Osaka remains one of the most affordable major cities in East Asia for the quality of life it delivers — but "affordable" is a word that loses all meaning the moment you start comparing listings without context. A ¥70,000 apartment in Higashi-Osaka and a ¥70,000 apartment in Nishi-ku are not the same thing. The price tag is identical; almost everything else is different.
For foreigners approaching Osaka's rental market for the first time, the gap between what they see on aggregator websites and what they actually encounter when they try to rent is significant. Prices are real. But what those prices actually include — and who actually has access to those apartments — is a different conversation.
This guide breaks down average rents across Osaka's main neighborhoods in 2026, explains what shapes those prices, and gives you the honest context that listing platforms don't provide.
Japanese rental listings quote what's called the chinryo (賃料) — the monthly rent. That number is real. But the rental system around it is structured in a way that most foreigners don't immediately recognize.
First, the market is extremely local. There's no national price per square meter that applies cleanly. Two apartments in the same building, on different floors or with slightly different layouts, can command meaningfully different rents — not because of arbitrary pricing, but because of how Japanese landlords and management companies value sun exposure, floor level, renovation year, and building age. Understanding how the Japanese real estate market actually functions is the first step to making sense of what you see.
Second, rents in Osaka are quoted per tsubo or per square meter depending on the platform, and apartments described as "1K" or "1LDK" vary enormously in actual size. A 1LDK could be 35㎡ or 65㎡ — the notation tells you the room count, not the livable area. This matters when you're comparing prices across neighborhoods, because you're often not comparing like-for-like.
Third — and this is something you feel on the ground rather than read in a listing — the market operates in tiers of accessibility. Not every apartment listed online is accessible to a foreigner without a Japanese guarantor, a permanent residence permit, or a company sponsor. The price you see is one variable. Whether that apartment is actually available to you, at that price, is another question entirely.
Below is a general price framework for Osaka in 2026, before we go neighborhood by neighborhood. These ranges reflect realistic asking prices for units that foreigners can actually access, from well-maintained stock — not the cheapest units on the market (which tend to be the hardest to rent as a foreigner) and not the top-end luxury tier.
| Apartment Type | Size (approx.) | Central Osaka Range | Mid-Ring Range | Outer Area Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1R / 1K | 18–28㎡ | ¥70,000–¥110,000 | ¥55,000–¥80,000 | ¥40,000–¥60,000 |
| 1DK | 28–38㎡ | ¥85,000–¥130,000 | ¥65,000–¥95,000 | ¥50,000–¥70,000 |
| 1LDK | 38–55㎡ | ¥110,000–¥180,000 | ¥85,000–¥130,000 | ¥60,000–¥90,000 |
| 2LDK | 55–75㎡ | ¥160,000–¥260,000 | ¥120,000–¥180,000 | ¥80,000–¥120,000 |
| 3LDK+ | 75㎡+ | ¥220,000–¥400,000+ | ¥160,000–¥230,000 | ¥100,000–¥155,000 |
A few important caveats about these numbers:
Chuo-ku is Osaka's geographic and commercial heart. Namba, Shinsaibashi, and the area stretching toward Higobashi and Kitahama sit in a zone where demand never really softens. The subway coverage is exceptional — most of central Chuo-ku gives you access to multiple lines within a few minutes' walk — and the lifestyle density (restaurants, retail, entertainment, services) is unmatched in the city.
For renters, that translates into premium pricing and competitive availability. A 1K in the Namba or Shinsaibashi core starts at approximately ¥80,000–¥100,000 per month for a standard quality unit, and pushes toward ¥120,000–¥150,000 for anything renovated, high-floor, or with more than 25㎡. A 1LDK in this zone typically runs ¥130,000–¥190,000.
What's less obvious: a significant portion of the residential stock closest to Namba itself is oriented toward short-term rentals and serviced apartments — particularly post-Expo 2025, which accelerated that trend. Finding a standard 2-year lease apartment in the immediate Dotonbori / Nambayasaka area is harder than the listing density suggests. The actual residential pockets — Higobashi, Tanimachi, Kawaramachi — offer better value and more genuine residential character while remaining firmly within Chuo-ku.
Best suited for: Professionals and couples who prioritize lifestyle access and don't need to optimize for budget. Also relevant for those considering short-term corporate housing before settling.
Nishi-ku has consistently been one of the most popular choices for foreign residents with taste and a moderate budget — and that's unlikely to change in 2026. The neighborhood sits west of central Osaka, anchored by Horie in the north-east (boutique shops, design studios, cafes on Orange Street) and Utsubo Park as its green heart.
