Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kawagoe and Okinawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Kawagoe: $1,075 a month against $1,388 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Kawagoe
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Kawagoe Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
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Okinawa Living Index

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Kawagoe

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,075

/mo nomad

Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,075 in Kawagoe versus $1,388 in Okinawa.

Kawagoe $1,075
Okinawa $1,388

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,744 in Kawagoe versus $2,184 in Okinawa.

Kawagoe $1,744
Okinawa $2,184

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,413 in Kawagoe versus $2,980 in Okinawa.

Kawagoe $2,413
Okinawa $2,980

Living in Kawagoe costs roughly 23% less than in Okinawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kawagoe is 21% below, Okinawa is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.33 ¥999

$10.12 ¥1,596

-37.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.23 ¥6,501

$40.24 ¥6,345

2.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 ¥781

$7.04 ¥1,110

-29.69%

Cappuccino

$3.50 ¥551

$4.11 ¥648

-14.84%

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

$0.92 ¥144

$1.40 ¥221

-34.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 ¥82.5

$0.92 ¥145

-43.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 ¥301

$2.51 ¥396

-23.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ¥431

$5.27 ¥831

-48.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 ¥182

$1.58 ¥248

-27.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 ¥202

$2.05 ¥324

-37.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 ¥578

$3.76 ¥593

-2.39%

Eggs

$2.08 ¥328

$1.84 ¥289

13.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.34 ¥1,000

$17.99 ¥2,837

-64.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.90 ¥931

$4.79 ¥756

23.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.16 ¥2,234

$22.45 ¥3,541

-36.93%

Apples (1kg)

$5.82 ¥917

$3.81 ¥601

52.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 ¥368

$2.62 ¥412

-10.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 ¥454

$2.20 ¥347

30.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 ¥491

$5.26 ¥830

-40.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 ¥400

$2.39 ¥376

6.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 ¥292

$2.56 ¥404

-27.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ¥201

$1.28 ¥201

-0.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥119

$0.77 ¥122

-1.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥604

$3.90 ¥616

-1.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.65 ¥733

$6.40 ¥1,009

-27.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥286

$1.95 ¥308

-7.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ¥320

$3.34 ¥527

-39.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 ¥468

$1.44 ¥227

106.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.8 ¥8,330

$65.1 ¥10.3K

-18.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ¥490

$3.82 ¥602

-18.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 ¥414

$3.54 ¥558

-25.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.31 ¥3,202

$11.23 ¥1,770

80.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥168

$1.11 ¥174

-4.50%

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

$15.6K ¥2.5M

$20.9K ¥3.3M

-25.34%

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

$12.8K ¥2.0M

$15.5K ¥2.5M

-17.40%

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

$133 ¥21.0K

$163 ¥25.7K

-18.32%

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

$22.18 ¥3,497

$25.35 ¥3,998

-12.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.10 ¥4,904

$53.1 ¥8,369

-41.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.19 ¥6,811

$73.0 ¥11.5K

-40.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.97 ¥4,883

$54.9 ¥8,659

-43.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.95 ¥1,727

$11.98 ¥1,890

-8.60%

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

$320 ¥50.5K

$327 ¥51.6K

-2.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,292 ¥992.1K

$5,668 ¥893.7K

11.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.66 ¥4,992

$48.88 ¥7,708

-35.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.72 ¥5,318

$23.35 ¥3,682

44.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.55 ¥6,868

$81.2 ¥12.8K

-46.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 ¥14.7K

$95.7 ¥15.1K

-2.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$407 ¥64.2K

$411 ¥64.8K

-1.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$267 ¥42.1K

$332 ¥52.3K

-19.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$862 ¥135.9K

$852 ¥134.4K

1.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 ¥95.4K

$678 ¥106.9K

-10.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,474 ¥390.1K

$8,422 ¥1.3M

-70.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,772 ¥279.3K

$1,185 ¥186.8K

49.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,597 ¥251.8K

$1,798 ¥283.4K

-11.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.6

2.23

-28.25%

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

Last update for Kawagoe: October 26, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kawagoe

$267 24.8%

Okinawa

$332 23.9% 24.4% $65

Groceries & Markets

Kawagoe

$257 23.9%

Okinawa

$330 23.8% 28.6% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kawagoe

$186 17.3%

Okinawa

$241 17.4% 29.5% $55

Eating Out

Kawagoe

$128 11.9%

Okinawa

$184 13.2% 43.3% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Kawagoe

$91 8.5%

Okinawa

$112 8.1% 23.2% $21

Getting Around

Kawagoe

$81 7.5%

Okinawa

$92 6.7% 14.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Kawagoe

$65 6.1%

Okinawa

$97 7% 49% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $407 in Kawagoe and $411 in Okinawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Okinawa pays 13% 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: $41 in Kawagoe vs $40 in Okinawa. Groceries flip the comparison at $257 vs $330, with Kawagoe cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Kawagoe

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🕒 Local time

13:19 1:19 PM

Same time as Kawagoe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

350,745

142,752

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Kawagoe Okinawa 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Kawagoe
Okinawa

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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

Kawagoe vs Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,075 in Kawagoe and $1,388 in Okinawa, so Kawagoe is about 23% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Kawagoe. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $407 in Kawagoe versus $411 in Okinawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $320 in Kawagoe versus $327 in Okinawa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Kawagoe runs roughly 19% less than in Okinawa. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Kawagoe gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Kawagoe and Okinawa are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Kawagoe wins on affordability, Okinawa on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.