Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kitakyushu and Okinawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Kitakyushu: $1,250 a month against $1,388 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Okinawa despite lower rent and utilities.

61

Cost of Living Index in Kitakyushu
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Kitakyushu Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
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Okinawa Living Index

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Kitakyushu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,250

/mo nomad

Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Kitakyushu vs $1,388 in Okinawa, rent included.

Kitakyushu $1,250
Okinawa $1,388

A couple spends around $1,923 per month in Kitakyushu vs $2,184 in Okinawa, rent included.

Kitakyushu $1,923
Okinawa $2,184

A family of three spends $2,596 per month in Kitakyushu vs $2,980 in Okinawa, rent included.

Kitakyushu $2,596
Okinawa $2,980

Kitakyushu is about 10% cheaper than Okinawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kitakyushu sits 8% below the global median, while Okinawa is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.03 ¥1,108

$10.12 ¥1,596

-30.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.97 ¥5,198

$40.24 ¥6,345

-18.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.43 ¥855

$7.04 ¥1,110

-22.87%

Cappuccino

$3.40 ¥536

$4.11 ¥648

-17.27%

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

$1.06 ¥167

$1.40 ¥221

-24.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 ¥111

$0.92 ¥145

-23.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 ¥479

$2.51 ¥396

21.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ¥343

$5.27 ¥831

-58.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 ¥224

$1.58 ¥248

-10.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 ¥201

$2.05 ¥324

-37.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.29 ¥834

$3.76 ¥593

40.69%

Eggs

$2.20 ¥347

$1.84 ¥289

19.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.42 ¥1,485

$17.99 ¥2,837

-47.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.25 ¥828

$4.79 ¥756

9.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.86 ¥2,973

$22.45 ¥3,541

-15.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 ¥566

$3.81 ¥601

-5.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 ¥296

$2.62 ¥412

-28.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 ¥440

$2.20 ¥347

26.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 ¥453

$5.26 ¥830

-45.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 ¥351

$2.39 ¥376

-6.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 ¥417

$2.56 ¥404

3.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 ¥165

$1.28 ¥201

-17.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ¥156

$0.77 ¥122

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 ¥639

$3.90 ¥616

3.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.23 ¥983

$6.40 ¥1,009

-2.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥259

$1.95 ¥308

-15.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ¥270

$3.34 ¥527

-48.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 ¥256

$1.44 ¥227

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 ¥8,950

$65.1 ¥10.3K

-12.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 ¥627

$3.82 ¥602

4.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 ¥322

$3.54 ¥558

-42.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.83 ¥2,811

$11.23 ¥1,770

58.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ¥165

$1.11 ¥174

-5.41%

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

$20.3K ¥3.2M

$20.9K ¥3.3M

-3.12%

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

$15.4K ¥2.4M

$15.5K ¥2.5M

-1.02%

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

$196 ¥31.0K

$163 ¥25.7K

20.72%

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

$25.10 ¥3,959

$25.35 ¥3,998

-0.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.21 ¥5,079

$53.1 ¥8,369

-39.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ¥8,220

$73.0 ¥11.5K

-28.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.22 ¥508

$54.9 ¥8,659

-94.14%

Cinema Ticket

$12.65 ¥1,995

$11.98 ¥1,890

5.59%

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

$379 ¥59.7K

$327 ¥51.6K

15.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K ¥1.9M

$5,668 ¥893.7K

117.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.55 ¥7,656

$48.88 ¥7,708

-0.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.37 ¥4,158

$23.35 ¥3,682

12.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.0 ¥10.6K

$81.2 ¥12.8K

-17.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.7 ¥8,784

$95.7 ¥15.1K

-41.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$555 ¥87.5K

$411 ¥64.8K

34.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$338 ¥53.2K

$332 ¥52.3K

1.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 ¥158.5K

$852 ¥134.4K

17.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 ¥112.8K

$678 ¥106.9K

5.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,304 ¥678.7K

$8,422 ¥1.3M

-48.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,319 ¥365.6K

$1,185 ¥186.8K

95.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,533 ¥241.8K

$1,798 ¥283.4K

-14.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.69

2.23

-24.22%

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

Last update for Kitakyushu: October 24, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kitakyushu

$338 27%

Okinawa

$332 23.9% 1.7% $5.7

Groceries & Markets

Kitakyushu

$275 22%

Okinawa

$330 23.8% 20% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kitakyushu

$254 20.3%

Okinawa

$241 17.4% 5% $13

Eating Out

Kitakyushu

$140 11.2%

Okinawa

$184 13.2% 31.4% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Kitakyushu

$89 7.1%

Okinawa

$112 8.1% 26% $23

Getting Around

Kitakyushu

$77 6.2%

Okinawa

$92 6.7% 19.3% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Kitakyushu

$77 6.2%

Okinawa

$97 7% 25.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $555 in Kitakyushu 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 17% higher in Okinawa. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Kitakyushu versus $40 in Okinawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $330 – making Kitakyushu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Kitakyushu

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🕒 Local time

20:08 8:08 PM

Same time as Kitakyushu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

939,029

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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Kitakyushu Okinawa 870 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Kitakyushu vs Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,250 in Kitakyushu, $1,388 in Okinawa – Kitakyushu comes out roughly 10% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,875 per month in Kitakyushu 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 $555 in Kitakyushu.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Okinawa, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Kitakyushu and $40 in Okinawa. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,250 in Kitakyushu and $1,388 in Okinawa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Kitakyushu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,250 in Kitakyushu 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.

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