Rents in Nishi-ku are high relative to the outer wards but remain below the central Chuo-ku premium. A standard 1K in the Nishi-ku core — Taisho-suji area, close to Nishi-Ohashi or Nagahoribashi — runs approximately ¥72,000–¥95,000. A 1LDK in a well-located, modern building pushes ¥115,000–¥155,000. The Kujo sub-area, slightly further west, offers meaningfully lower prices (roughly 15–20% cheaper) while still benefiting from the ward's overall character.
The residential mix here includes a relatively higher proportion of newer builds and renovated units — which is relevant because it correlates with landlords who are more accustomed to foreign tenants and management companies with established processes for non-Japanese renters. You can read more about the specific character of the ward in our dedicated Nishi-ku neighborhood guide.
Best suited for: Creative professionals, couples, and anyone who wants Osaka lifestyle without the full central premium. Popular with Europeans and North Americans for its design-forward atmosphere.
Kita-ku is Osaka's business and transport hub. Umeda station — or more precisely, the cluster of stations (Osaka, Umeda, Nishi-Umeda, Higashi-Umeda) — constitutes one of the largest and most connected train interchanges in Japan. For professionals commuting regionally, or anyone whose life runs through the Hanshin, Hankyu, JR, or Midosuji lines, Kita-ku offers a logistical advantage that simply cannot be replicated elsewhere in the city.
Rents reflect that premium. Apartments immediately adjacent to Umeda — particularly in the redeveloped areas around Grand Front Osaka and Nakatsu — start at ¥85,000–¥115,000 for a 1K and reach ¥150,000–¥220,000 for a 1LDK with views. The Tenjinbashisuji corridor, which stretches north from Temma toward Tenjinbashi, is slightly more accessible: expect ¥65,000–¥90,000 for a 1K in a solid building, with 1LDKs in the ¥95,000–¥140,000 range.
Nakatsu specifically has attracted significant attention since being named among Time Out's top neighborhoods globally. The combination of independent food culture, Umeda walkability, and relative affordability compared to Horie makes it genuinely competitive. We cover the Nakatsu rental reality in more detail in our Nakatsu apartment guide.
Best suited for: Corporate professionals, frequent travelers who use Osaka as a Kansai base, and anyone whose company is headquartered in or near Umeda.
Honmachi sits at a quiet intersection of Osaka's business and residential worlds. It's a central address — Midosuji and Sennichimae lines converge at the station — without the tourist density of Namba or the commuter chaos of Umeda. The streets are orderly, the residential blocks are genuinely calm, and the stock of mid-century buildings has been renovated rather than demolished in many cases, giving the area a visual texture that feels more lived-in than showroom.
Price-wise, Honmachi occupies a rational middle ground. A 1K in a reasonably modern building runs ¥72,000–¥95,000. A 1LDK lands in the ¥105,000–¥150,000 range depending on size and building year. The Sakaisuji-Honmachi sub-area — one stop east on the Sennichimae line — is slightly more affordable and has a distinctive architectural character worth factoring in if you're considering the zone.
We've covered the full rental picture for this area in our Honmachi neighborhood guide.
Best suited for: Business professionals who want central Osaka without tourist-area noise. Also well-suited for couples who want a compact, well-connected base.
Tennoji has undergone a significant repositioning over the past five years. The area around Tennoji station — anchored by Abeno Harukas (Japan's tallest building), the zoo, Shitennoji temple, and a renovated retail corridor — now feels distinctly more polished than its historical reputation suggested. That repositioning is reflected in rents, which have climbed steadily while remaining below the Nishi-ku or Chuo-ku tier.
Expect to pay approximately ¥65,000–¥88,000 for a 1K and ¥95,000–¥135,000 for a 1LDK in the core Tennoji / Abeno zone. The sub-areas around Shitennoji and Momoyamadai offer more space per yen, with 2LDKs available in the ¥130,000–¥165,000 range — which would cost significantly more in Nishi-ku or Chuo-ku.
One thing worth noting: Tennoji's residential character is more family-oriented than some other central wards. The building mix includes a higher proportion of 2LDK and 3LDK stock, making it a legitimate option for families and couples who need space. For a deeper look at the area, see our Tennoji apartment guide.
Best suited for: Families, couples seeking more space at moderate cost, and anyone whose work or life centers on the south of Osaka city proper.
Fukushima is the neighborhood that consistently surprises first-time visitors. Located immediately west of Umeda across the Dojima River, it delivers a restaurant and bar density that's arguably unmatched anywhere in Osaka — but almost entirely for locals, not tourists. The streets are narrow, the buildings are low-rise, and the energy is distinctly neighborhood rather than citywide destination.
