Photo: 32linesky · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
🇯🇵 Japón
Osaka
Osaka is Japan laid-back counterpoint: legendary street food, lower rents than Tokyo and flawless transport.
Score breakdown
Cost of living
5.0Cost of living
Weight 25%
Internet & work
9.0Internet
Weight 15%
Safety
10.0Safety
Weight 15%
Nomad community
6.0Community
Weight 15%
Weather
6.0Climate
Weight 10%
Paperwork & visa
6.0Bureaucracy
Weight 20%
What it really costs
Prices checked on the ground by Zabelers. Each line shows when it was last verified.
Accommodation
650–1.000 €
1K apartment in Chuo
2026-09 · portales locales
Groceries
250–330 €
Monthly single basket
2026-09 · Numbeo
Restaurant
6–10 €
Lunch set
2026-09 · precios locales
Transport
~90 €
Monthly metro pass
2026-09 · Osaka Metro
Coworking
150–250 €
Monthly desk
2026-09 · webs de coworkings
Where to live
Chuo
Corazón comercial entre Namba y HonmachiGood for: Everything at hand
The catch: High rents
Fukushima
Barrio de izakayas junto a UmedaGood for: Food and atmosphere
The catch: Night noise
Tennoji
Sur de la ciudad, bien conectadoGood for: Lower prices
The catch: Less modern
Where to work
Coworkings
- The DECKCoworking céntrico con comunidad internacional
The most used by foreigners
Cafés with wifi
- Mel Coffee RoastersTostador de especialidad cerca de Honmachi
Great coffee, small space
Time zone: JST (UTC+9), no daylight saving
What living here is really like
Editorial synthesis of public experiences
The common view is that Osaka feels friendlier and cheaper than Tokyo, with the same punctuality and safety; the language barrier is still real.
- Best part:
- Food, transport
- Worst part:
- Language
Sources: Numbeo Osaka
Editorial synthesis of public experiences
Over months the paperwork weighs in: renting often needs a guarantor and high upfront fees, and many cafes ban laptops at peak hours.
- Best part:
- Quality of life
- Worst part:
- Rental paperwork
Sources: Ciudad de Osaka
Day to day
- Internet
- NURO or au Hikari fibre 1 Gb for ~€35/month
- Safety
- Extremely safe at any hour
- Healthcare
- Excellent system; national insurance mandatory for residents
- SIM / eSIM
- 20 GB data eSIM for ~€20; local contracts require residency
- Best season
- March-April for cherry blossom and October-November for autumn
- Community
- Smaller international community than Tokyo but very approachable; decent English in tech
Living here legally
Visa
Japan grants 90 visa-free days to many nationalities and has a 6-month digital nomad visa
Check your visa →Tax
Tax resident after a year; progressive income tax up to 45% plus local tax
Flights & connections
Kansai (KIX) with direct flights to Europe, Asia and North America
Lisbon vs. similar cities
Transparency
Last checked: 2026-09-26
Official sources
Prices are checked against the dated sources shown. Editorial experience summaries cite their public sources; verified Zabeler accounts are identified separately. Official procedures always take precedence.