Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fukushima and Okinawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Fukushima: $1,179 a month against $1,379 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Fukushima, Japan
Okinawa, Japan
Fukushima
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,179
/mo nomad
Okinawa
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,379
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,179 in Fukushima versus $1,379 in Okinawa.

  • Fukushima $1,179
  • Okinawa $1,379

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,896 in Fukushima versus $2,171 in Okinawa.

  • Fukushima $1,896
  • Okinawa $2,171

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,613 in Fukushima versus $2,964 in Okinawa.

  • Fukushima $2,613
  • Okinawa $2,964

Living in Fukushima costs roughly 15% less than in Okinawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fukushima is 13% below, Okinawa is 2% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Fukushima
Okinawa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.97 ¥946
$9.74 ¥1,543
-38.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.63 ¥4,694
$40.63 ¥6,435
-27.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.37 ¥692
$6.87 ¥1,088
-36.39%
Cappuccino
$2.47 ¥391
$3.91 ¥619
-36.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.97 ¥153
$1.40 ¥222
-30.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.67 ¥105
$0.93 ¥147
-27.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.58 ¥409
$2.61 ¥414
-1.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 ¥504
$6.02 ¥954
-47.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fukushima
Okinawa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 ¥240
$1.63 ¥258
-7.36%
White Bread (500g)
$1.53 ¥243
$2.10 ¥333
-27.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.10 ¥650
$3.89 ¥617
5.40%
Eggs
$2.09 ¥330
$1.78 ¥282
17.42%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.23 ¥1,620
$18.10 ¥2,867
-43.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.50 ¥1,029
$4.89 ¥775
32.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.13 ¥2,713
$22.24 ¥3,523
-22.98%
Apples (1kg)
$3.71 ¥588
$3.79 ¥600
-2.11%
Banana (1kg)
$2.23 ¥353
$2.59 ¥411
-13.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.95 ¥467
$2.14 ¥339
37.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.09 ¥648
$5.18 ¥820
-21.04%
Potato (1kg)
$2.38 ¥376
$2.49 ¥394
-4.42%
Onion (1kg)
$2.48 ¥392
$2.48 ¥392
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.32 ¥210
$1.26 ¥200
4.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 ¥132
$0.78 ¥123
6.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.99 ¥632
$4.03 ¥638
-0.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.55 ¥1,037
$6.40 ¥1,013
2.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.88 ¥298
$1.88 ¥297
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 ¥341
$3.18 ¥503
-32.39%
🚌 Getting Around
Fukushima
Okinawa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 ¥241
$1.50 ¥237
1.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$58.4 ¥9,251
$65.1 ¥10.3K
-10.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.56 ¥565
$3.92 ¥620
-9.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.96 ¥469
$3.47 ¥549
-14.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.07 ¥3,653
$11.44 ¥1,812
101.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 ¥192
$1.05 ¥166
15.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.4K ¥3.5M
$21.3K ¥3.4M
5.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.0K ¥2.4M
$15.0K ¥2.4M
-0.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fukushima
Okinawa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$125 ¥19.7K
$162 ¥25.7K
-23.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.80 ¥3,453
$25.31 ¥4,009
-13.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.57 ¥5,158
$53.6 ¥8,492
-39.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fukushima
Okinawa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.2 ¥8,105
$71.8 ¥11.4K
-28.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$56.8 ¥9,001
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.50 ¥1,821
$12.04 ¥1,907
-4.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fukushima
Okinawa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$692 ¥109.6K
$330 ¥52.2K
110.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.2K ¥2.9M
$5,654 ¥895.5K
222.64%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fukushima
Okinawa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.5 ¥8,313
$48.74 ¥7,719
7.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.18 ¥5,413
$23.34 ¥3,697
46.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$67.4 ¥10.7K
$81.3 ¥12.9K
-17.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.2 ¥12.2K
$98.0 ¥15.5K
-21.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fukushima
Okinawa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$556 ¥88.0K
$407 ¥64.4K
36.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$334 ¥52.9K
$327 ¥51.7K
2.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$973 ¥154.1K
$825 ¥130.7K
17.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$808 ¥128.0K
$667 ¥105.6K
21.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,329 ¥685.7K
$8,711 ¥1.4M
-50.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,479 ¥392.7K
$1,220 ¥193.3K
103.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fukushima
Okinawa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,814 ¥287.3K
-
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 Fukushima: November 1, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Fukushima
$334
Okinawa
$327 2.2% $7.4
Groceries & Markets
Fukushima
$288
Okinawa
$330 14.5% $42
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fukushima
$179
Okinawa
$241 34.8% $62
Eating Out
Fukushima
$116
Okinawa
$180 54.7% $64
Clothing & Footwear
Fukushima
$104
Okinawa
$113 8.7% $9
Getting Around
Fukushima
$83
Okinawa
$92 11.4% $9.5
Sport & Entertainment
Fukushima
$74
Okinawa
$96 29.3% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $556 in Fukushima and $407 in Okinawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30 in Fukushima vs $41 in Okinawa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $330 per month, with Fukushima cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Fukushima
🇯🇵 Okinawa
🕒 Local time
08:27 8:27 AM
08:27 8:27 AM
Same time as Fukushima
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
282,693
142,752
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.31 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.62 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Fukushima Okinawa 1,720 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Fukushima
  • Okinawa

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Fukushima vs Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fukushima cheaper than Okinawa?
Fukushima is about 15% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,768 in Fukushima and $2,068 in Okinawa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Fukushima and Okinawa?
Rent for a central apartment: $556 in Fukushima versus $407 in Okinawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Fukushima and in Okinawa?
Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Okinawa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Fukushima or in Okinawa?
Dining out is cheaper in Fukushima – a meal for two runs $30 versus $41 in Okinawa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is it better to live in Fukushima or in Okinawa?
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.
Which city is safer, Fukushima or Okinawa?
Safety-wise, Fukushima and Okinawa are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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