That combination — central location, exceptional food scene, no tourist premium — makes Fukushima genuinely attractive for residents. Rents reflect its desirability without reaching Nishi-ku levels. A 1K in Fukushima proper runs ¥68,000–¥90,000. A 1LDK lands at ¥100,000–¥145,000. The area also has a meaningful stock of slightly older buildings that have been partially renovated — units that come at a lower price but require more diligence in understanding what's actually been updated.
Best suited for: Food-focused residents, couples who want a neighborhood feel with central access, and professionals who want the Umeda commute without the Umeda rent.
Nakazakicho is one of Osaka's most character-rich pockets — a neighborhood of vintage clothing shops, independent coffee roasters, old machiya (wooden townhouses) that have been quietly preserved, and a creative resident base that has stayed largely intact even as the area's profile has risen. It sits between Umeda and Tenjin-Bashi-Suji, close enough to both to benefit from their infrastructure without being absorbed into either.
The rental stock here is genuinely mixed: renovated machiya, older concrete mansions, newer mid-rise builds. Prices for a 1K start around ¥60,000–¥80,000, making it one of the more accessible central options. A 1LDK runs ¥88,000–¥130,000. The catch: some of the most appealing buildings — particularly the traditional structures — can be harder to access for foreign renters without a Japanese guarantor, and building-to-building variation is high enough that the guidance of someone who knows the local stock matters considerably.
The Tenjinbashisuji shopping street — the longest covered shopping arcade in Japan — adds a daily-life convenience layer to the area that formal listings never mention but residents immediately appreciate.
Best suited for: Creatives, freelancers, digital nomads, and anyone drawn to Osaka's independent cultural scene. Also well-priced for couples.
Shin-Osaka is undergoing structural change. The expansion of the Shinkansen network into Osaka — and the ongoing development around the station — has started to reframe what was previously considered a purely functional transit hub into something with more genuine residential appeal. For foreign professionals who travel frequently within Japan, or who need fast access to Tokyo, Nagoya, or Hiroshima, the Shin-Osaka location offers a convenience premium that's hard to price.
Rents remain more moderate than the central wards. A 1K in the Shin-Osaka area runs approximately ¥58,000–¥82,000. A 1LDK lands around ¥85,000–¥120,000. The surrounding Yodogawa-ku area — including Juso, Nishimiya-higashi, and Higashi-Yodogawa — offers lower prices still, with 1K apartments available from ¥50,000–¥70,000 and larger units providing genuine value for budget-conscious residents who prioritize connectivity over lifestyle density.
Best suited for: Business travelers, corporate professionals based in or commuting through Osaka, and practical renters who prioritize connectivity over neighborhood prestige.
If budget is the primary variable, Higashi-Osaka and the eastern wards — including parts of Higashinari-ku and Tsurumi-ku — offer the most generous square-meter-per-yen equation in the metro area. Rents for a 1K can start as low as ¥42,000–¥58,000. A 1LDK often comes in under ¥85,000. Families can find genuine 3LDK apartments in the ¥110,000–¥145,000 range — a configuration that would cost double in Chuo-ku.
The trade-off is commute time and lifestyle infrastructure. Higashi-Osaka isn't poorly served by transit, but it requires more deliberate planning to connect to central Osaka efficiently. The neighborhood character is more residential and less internationally oriented — which is either a feature or a drawback depending on your lifestyle expectations.
Worth noting: Tsuruhashi, which technically sits at the border of Higashinari-ku and Tennoji-ku, is a distinct case. It's home to one of Japan's largest Korean communities and its own food culture centered on the famous market. Rents are low for its central location, and the area has a multicultural texture unusual in Osaka.
Best suited for: Budget-focused renters, families prioritizing space over location, and those whose work is based in east Osaka's manufacturing and logistics corridor.
Listing prices in Japan are honest in a narrow sense: the quoted rent is what you'll pay monthly. But the rental system layers additional costs around that number that aren't always visible until you're deep in the application process.
The most significant: initial costs. In Osaka, moving into a new apartment involves paying between two and four months' rent upfront before you get a key. This includes the security deposit (shikikin), key money (reikin, though less common than it once was), the first month's rent, agency fees, and guarantor company fees. The full picture of initial costs when moving in Japan often surprises people who have only looked at the monthly rent line.
Beyond the initial costs, there's also the question of what's included in the monthly figure. Management fees (kanrihi) are often charged separately and run ¥3,000–¥15,000 per month depending on the building. Some listings include them in the quoted rent; many don't. Utilities — electricity, gas, water, internet — are never included in standard Japanese leases and must be set up independently. The process of setting up utilities as a foreigner in Japan has its own complexity that's worth understanding early.
