than 79% of Japanese cities that publish it.
Which Japan-wide rules apply when you move to Osaka?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
Japan's Housing and Land Survey monthly-rent measure excludes security deposits, key money/right money and common-area charges. The Ministry of Land says deposit terms vary by regional custom; these sources provide context, not a comparable city-level distribution. Statistics Bureau glossary (2018) · MLIT rental-housing Q&A.
How much does it cost to rent in Osaka?
Average net cold rent is about 10.65 EUR/m² per month (2023 Housing and Land Survey), excluding heating and operating charges.
Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.
- Average net rent (nettokalt): 10.65 EUR/m²/month · www.e-stat.go.jp13
Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness club membership, monthly | 49.34 EUR/month | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo24Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Grocery basket, monthly | 64.93 EUR/month | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo24Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 28.08 EUR/month | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo24Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Private kindergarten, monthly | 451.6 EUR/month | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo24Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | 5.53 eur | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo24Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 21.21 EUR/month | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo24Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² home | 114.3 EUR/month | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo24Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Housing vacancy rate | 16.12 % | 31 Oct 2023 | 2023 Housing and Land Survey, Table 1-2: Housing by occupancy status1Official |
| Average net rent (nettokalt) | 10.65 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €6.27 | 31 Dec 2023 | www.e-stat.go.jp13Official |
| Average monthly rent (whole dwelling) | 409.4 EUR/month | 31 Oct 2023 | Housing and Land Survey 2023, Table 112-3-2: Monthly Rent of Dwelling by Type of Dwelling — Japan, prefecture, shi, ku, machi and mura4Official |
Is Osaka a good place to live?
There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.
Worked out from these numbers
What does a 60 m² flat cost?
About 639 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of about 10.65 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.
Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.
Work and income
What is the unemployment rate in Osaka?
The unemployment rate is about 4.9 % (October 2020).
- Unemployment rate: 4.93 % · 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 就業状態等基本集計 第1-2表)18
Osaka 4.9%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public employment offices | 5 count | 15 Sept 2026 | Osaka Hello Work — office list9Official |
| Median gross salary (regional) | 328.5 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | www.e-stat.go.jp14Official |
| Unemployment rate | 4.93 %country median 3.8% | 31 Dec 2020 | 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 就業状態等基本集計 第1-2表)18Official |
What does a salary buy in Osaka?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentUtilitiesInternetMobile
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
| Each month | € |
|---|---|
| Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08. | outside the model's range |
| Rent, 60 m²€10.65/m² · official · e-stat.go.jp · 2023-12-31 | − €639 |
| Public transport passnot published for this city | — |
| Utilities, 85 m²€114 · market price · Numbeo · 2026-08-03 | − €114 |
| Internet€28 · market price · Numbeo · 2026-08-03 | − €28 |
| Mobile plan€21 · market price · Numbeo · 2026-08-03 | − €21 |
| Left overbefore the bill this city does not publish | — |
Public employment offices in Osaka
Osaka Hello Work lists 5 public employment offices in Osaka (checked 2026-09-16). Use the official office finder for addresses and appointments; registration and job search are also available online through the national service below.
Hello Work — Public employment service
The office count comes from the service's own directory. Individual addresses and opening hours are not listed here yet. Sources checked through 16 Sept 2026.
Family and education
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public language course providers | 1 count | 30 Sept 2026 | にほんご こんにちは(第2期) — Osaka City basic Japanese class15Official |
Healthcare
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians per 100,000 residents | 85.01 per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2024 | 令和6年医師・歯科医師・薬剤師統計 医師 第22表16Official |
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Osaka when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.
Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.
Open the official coverage guideSafety
How safe is Osaka?
Police recorded about 1,471 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: JP-27-Osaka-20256
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burglaries per 100,000 residents | 8.5 incidents per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2025 | JP-27-Osaka-20256Official |
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 1,471 incidents per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2025 | JP-27-Osaka-20256Official |
| Violent crime per 100,000 residents | 103.7 incidents per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2025 | JP-27-Osaka-20256Official |
Mobility and administration
Osaka's nearest airport was ITM, 11 km away and offered 22 direct destinations.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct destinations from the nearest major airport | 22 count | 3 Aug 2026 | OpenFlights8Official |
| Destinations from nearest airport | 34 count | 2024 | Unique direct scheduled destination endpoints for the nearest scheduled-service airport in the complete 97-airport MLIT universe; domestic endpoints come from the official 2024 annual route table and international endpoints from the official 2024 summer and winter direct scheduled-flight tables.12Official |
| Distance to the nearest major airport | 11 km | 3 Aug 2026 | OurAirports10Official |
| Nearest major airport (IATA code) | ITM | 3 Aug 2026 | OurAirports10Official |
| Public transport monthly pass | 28.5 EUR/month | 3 Aug 2026 | Numbeo24Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
Language courses and integration in Osaka
1 exact course-location record is linked to this city. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.
