Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kawasaki and Okinawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Okinawa: $1,388 a month against $1,476 in Kawasaki, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kawasaki outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

71

Cost of Living Index in Kawasaki
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Kawasaki Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
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Okinawa Living Index

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Kawasaki

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,476

/mo nomad

Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,476 per month in Kawasaki vs $1,388 in Okinawa, rent included.

Kawasaki $1,476
Okinawa $1,388

A couple spends around $2,239 per month in Kawasaki vs $2,184 in Okinawa, rent included.

Kawasaki $2,239
Okinawa $2,184

A family of three spends $3,003 per month in Kawasaki vs $2,980 in Okinawa, rent included.

Kawasaki $3,003
Okinawa $2,980

Kawasaki costs about 6% more than Okinawa.

Both Kawasaki and Okinawa sit above the global median – Kawasaki by 8%, Okinawa by 2%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.43 ¥1,171

$10.12 ¥1,594

-26.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.97 ¥5,981

$40.24 ¥6,338

-5.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥785

$7.04 ¥1,109

-29.12%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ¥407

$4.11 ¥647

-36.98%

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

$1.57 ¥248

$1.40 ¥221

12.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 ¥144

$0.92 ¥145

-1.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 ¥508

$2.51 ¥395

28.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ¥493

$5.27 ¥830

-40.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ¥238

$1.58 ¥248

-4.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 ¥246

$2.05 ¥323

-23.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ¥663

$3.76 ¥592

11.97%

Eggs

$2.15 ¥339

$1.84 ¥289

16.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.44 ¥1,802

$17.99 ¥2,834

-36.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.72 ¥1,058

$4.79 ¥755

40.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.41 ¥2,585

$22.45 ¥3,537

-26.90%

Apples (1kg)

$6.02 ¥949

$3.81 ¥601

58.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 ¥449

$2.62 ¥412

8.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.99 ¥785

$2.20 ¥346

126.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.18 ¥816

$5.26 ¥829

-1.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 ¥535

$2.39 ¥376

42.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 ¥486

$2.56 ¥403

20.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ¥188

$1.28 ¥201

-7.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥122

$0.77 ¥122

1.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 ¥625

$3.90 ¥615

1.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.29 ¥1,463

$6.40 ¥1,008

45.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 ¥377

$1.95 ¥307

22.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ¥417

$3.34 ¥527

-20.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 ¥303

$1.44 ¥226

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.5 ¥7,948

$65.1 ¥10.3K

-22.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ¥488

$3.82 ¥602

-18.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.20 ¥504

$3.54 ¥558

-9.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.58 ¥2,926

$11.23 ¥1,768

65.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ¥168

$1.11 ¥174

-3.60%

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

$22.1K ¥3.5M

$20.9K ¥3.3M

5.73%

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

$15.4K ¥2.4M

$15.5K ¥2.4M

-1.21%

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

$129 ¥20.2K

$163 ¥25.6K

-21.04%

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

$23.08 ¥3,635

$25.35 ¥3,994

-8.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.16 ¥4,908

$53.1 ¥8,360

-41.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 ¥8,790

$73.0 ¥11.5K

-23.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.47 ¥1,019

$54.9 ¥8,650

-88.22%

Cinema Ticket

$12.62 ¥1,989

$11.98 ¥1,888

5.34%

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

$695 ¥109.5K

$327 ¥51.6K

112.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ¥2.3M

$5,668 ¥892.8K

163.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 ¥8,065

$48.88 ¥7,700

4.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.12 ¥5,217

$23.35 ¥3,678

41.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.4 ¥10.5K

$81.2 ¥12.8K

-18.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.4 ¥11.1K

$95.7 ¥15.1K

-26.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$771 ¥121.5K

$411 ¥64.8K

87.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$565 ¥89.0K

$332 ¥52.3K

70.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 ¥201.7K

$852 ¥134.3K

50.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 ¥158.5K

$678 ¥106.8K

48.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,670 ¥735.7K

$8,422 ¥1.3M

-44.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,220 ¥507.3K

$1,185 ¥186.6K

171.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,608 ¥410.7K

$1,798 ¥283.2K

45.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.02

2.23

-9.42%

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

Last update for Kawasaki: October 27, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kawasaki

$565 38.3%

Okinawa

$332 23.9% 41.3% $233

Groceries & Markets

Kawasaki

$333 22.5%

Okinawa

$330 23.8% 0.9% $2.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kawasaki

$183 12.4%

Okinawa

$241 17.4% 32% $58

Eating Out

Kawasaki

$138 9.3%

Okinawa

$184 13.2% 33.4% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Kawasaki

$99 6.7%

Okinawa

$112 8.1% 12.7% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Kawasaki

$81 5.5%

Okinawa

$97 7% 19.7% $16

Getting Around

Kawasaki

$77 5.2%

Okinawa

$92 6.7% 19.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $771 in Kawasaki 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 45% higher in Kawasaki. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Kawasaki versus $40 in Okinawa. Groceries tell a different story – $333 in Kawasaki vs $330 in Okinawa – so Okinawa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Kawasaki

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🕒 Local time

04:34 4:34 AM

Same time as Kawasaki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,538,262

142,752

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Kawasaki Okinawa 1,510 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Kawasaki
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

Kawasaki vs Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kawasaki costs about 6% more than Okinawa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,214 per month in Kawasaki 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 $771 in Kawasaki.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,476 in Kawasaki and $1,388 in Okinawa. That makes Okinawa about 6% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $695 per month in Kawasaki and $327 in Okinawa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Okinawa – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Okinawa. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kawasaki makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.