Osaka
Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third-most populous city in Japan, following the special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With an estimated population of 2,816,247 as of October 1, 2025 and a population density of about 12,505 people per square kilometer, it is the largest component of the Keihanshin Metropolitan Area, the second-largest metropolitan area in Japan and the 10th-largest urban area in the world with more than 19 million inhabitants.
Should you base here?
What this city's own numbers say about who it fits, how long you can realistically stay, and what to weigh before committing.
A good base for
- Heavy remote work — median internet is fast enough for calls and uploads
- Working out of cafés and coworking — there's a real scene here
- Travelers who prioritise feeling safe day to day
Less ideal for
- Treating it as a permanent base without tax planning — there's a residency-day threshold to watch
How long can you stay?
We don't have the visa window for this country on file yet — check the official source below before planning.
Stay past about 183 days in a year and you may become a tax resident here — get advice before you do.
What to weigh first
- BudgetWorth a look Monthly costs land around $2,800 — mid-range, so plan your runway.
- Tax residencyWorth a look Stay past about 183 days in a year and you may trigger local tax residency — plan before you do.
Before you commit
This is a starting point, not legal or tax advice. Rules change — always confirm with official government sources before making plans.
Want this as a shareable brief — the trade-offs, a stay-length plan, and the checks to run? Generate a Decision Report (Pro).
Decision Report
A one-page brief for this city — your Fit Score, monthly cost, visa difficulty, tax-residency risk, best months, and the caveats to check first.
| Metric | Value | Score | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internet Speed | 185 Mbps | 9/10 | Estimated | |
| Cost of Living | $2,800 /mo | 5/10 | Estimated | |
| Rent 1BR | $900 /mo | 8/10 | Estimated | |
| Safety Score | 9.5 /10 | 10/10 | Estimated | |
| Coworking | 40 spaces | 10/10 | ||
| Avg Temperature | 16.6°C | 8/10 |
Rent: 1BR city-centre estimate (USD/mo) compiled from NomadList, Expatistan and public nomad guides. Not officially sourced — use as a comparison signal, not a quote.
Cost breakdown
Assumes a central, single-occupancy lifestyle with moderate eating out. The total includes rent; non-rent items are estimated from regional patterns.
| Item | Detail | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | Central 1BR apartment | $900 | 32% |
| Food | Groceries + moderate dining out | $912 | 33% |
| Transport & comms | Local transit + mobile / internet | $418 | 15% |
| Other | Leisure, essentials, buffer | $570 | 20% |
| Total | Monthly estimate | $2,800 | 100% |
Rent is a published estimate (actual figure); other items are an estimated split of the total.
Climate Overview
Monthly temperature averaged from 2015–2024 (Open-Meteo archive). Humidity is an estimate from annual average.
| Metric | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Avg temperature | 16.6°C | 2015–2024 average |
| Warmest month | 32.38°C | Aug |
| Coldest month | 1.09°C | Jan |
| Humidity (annual) | 75% | Comfort range 40–60% |
| Sunshine | 3,136 h | Annual total |
| Precipitation | 1,758 mm | Annual total |
Air Quality
FairObserved: 2026-07-28 22:00
Visa Information
| N/A |
Tax Overview
| Income Tax | Japan uses a calendar year (Jan 1–Dec 31). Residents for 5+ years may be subject to worldwide income taxation. |
|---|---|
| Residency | 183 days |
Next Actions
Everything you need to move here.
| Find a stay | Hotels & apartments via Booking.com | Browse stays → |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad insurance | Global health coverage from SafetyWing | Get insured → |
| Get an eSIM | Stay connected on arrival with Airalo | View eSIM plans → |
| Move money | Low-fee international transfers with Wise | Open account → |
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