Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kagoshima and Okinawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Kagoshima: $1,135 a month against $1,388 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Kagoshima
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Kagoshima Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
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Okinawa Living Index

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Kagoshima

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,135

/mo nomad

Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,135 per month in Kagoshima vs $1,388 in Okinawa, rent included.

Kagoshima $1,135
Okinawa $1,388

A couple spends around $1,887 per month in Kagoshima vs $2,184 in Okinawa, rent included.

Kagoshima $1,887
Okinawa $2,184

A family of three spends $2,639 per month in Kagoshima vs $2,980 in Okinawa, rent included.

Kagoshima $2,639
Okinawa $2,980

Kagoshima is about 18% cheaper than Okinawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kagoshima sits 17% below the global median, while Okinawa is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.39 ¥1,008

$10.12 ¥1,598

-36.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.97 ¥5,364

$40.24 ¥6,355

-15.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.34 ¥844

$7.04 ¥1,112

-24.15%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥469

$4.11 ¥649

-27.74%

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

$1.04 ¥165

$1.40 ¥221

-25.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥118

$0.92 ¥145

-18.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 ¥395

$2.51 ¥396

-0.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥349

$5.27 ¥832

-58.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥208

$1.58 ¥249

-17.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 ¥182

$2.05 ¥324

-43.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.15 ¥813

$3.76 ¥594

36.97%

Eggs

$2.05 ¥325

$1.84 ¥290

11.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.94 ¥2,834

$17.99 ¥2,842

-0.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.29 ¥836

$4.79 ¥757

10.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 ¥2,965

$22.45 ¥3,546

-16.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 ¥586

$3.81 ¥602

-2.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 ¥294

$2.62 ¥413

-29.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 ¥447

$2.20 ¥347

28.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 ¥542

$5.26 ¥831

-34.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 ¥329

$2.39 ¥377

-12.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 ¥297

$2.56 ¥404

-26.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ¥163

$1.28 ¥201

-19.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.77 ¥122

3.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.85 ¥608

$3.90 ¥617

-1.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.20 ¥979

$6.40 ¥1,011

-3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ¥191

$1.95 ¥308

-37.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ¥291

$3.34 ¥528

-44.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.44 ¥227

-13.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ¥8,950

$65.1 ¥10.3K

-12.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 ¥650

$3.82 ¥603

7.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 ¥370

$3.54 ¥559

-33.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.30 ¥1,784

$11.23 ¥1,773

0.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

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

$22.6K ¥3.6M

$20.9K ¥3.3M

7.95%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$15.5K ¥2.5M

-1.85%

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

$188 ¥29.6K

$163 ¥25.7K

15.32%

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

$24.69 ¥3,900

$25.35 ¥4,004

-2.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.51 ¥4,976

$53.1 ¥8,382

-40.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ¥8,229

$73.0 ¥11.5K

-28.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.9 ¥8,673

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 ¥1,889

$11.98 ¥1,893

-0.17%

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

$703 ¥111.1K

$327 ¥51.7K

114.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K ¥2.0M

$5,668 ¥895.1K

118.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.66 ¥7,685

$48.88 ¥7,720

-0.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.33 ¥4,158

$23.35 ¥3,688

12.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 ¥10.3K

$81.2 ¥12.8K

-19.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.3 ¥12.1K

$95.7 ¥15.1K

-20.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$550 ¥86.8K

$411 ¥65.0K

33.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$219 ¥34.5K

$332 ¥52.4K

-34.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 ¥151.2K

$852 ¥134.6K

12.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 ¥115.3K

$678 ¥107.1K

7.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,461 ¥704.5K

$8,422 ¥1.3M

-47.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,528 ¥399.3K

$1,185 ¥187.1K

113.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,861 ¥293.9K

$1,798 ¥283.9K

3.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.97

2.23

-11.66%

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

Last update for Kagoshima: October 25, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kagoshima

$294 25.9%

Okinawa

$330 23.8% 12.1% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kagoshima

$244 21.5%

Okinawa

$241 17.4% 1.1% $2.7

Accommodation & Living

Kagoshima

$219 19.3%

Okinawa

$332 23.9% 51.7% $113

Eating Out

Kagoshima

$127 11.2%

Okinawa

$184 13.2% 44.8% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Kagoshima

$98 8.6%

Okinawa

$112 8.1% 15% $15

Getting Around

Kagoshima

$77 6.8%

Okinawa

$92 6.7% 19.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Kagoshima

$76 6.7%

Okinawa

$97 7% 27.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $550 in Kagoshima versus $411 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 4% higher in Kagoshima, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Kagoshima versus $40 in Okinawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $294 vs $330 – making Kagoshima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Kagoshima

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🕒 Local time

00:56 12:56 AM

Same time as Kagoshima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

593,128

142,752

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Kagoshima vs Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Okinawa costs about 22% more than Kagoshima, 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 $1,702 per month in Kagoshima and $2,082 in Okinawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Okinawa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $411 there versus $550 in Kagoshima.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Kagoshima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $703 per month in Kagoshima and $327 in Okinawa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,135 in Kagoshima and $1,388 in Okinawa. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Okinawa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,135 in Kagoshima to $1,388 in Okinawa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.