Finally, there's the question of furnished versus unfurnished. Japan is overwhelmingly an unfurnished rental market. Walking into a new apartment typically means walking into a completely bare space — no appliances beyond air conditioning in most cases, no furniture, no light fixtures. The cost of furnishing a 1K from scratch in Osaka runs roughly ¥150,000–¥300,000 depending on choices. Furnished apartments in Osaka exist and are worth considering for anyone arriving without existing possessions.
This is the section that aggregator websites skip entirely — and it's often the most important one.
In Japan, rental agreements are built around a specific set of assumptions: the tenant has Japanese language ability, has a Japanese guarantor, has an established domestic employment history, and intends to stay for a standard two-year lease. Foreigners often check none of those boxes fully, and the system responds accordingly.
The practical consequence: a portion of the apartments you see listed at attractive prices are, in reality, unavailable to you — not officially, but effectively. Some landlords instruct their management companies not to proceed with foreign applications. Others will proceed only if the foreigner has a Japanese co-signer or a guarantor company willing to accept the profile. Others are entirely open and have hosted foreign tenants before with no issues. The listing doesn't tell you which category you're in.
Your visa status matters significantly. A 5-year work visa resident with stable employment reads very differently to a management company than a digital nomad on a tourist visa overstay, a student on a short-term visa, or a self-employed foreigner with non-Japanese income. The specific challenges for self-employed foreigners renting in Osaka are worth reading if that description fits your situation. So is the detailed picture for digital nomads navigating the Osaka rental market.
The guarantor company layer adds another variable. Not all guarantor companies accept foreign applicants. Among those that do, the screening criteria vary — income thresholds, visa requirements, document expectations. Understanding which guarantor companies in Japan are actually foreigner-friendly is a practical prerequisite before you start applying, not an afterthought.
None of this means that renting in Osaka as a foreigner is impossible — it clearly isn't, and Osaka is one of the more open cities in Japan for foreign residents. But approaching the market without understanding how access actually works leads to wasted applications, lost time, and occasionally the loss of an apartment that was genuinely well-suited to your needs.
To make meaningful comparisons, it helps to think in terms of total cost of occupation rather than monthly rent in isolation. A ¥75,000 apartment with ¥10,000 in management fees, ¥12,000 in utilities, and a three-month initial cost deposit is a different financial proposition than a ¥90,000 apartment with no management fee, included internet, and a one-month deposit.
The overall cost of living in Osaka — beyond rent — is also lower than most foreigners expect relative to European or North American cities of comparable size. Osaka's actual cost of living for a resident — groceries, transport, dining — routinely surprises people favorably. That context matters when you're evaluating whether a ¥100,000 apartment represents good or poor value against alternatives.
Osaka's overall rental market trajectory in 2026 is one of gradual appreciation rather than shock increases. The post-Expo 2025 period has seen some upward pressure in central areas, particularly around the Yumeshima development zone on the western waterfront. The Osaka real estate market in 2026 is detailed further if you want a broader picture of where prices are heading.
Reading a neighborhood price guide gives you a frame of reference. It doesn't give you a specific apartment that fits your profile, your timeline, and your budget — at a price that reflects real negotiating room rather than the aspirational list price.
That's where working with a broker who specializes in foreign clients changes the experience. At Maido Estate, we search for properties on your behalf, knowing in advance which landlords and management companies work regularly with non-Japanese tenants, which guarantor companies have the most straightforward process for your visa status, and where the actual available inventory sits relative to the figures in guides like this one.
Osaka's rental market moves quickly. A well-priced apartment in a foreigner-accessible building in Nishi-ku or Nakatsu typically goes within a week of listing. The advantage of having someone search, filter, and apply systematically — in Japanese, through the professional channels that agents use — is not a convenience. In a competitive market, it's often the difference between securing an apartment and spending another month searching.
If you're trying to understand what's realistically possible for your profile before you commit to anything, that's exactly the kind of conversation we're set up for. You can see how Maido Estate searches on your behalf, or reach out directly to start with an honest assessment of your situation.
Osaka is a city that rewards people who understand how it actually works. The price data above is a start. The rest of that understanding comes with experience, local knowledge, and a broker who's been navigating this market for foreign clients long enough to know where the gaps are.
Maido Estate is an independent real estate agency based in Osaka, specializing in helping foreign nationals rent, buy, and invest across the Kansai region. All figures in this guide reflect 2026 market conditions and are provided for general guidance — specific apartment availability and pricing vary and should be confirmed directly.
