Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kashiwa and Okinawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Kashiwa: $1,241 a month against $1,388 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. The total is higher in Okinawa despite lower rent and utilities.

Kashiwa, Japan
Okinawa, Japan
Kashiwa
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,241
/mo nomad
Okinawa
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,388
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,241 per month in Kashiwa vs $1,388 in Okinawa, rent included.

  • Kashiwa $1,241
  • Okinawa $1,388

A couple spends around $1,861 per month in Kashiwa vs $2,184 in Okinawa, rent included.

  • Kashiwa $1,861
  • Okinawa $2,184

A family of three spends $2,481 per month in Kashiwa vs $2,980 in Okinawa, rent included.

  • Kashiwa $2,481
  • Okinawa $2,980

Kashiwa is about 11% cheaper than Okinawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kashiwa sits 9% below the global median, while Okinawa is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kashiwa
Okinawa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.27 ¥990
$10.12 ¥1,598
-38.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$25.74 ¥4,064
$40.24 ¥6,353
-36.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.23 ¥826
$7.04 ¥1,112
-25.71%
Cappuccino
$3.46 ¥547
$4.11 ¥649
-15.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 ¥110
$1.40 ¥221
-50.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.79 ¥125
$0.92 ¥145
-14.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ¥404
$2.51 ¥396
1.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 ¥492
$5.27 ¥832
-40.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kashiwa
Okinawa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.29 ¥203
$1.58 ¥249
-18.35%
White Bread (500g)
$1.10 ¥173
$2.05 ¥324
-46.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.61 ¥570
$3.76 ¥594
-3.99%
Eggs
$1.96 ¥309
$1.84 ¥290
6.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.46 ¥1,020
$17.99 ¥2,841
-64.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.05 ¥956
$4.79 ¥757
26.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.59 ¥1,515
$22.45 ¥3,545
-57.28%
Apples (1kg)
$5.55 ¥877
$3.81 ¥602
45.67%
Banana (1kg)
$2.73 ¥432
$2.62 ¥413
4.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.97 ¥469
$2.20 ¥347
35.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.24 ¥670
$5.26 ¥831
-19.39%
Potato (1kg)
$2.67 ¥421
$2.39 ¥377
11.72%
Onion (1kg)
$2.55 ¥403
$2.56 ¥404
-0.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.60 ¥95.4
$1.28 ¥201
-53.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.66 ¥104
$0.77 ¥122
-14.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.92 ¥620
$3.90 ¥617
0.51%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.43 ¥1,015
$6.40 ¥1,011
0.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ¥287
$1.95 ¥308
-6.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 ¥293
$3.34 ¥528
-44.31%
🚌 Getting Around
Kashiwa
Okinawa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.51 ¥238
$1.44 ¥227
4.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$57.3 ¥9,051
$65.1 ¥10.3K
-11.94%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.11 ¥492
$3.82 ¥603
-18.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.55 ¥245
$3.54 ¥559
-56.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.28 ¥3,201
$11.23 ¥1,772
80.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.02 ¥161
$1.11 ¥175
-8.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.5K ¥3.4M
$20.9K ¥3.3M
2.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.8K ¥2.5M
$15.5K ¥2.5M
1.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kashiwa
Okinawa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$124 ¥19.7K
$163 ¥25.7K
-23.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.64 ¥3,890
$25.35 ¥4,003
-2.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.79 ¥5,176
$53.1 ¥8,379
-38.21%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kashiwa
Okinawa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.3 ¥8,890
$73.0 ¥11.5K
-22.88%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$54.9 ¥8,670
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.78 ¥2,017
$11.98 ¥1,892
6.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kashiwa
Okinawa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$815 ¥128.6K
$327 ¥51.7K
148.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.6K ¥2.3M
$5,668 ¥894.9K
157.46%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kashiwa
Okinawa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.0 ¥9,785
$48.88 ¥7,718
26.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.55 ¥5,771
$23.35 ¥3,687
56.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$62.0 ¥9,791
$81.2 ¥12.8K
-23.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 ¥15.9K
$95.7 ¥15.1K
5.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kashiwa
Okinawa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$526 ¥83.0K
$411 ¥64.9K
27.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$402 ¥63.5K
$332 ¥52.4K
21.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,000 ¥157.9K
$852 ¥134.6K
17.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$716 ¥113.0K
$678 ¥107.0K
5.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,322 ¥682.3K
$8,422 ¥1.3M
-48.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,597 ¥410.1K
$1,185 ¥187.1K
119.20%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kashiwa
Okinawa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,664 ¥420.7K
$1,798 ¥283.8K
48.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.64
2.23
18.39%

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

Last update for Kashiwa: October 25, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kashiwa
$402
Okinawa
$332 17.5% $70
Groceries & Markets
Kashiwa
$251
Okinawa
$330 31.4% $79
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kashiwa
$182
Okinawa
$241 32.6% $59
Eating Out
Kashiwa
$132
Okinawa
$184 38.8% $51
Clothing & Footwear
Kashiwa
$118
Okinawa
$112 4.7% $5.5
Sport & Entertainment
Kashiwa
$82
Okinawa
$97 18.5% $15
Getting Around
Kashiwa
$74
Okinawa
$92 24.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Kashiwa 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 48% higher in Kashiwa, 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 $26 in Kashiwa versus $40 in Okinawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $330 – making Kashiwa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Kashiwa
🇯🇵 Okinawa
🕒 Local time
08:17 8:17 AM
08:17 8:17 AM
Same time as Kashiwa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
417,394
142,752
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kashiwa Okinawa 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Kashiwa
  • 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
Kashiwa vs Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Kashiwa and in Okinawa compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,241 in Kashiwa, $1,388 in Okinawa – Kashiwa comes out roughly 11% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Kashiwa compared to Okinawa?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,862 per month in Kashiwa and $2,082 in Okinawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Kashiwa and Okinawa?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Okinawa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $411 there versus $526 in Kashiwa.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Kashiwa and Okinawa?
Kindergarten costs $815 per month in Kashiwa and $327 in Okinawa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 31% more in Okinawa, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How far does $2,000 go in Kashiwa compared to Okinawa?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,241 in Kashiwa and $1,388 in Okinawa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Kashiwa and Okinawa?
It depends on your priorities. Okinawa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,241 in Kashiwa to $1,388 in Okinawa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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