Osaka City
View official recordClimate and air quality
Is the air quality good in Osaka?
The annual PM2.5 mean is about 9.7 µg/m³ (2023) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.
Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.
- PM2.5 — annual mean: 9.68 µg/m³ · NIES monthly PM2.5 station means annualized to calendar 20237
Night-time low to daytime high
mm
hours
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Osaka 9.7
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 9.68 µg/m³country median 8.4 | 31 Dec 2023 | NIES monthly PM2.5 station means annualized to calendar 20237Official |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan 9.7 · Feb 10.5 · Mar 14.2 · Apr 19.9 · May 24.9 · Jun 28 · Jul 31.8 · Aug 33.7 · Sep 29.5 · Oct 23.7 · Nov 17.8 · Dec 12.3 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | JMA Tables of Climatological Normals (1991-2020) — Osaka5Official |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan 3 · Feb 3.2 · Mar 6 · Apr 10.9 · May 16 · Jun 20.3 · Jul 24.6 · Aug 25.8 · Sep 21.9 · Oct 16 · Nov 10.2 · Dec 5.3 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | JMA Tables of Climatological Normals (1991-2020) — Osaka5Official |
| Average temperature by month | Jan 6.2 · Feb 6.6 · Mar 9.9 · Apr 15.2 · May 20.1 · Jun 23.6 · Jul 27.7 · Aug 29 · Sep 25.2 · Oct 19.5 · Nov 13.8 · Dec 8.7 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | JMA Tables of Climatological Normals (1991-2020) — Osaka5Official |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 47 · Feb 60.5 · Mar 103.1 · Apr 101.9 · May 136.5 · Jun 185.1 · Jul 174.4 · Aug 113 · Sep 152.8 · Oct 136 · Nov 72.5 · Dec 55.5 mm | 31 Dec 2020 | JMA Tables of Climatological Normals (1991-2020) — Osaka5Official |
| Average sunshine by month | Jan 146.5 · Feb 140.6 · Mar 172.2 · Apr 192.6 · May 203.7 · Jun 154.3 · Jul 184 · Aug 222.4 · Sep 161.6 · Oct 166.1 · Nov 152.6 · Dec 152.1 hours | 31 Dec 2020 | JMA Tables of Climatological Normals (1991-2020) — Osaka5Official |
Population and city profile
How many people live in Osaka?
The published population was 2,798,782 people in January 2026. Source: Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey — Total, 1 January 202611
By nationality
National passport92.3%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| City area | 225.3 km² | 3 Aug 2026 | 国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan)17Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 7.66 % | 3 Aug 2026 | 総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民 ÷ 総計)20Official |
| Foreign residents | 214,337 people | 3 Aug 2026 | 総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民)20Official |
| Population density | 12,216 people/km² | 31 Dec 2020 | 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 第1-1表)19Official |
| Population | 2,798,782 people | 1 Jan 2026 | Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey — Total, 1 January 202611Official |
International community in Osaka
Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.
Citizenship
Persons in the official 2020 Population Census Basic Complete Tabulation on Population and Households; sex-total population by source-native nationality category. · 2020
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 2,752,412 | 100.0% |
| Japanese | 2,550,968 | 92.7% |
| Foreigner | 121,586 | 4.4% |
| Nationality not reported | 79,858 | 2.9% |
| Republic of Korea | 54,304 | 2.0% |
| People's Republic of China | 35,897 | 1.3% |
| Socialist Republic of Viet Nam | 13,575 | 0.5% |
| Others | 6,101 | 0.2% |
| Republic of the Philippines | 3,583 | 0.1% |
| Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal | 2,116 | 0.1% |
| United States of America | 1,392 | 0.1% |
Show 6 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Republic of Indonesia | 1,241 | 0.0% |
| Kingdom of Thailand | 1,006 | 0.0% |
| Federative Republic of Brazil | 886 | 0.0% |
| India | 544 | 0.0% |
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 485 | 0.0% |
| Republic of Peru | 456 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source3
Additional context
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.3 years | 31 Dec 2026 | 2026 Resident Basic Register, population by age group by municipality (total residents)2Official |
Alternatives for people set on Osaka
Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.
Sakai as an Osaka alternative in the same region
13 km away, better on 3 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 3.
- Rent: €7.45/m² Sakai vs €10.65/m² Osaka−30%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 814 Sakai vs 1,471 Osaka−45%
- Foreign residents: 2.7% Sakai vs 7.7% Osaka−65%
- Residents: 809,032 Sakai vs 2,798,782 Osaka−71%
- Empty flats: 12.9% Sakai vs 16.1% Osaka−20%
- Unemployment: 4.5% Sakai vs 4.9% Osaka−8%
- Annual PM2.5: 10.9 µg/m³ Sakai vs 9.7 µg/m³ Osaka+12%
Nagoya as an Osaka alternative in the same country
Better on 3 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.
