Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koriyama and Okinawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Koriyama: $1,187 a month against $1,364 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Koriyama
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,187
/mo nomad
Okinawa
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,364
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,187 in Koriyama versus $1,364 in Okinawa.

  • Koriyama $1,187
  • Okinawa $1,364

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,881 in Koriyama versus $2,154 in Okinawa.

  • Koriyama $1,881
  • Okinawa $2,154

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,575 in Koriyama versus $2,944 in Okinawa.

  • Koriyama $2,575
  • Okinawa $2,944

Living in Koriyama costs roughly 13% less than in Okinawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Koriyama is 12% below, Okinawa is 1% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Koriyama
Okinawa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.12 ¥967
$9.91 ¥1,566
-38.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.16 ¥4,923
$39.91 ¥6,306
-21.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.13 ¥810
$7.13 ¥1,126
-28.05%
Cappuccino
$2.96 ¥468
$3.87 ¥611
-23.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.24 ¥195
$1.47 ¥233
-15.65%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 ¥124
$0.99 ¥156
-21.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.70 ¥426
$2.51 ¥397
7.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.17 ¥501
$4.34 ¥685
-26.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Koriyama
Okinawa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 ¥230
$1.63 ¥257
-10.43%
White Bread (500g)
$1.56 ¥246
$2.07 ¥326
-24.64%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.20 ¥664
$3.88 ¥612
8.25%
Eggs
$2.01 ¥317
$1.78 ¥281
12.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.18 ¥1,609
$17.97 ¥2,840
-43.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.65 ¥1,051
$4.85 ¥766
37.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.68 ¥2,635
$22.79 ¥3,601
-26.81%
Apples (1kg)
$3.65 ¥576
$3.62 ¥571
0.83%
Banana (1kg)
$2.27 ¥358
$2.70 ¥427
-15.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.89 ¥457
$2.19 ¥345
31.96%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.07 ¥643
$5.16 ¥816
-21.12%
Potato (1kg)
$2.47 ¥390
$2.39 ¥377
3.35%
Onion (1kg)
$2.55 ¥402
$2.45 ¥386
4.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.29 ¥204
$1.26 ¥199
2.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 ¥133
$0.78 ¥122
7.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.85 ¥608
$4.02 ¥635
-4.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.80 ¥1,074
$6.30 ¥995
7.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.85 ¥293
$1.90 ¥299
-2.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 ¥333
$3.35 ¥530
-37.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Koriyama
Okinawa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 ¥241
$1.48 ¥233
2.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.0 ¥8,380
$65.9 ¥10.4K
-19.50%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.22 ¥508
$3.96 ¥625
-18.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.87 ¥453
$3.42 ¥540
-16.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.64 ¥2,945
$11.40 ¥1,802
63.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.10 ¥174
$1.06 ¥167
3.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.9K ¥3.3M
$21.1K ¥3.3M
-0.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.2K ¥2.4M
$15.1K ¥2.4M
0.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Koriyama
Okinawa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$134 ¥21.2K
$158 ¥25.0K
-15.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.63 ¥3,890
$25.31 ¥3,999
-2.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.55 ¥4,984
$52.8 ¥8,338
-40.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Koriyama
Okinawa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 ¥8,243
$71.1 ¥11.2K
-26.62%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$55.3 ¥8,734
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.02 ¥1,899
$11.95 ¥1,888
0.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Koriyama
Okinawa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$523 ¥82.7K
$329 ¥52.0K
59.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K ¥2.0M
$5,632 ¥889.8K
124.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Koriyama
Okinawa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.37 ¥7,799
$50.2 ¥7,928
-1.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.64 ¥4,999
$23.08 ¥3,647
37.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$61.0 ¥9,639
$80.5 ¥12.7K
-24.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$87.4 ¥13.8K
$94.6 ¥14.9K
-7.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Koriyama
Okinawa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$542 ¥85.6K
$403 ¥63.6K
34.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$325 ¥51.4K
$320 ¥50.6K
1.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,102 ¥174.1K
$841 ¥132.9K
30.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$739 ¥116.8K
$663 ¥104.7K
11.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,230 ¥668.2K
$8,665 ¥1.4M
-51.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,778 ¥280.8K
$1,213 ¥191.7K
46.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Koriyama
Okinawa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,809 ¥285.8K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.21
2.23
-0.90%

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

Last update for Koriyama: October 19, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Koriyama
$325
Okinawa
$320 1.5% $4.9
Groceries & Markets
Koriyama
$287
Okinawa
$330 14.9% $43
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Koriyama
$191
Okinawa
$236 24% $46
Eating Out
Koriyama
$128
Okinawa
$178 39.4% $50
Clothing & Footwear
Koriyama
$103
Okinawa
$112 8.3% $8.5
Getting Around
Koriyama
$77
Okinawa
$93 21.1% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Koriyama
$76
Okinawa
$95 24.7% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $542 in Koriyama and $403 in Okinawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $31.00 in Koriyama vs $40.00 in Okinawa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $330 per month, with Koriyama cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Koriyama
🇯🇵 Okinawa
🕒 Local time
22:02 10:02 PM
22:02 10:02 PM
Same time as Koriyama
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
327,692
142,752
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Koriyama Okinawa 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Koriyama
  • 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
Koriyama vs Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Koriyama and in Okinawa?
Koriyama and Okinawa differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,187 vs $1,364 including rent). Koriyama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Koriyama compared to Okinawa?
You'd need roughly $1,781 in Koriyama and $2,047 in Okinawa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Koriyama and in Okinawa?
Rent for a central apartment: $542 in Koriyama versus $403 in Okinawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Koriyama and in Okinawa?
A monthly transit pass in Koriyama runs roughly 24% less than in Okinawa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Koriyama and Okinawa?
Childcare runs $523 in Koriyama versus $329 in Okinawa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,187 in Koriyama versus $1,364 in Okinawa, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Koriyama but tight or insufficient in Okinawa. The gap between the two cities makes Koriyama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Koriyama and Okinawa?
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.
Is Koriyama or Okinawa safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Koriyama and Okinawa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Koriyama or Okinawa?
Expats usually find Koriyama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Okinawa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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