Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Okinawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Okinawa: $1,399 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
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Okinawa Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,399

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX 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 Austin, TX and in Okinawa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,399 in Okinawa.

Austin, TX $2,704
Okinawa $1,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,189 in Okinawa.

Austin, TX $4,133
Okinawa $2,189

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,979 in Okinawa.

Austin, TX $5,562
Okinawa $2,979

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 93% more expensive than in Okinawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Okinawa 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$10.13 ¥1,602

99.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$39.78 ¥6,288

113.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$7.04 ¥1,112

75.43%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.26 ¥674

28.40%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.47 ¥233

159.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.00 ¥158

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.01 ¥318

301.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$4.55 ¥719

97.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.64 ¥258

-31.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.15 ¥340

75.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.84 ¥606

-15.36%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.75 ¥277

136.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$17.94 ¥2,835

-27.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$4.87 ¥770

193.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$22.16 ¥3,503

-27.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.62 ¥572

20.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.63 ¥416

-44.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.14 ¥338

112.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$5.18 ¥819

-19.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.41 ¥380

9.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.58 ¥407

-8.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.31 ¥207

34.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.74 ¥117

191.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$3.99 ¥630

145.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$6.42 ¥1,015

129.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.87 ¥295

48.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.19 ¥504

9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.47 ¥232

1.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$67.2 ¥10.6K

-39.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.97 ¥627

-32.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$3.56 ¥563

-55.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$11.44 ¥1,808

208.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.09 ¥173

-9.17%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$21.3K ¥3.4M

68.48%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$15.4K ¥2.4M

76.40%

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

$219 $219

$162 ¥25.6K

35.40%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$24.91 ¥3,938

132.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$53.8 ¥8,503

27.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$71.3 ¥11.3K

-18.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$54.9 ¥8,679

-73.01%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$12.17 ¥1,924

16.11%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$329 ¥52.0K

358.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$5,538 ¥875.3K

287.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$50.1 ¥7,913

3.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$23.29 ¥3,681

89.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$78.8 ¥12.5K

8.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$94.6 ¥14.9K

11.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$404 ¥63.9K

378.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$328 ¥51.9K

287.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$826 ¥130.5K

344.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$663 ¥104.8K

280.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$8,594 ¥1.4M

-11.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,206 ¥190.6K

165.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$1,849 ¥292.3K

176.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.23

204.48%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Okinawa

$328 23.8% 74.2% $944

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Okinawa

$328 23.8% 18.5% $75

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Okinawa

$182 13.2% 47.6% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Okinawa

$241 17.4% 30.4% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Okinawa

$111 8% 13.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Okinawa

$96 6.9% 11% $9.5

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Okinawa

$95 6.9% 66.4% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $404 in Okinawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 176% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $40.00 in Okinawa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $328 per month, with Okinawa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🕒 Local time

04:05 4:05 AM

18:05 6:05 PM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

142,752

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.64 EUR).

JPY to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Okinawa 12,050 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
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

Austin, TX vs Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Okinawa wins on cost – living expenses run 93% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Okinawa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 176% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $404 in Okinawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,399 in Okinawa – a 93% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Okinawa runs roughly 66% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,399 in Okinawa versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Okinawa but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Okinawa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Okinawa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Okinawa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.