Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Akita and Okinawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Akita: $1,213 a month against $1,364 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Akita
Learn more

Akita Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
Learn more

Okinawa Living Index

Jump to prices

Akita

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,213

/mo nomad

Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,364

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Akita and in Okinawa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Akita and in Okinawa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,213 per month in Akita vs $1,364 in Okinawa, rent included.

Akita $1,213
Okinawa $1,364

A couple spends around $1,904 per month in Akita vs $2,154 in Okinawa, rent included.

Akita $1,904
Okinawa $2,154

A family of three spends $2,596 per month in Akita vs $2,944 in Okinawa, rent included.

Akita $2,596
Okinawa $2,944

Akita is about 11% cheaper than Okinawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Akita sits 11% below the global median, while Okinawa is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.21 ¥981

$9.91 ¥1,566

-37.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.98 ¥5,052

$39.91 ¥6,306

-19.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 ¥775

$7.13 ¥1,126

-31.28%

Cappuccino

$3.54 ¥559

$3.87 ¥611

-8.53%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 ¥156

$1.47 ¥233

-32.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥128

$0.99 ¥156

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 ¥306

$2.51 ¥397

-23.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 ¥493

$4.34 ¥685

-28.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥240

$1.63 ¥257

-6.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥252

$2.07 ¥326

-23.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 ¥650

$3.88 ¥612

5.93%

Eggs

$2.04 ¥323

$1.78 ¥281

14.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 ¥1,610

$17.97 ¥2,840

-43.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 ¥1,031

$4.85 ¥766

34.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.23 ¥2,565

$22.79 ¥3,601

-28.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 ¥573

$3.62 ¥571

0.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ¥355

$2.70 ¥427

-16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 ¥448

$2.19 ¥345

29.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.20 ¥663

$5.16 ¥816

-18.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 ¥384

$2.39 ¥377

1.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 ¥392

$2.45 ¥386

1.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 ¥204

$1.26 ¥199

2.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥127

$0.78 ¥122

3.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 ¥634

$4.02 ¥635

-0.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 ¥1,039

$6.30 ¥995

4.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 ¥296

$1.90 ¥299

-1.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ¥327

$3.35 ¥530

-38.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 ¥239

$1.48 ¥233

2.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.0 ¥8,525

$65.9 ¥10.4K

-18.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 ¥503

$3.96 ¥625

-19.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.79 ¥440

$3.42 ¥540

-18.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.55 ¥2,931

$11.40 ¥1,802

62.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥207

$1.06 ¥167

23.58%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.7K ¥3.4M

$21.1K ¥3.3M

2.55%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$15.2K ¥2.4M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

0.23%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$135 ¥21.3K

$158 ¥25.0K

-14.99%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$24.50 ¥3,871

$25.31 ¥3,999

-3.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.46 ¥4,971

$52.8 ¥8,338

-40.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 ¥8,332

$71.1 ¥11.2K

-25.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$55.3 ¥8,734

Cinema Ticket

$11.84 ¥1,870

$11.95 ¥1,888

-0.92%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$507 ¥80.1K

$329 ¥52.0K

54.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K ¥2.0M

$5,632 ¥889.8K

125.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.47 ¥6,552

$50.2 ¥7,928

-17.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.21 ¥7,301

$23.08 ¥3,647

100.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 ¥13.4K

$80.5 ¥12.7K

5.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ¥13.9K

$94.6 ¥14.9K

-6.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ¥83.1K

$403 ¥63.6K

30.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 ¥53.1K

$320 ¥50.6K

4.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 ¥172.1K

$841 ¥132.9K

29.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 ¥114.1K

$663 ¥104.7K

9.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,173 ¥659.3K

$8,665 ¥1.4M

-51.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,782 ¥281.5K

$1,213 ¥191.7K

46.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,613 ¥254.9K

$1,809 ¥285.8K

-10.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

2.23

-0.90%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Akita: October 19, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Akita

$336 27.7%

Okinawa

$320 23.5% 4.7% $16

Groceries & Markets

Akita

$285 23.5%

Okinawa

$330 24.2% 15.7% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Akita

$191 15.7%

Okinawa

$236 17.3% 24.1% $46

Eating Out

Akita

$130 10.7%

Okinawa

$178 13.1% 37.1% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Akita

$117 9.7%

Okinawa

$112 8.2% 4.6% $5.4

Getting Around

Akita

$77 6.4%

Okinawa

$93 6.8% 20.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Akita

$76 6.3%

Okinawa

$95 7% 24.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Akita versus $403 in Okinawa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 12% higher in Okinawa, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Akita versus $40.00 in Okinawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $285 vs $330 – making Akita the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Akita

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🕒 Local time

19:51 7:51 PM

Same time as Akita

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

307,672

142,752

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Akita Okinawa 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Akita
Okinawa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Akita vs Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Okinawa costs about 13% more than Akita, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,819 per month in Akita and $2,047 in Okinawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Akita, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 22% less in Akita. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $507 per month in Akita and $329 in Okinawa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Akita, where all-in costs run around $1,213, than in Okinawa at $1,364. In Akita it covers expenses comfortably, while in Okinawa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Akita – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Akita. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Okinawa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.