---
title: "Osaka vs Sagamihara for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/osaka-vs-sagamihara
description: "Under balanced weights Osaka edges it, 65 to 64, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Osaka is stronger on cost of living; Sagamihara on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Osaka vs Sagamihara for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Osaka edges it, 65 to 64, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Osaka is stronger on cost of living; Sagamihara on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Cost of living.** Osaka leads on cost of living, 49 to 26, against Sagamihara. Monthly cost, one person: $1,690 vs $2,700.
- **Internet.** Sagamihara leads on internet, 83 to 74, against Osaka. Measured download: 48.7 Mbps vs 70.5 Mbps.
- **Climate.** Sagamihara leads on climate, 8 to 0, against Osaka. Comfortable months: 0 vs 1.

Where they are close: within five points on getting there & around, air quality, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.

**Pick Osaka if you want** to spend about $1,010 less a month.

**Pick Sagamihara if you want** faster internet (70.5 Mbps measured).

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Osaka | Sagamihara | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 49 | 26 | Osaka |
| Safety | 94 | 94 | tie |
| Healthcare | 92 | 92 | tie |
| Internet | 74 | 83 | Sagamihara |
| Visa ease | 65 | 65 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 47 | 48 | Sagamihara |
| Climate | 0 | 8 | Sagamihara |
| Air quality | 90 | 89 | Osaka |
| Quality of life | 74 | 74 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Osaka | Sagamihara | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,690 | $2,700 | Osaka |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $893 | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Osaka | Sagamihara | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.23 | 0.23 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 87.7 | 87.7 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 86 | 86 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 83.9 yrs | 83.9 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Osaka | Sagamihara | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 48.7 Mbps | 70.5 Mbps | Sagamihara |
| Upload | 17.2 Mbps | 50.8 Mbps | Sagamihara |

## Visa

| Metric | Osaka | Sagamihara | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad visa (Designated Activities) | Digital nomad visa (Designated Activities) | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $5,285/mo | $5,285/mo | tie |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Osaka | Sagamihara | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 81 | 162 | Sagamihara |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 3 | Osaka |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 5 | 4 | Osaka |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Osaka | Sagamihara | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 0 | 1 | Sagamihara |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 9.4 µg/m³ | 10 µg/m³ | Osaka |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Osaka or Sagamihara?

Osaka is cheaper: about $1,690 per month versus $2,700 for one person.

### Is Osaka or Sagamihara safer?

Osaka and Sagamihara score the same on safety (94), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Osaka or Sagamihara?

Sagamihara: a measured median of 70.5 Mbps versus 48.7 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Osaka](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/osaka) · [Sagamihara](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/sagamihara). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/osaka-vs-sagamihara