- Rent: €8.81/m² Nagoya vs €10.65/m² Osaka−17%
- Unemployment: 3.7% Nagoya vs 4.9% Osaka−25%
- Foreign residents: 4.8% Nagoya vs 7.7% Osaka−38%
- Median gross pay, region: €380 Nagoya vs €329 Osaka+16%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 758 Nagoya vs 1,471 Osakano percentage
- Empty flats: 13.2% Nagoya vs 16.1% Osaka−18%
Cities near Osaka
Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.
- Rent
- 8.17 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 9.97 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 8.6 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 8.99 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 9.83 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 8.58 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 7.58 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 7.77 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
Alternative cities in Japan
Other cities in Japan to compare with Osaka, nearest in population first.
How does Osaka compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Osaka's.
Osaka in rankings
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Osaka?
The published population was 2,798,782 people in January 2026. Source: Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey — Total, 1 January 2026.
How much does it cost to rent in Osaka?
Average net cold rent is about 10.65 EUR/m² per month (2023 Housing and Land Survey), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 746 EUR a month before utilities. Source: www.e-stat.go.jp.
Is the air quality good in Osaka?
The annual PM2.5 mean is about 9.7 µg/m³ (2023) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: NIES monthly PM2.5 station means annualized to calendar 2023.
How safe is Osaka?
Police recorded about 1,471 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: JP-27-Osaka-2025.
What is the unemployment rate in Osaka?
The unemployment rate is about 4.9 % (October 2020). Source: 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 就業状態等基本集計 第1-2表).
What is the typical salary around Osaka?
The median gross salary is 328.5 EUR/month. Source: www.e-stat.go.jp.
Is Osaka a good place to live?
Osaka may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.
Which cities are near Osaka?
Moriguchi, Suita, Higashiosaka, Amagasaki, Toyonaka are near Osaka. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.
How many people are in the Japanese citizenship group in Osaka?
The official citizenship distribution records 2,550,968 people (92.7%) in the source-defined population for 2020. This is a citizenship measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.
Cite this page
Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.
APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Osaka, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 1079c3606603f2bec5ac56d19d42317c]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/osaka/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_osaka-japan-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living-jobs_abf93324c951,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Osaka, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living, jobs},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {1079c3606603f2bec5ac56d19d42317c},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/osaka/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Osaka, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/osaka/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 1079c3606603f2bec5ac56d19d42317c; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.
Sources
- 2023 Housing and Land Survey, Table 1-2: Housing by occupancy status e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-17
- 2026 Resident Basic Register, population by age group by municipality (total residents) e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-24
- e-Stat / Statistics Bureau of Japan 2020 Population Census table 44-1 nationality e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-01
- Housing and Land Survey 2023, Table 112-3-2: Monthly Rent of Dwelling by Type of Dwelling — Japan, prefecture, shi, ku, machi and mura Housing and Land Survey 2023, Table 112-3-2: Monthly Rent of Dwelling by Type of Dwelling · e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-12
- JMA Tables of Climatological Normals (1991-2020) — Osaka JMA Tables of Climatological Normals (1991-2020) · data.jma.go.jp · checked 2026-07-26
- JP-27-Osaka-2025 police.pref.osaka.lg.jp · checked 2026-09-15
- NIES monthly PM2.5 station means annualized to calendar 2023 gis.nies.go.jp · checked 2026-09-23
- OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
- Osaka Hello Work — office list Osaka Hello Work · jsite.mhlw.go.jp · checked 2026-09-15
- OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
Show 20 more sources
- Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey — Total, 1 January 2026 Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey · e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-10
- Unique direct scheduled destination endpoints for the nearest scheduled-service airport in the complete 97-airport MLIT universe; domestic endpoints come from the official 2024 annual route table and international endpoints from the official 2024 summer and winter direct scheduled-flight tables. mlit.go.jp · checked 2026-07-15
- www.e-stat.go.jp e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-27
- www.e-stat.go.jp e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-27
- にほんご こんにちは(第2期) — Osaka City basic Japanese class にほんご こんにちは(第2期) · manabi.city.osaka.lg.jp · checked 2026-09-15
- 令和6年医師・歯科医師・薬剤師統計 医師 第22表 e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-16
- 国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan) gsi.go.jp · checked 2026-08-03
- 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 就業状態等基本集計 第1-2表) e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-03
- 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 第1-1表) e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-03
- 総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民) soumu.go.jp · checked 2026-08-03
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Numbeo numbeo.com · checked 2026-08-03
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q213318 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q243863 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q35765 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q386668 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q643878 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q694154 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.