Cost of Living Comparison Between Kumamoto and Okinawa Cost of Living Comparison Between Kumamoto and Okinawa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,268 in Kumamoto versus $1,437 in Okinawa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,969 in Kumamoto versus $2,214 in Okinawa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,670 in Kumamoto versus $2,992 in Okinawa.

Living in Kumamoto costs roughly 12% less than in Okinawa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kumamoto is 5% below, Okinawa is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.57 ¥1,392

$8.18 ¥1,329

4.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 ¥5,693

$41.94 ¥6,815

-16.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 ¥979

$5.98 ¥971

0.84%

Cappuccino

$3.07 ¥499

$3.34 ¥543

-8.08%

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

$0.70 ¥114

$1.32 ¥215

-46.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥134

$0.93 ¥152

-10.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 ¥263

$3.50 ¥569

-53.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ¥341

$4.91 ¥797

-57.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 ¥219

$1.95 ¥317

-30.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 ¥269

$2.37 ¥385

-30.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 ¥663

$4.87 ¥791

-16.22%

Eggs

$2.10 ¥341

$2.00 ¥325

5.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 ¥1,650

$16.39 ¥2,663

-38.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 ¥1,023

$10.84 ¥1,761

-41.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.78 ¥3,376

$26.48 ¥4,303

-21.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 ¥503

$5.06 ¥822

-38.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 ¥228

$2.59 ¥420

-45.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 ¥230

$3.13 ¥509

-54.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.96 ¥968

$5.64 ¥916

5.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 ¥460

$3.50 ¥568

-19.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 ¥507

$2.89 ¥469

7.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 ¥147

$1.59 ¥258

-42.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥120

$0.88 ¥143

-15.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.94 ¥641

$4.92 ¥799

-19.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.47 ¥889

$6.09 ¥989

-10.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 ¥321

$1.73 ¥281

14.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥333

$2.91 ¥473

-29.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.61 ¥261

$1.63 ¥265

-1.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.1 ¥8,948

$34.91 ¥5,673

57.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.72 ¥766

$4.11 ¥668

14.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.89 ¥469

$3.62 ¥587

-20.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.40 ¥3,153

$12.58 ¥2,044

54.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥200

$1.24 ¥202

-0.81%

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

$23.6K ¥3.8M

$23.3K ¥3.8M

1.10%

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

$19.6K ¥3.2M

$16.7K ¥2.7M

17.63%

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

$214 ¥34.8K

$173 ¥28.2K

23.51%

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

$26.96 ¥4,380

$27.25 ¥4,428

-1.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.22 ¥5,884

$31.66 ¥5,145

14.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 ¥9,112

$53.7 ¥8,723

4.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ¥2,282

$7.04 ¥1,144

99.43%

Cinema Ticket

$13.83 ¥2,246

$12.45 ¥2,022

11.08%

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

$409 ¥66.5K

$346 ¥56.2K

18.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K ¥2.1M

0.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.67 ¥6,933

$47.75 ¥7,758

-10.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.61 ¥4,810

$29.25 ¥4,753

1.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.3 ¥10.6K

$73.5 ¥11.9K

-11.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.4 ¥9,978

$90.9 ¥14.8K

-32.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$462 ¥75.1K

$445 ¥72.2K

4.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 ¥53.5K

$400 ¥64.9K

-17.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$868 ¥141.0K

$946 ¥153.7K

-8.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 ¥108.2K

$748 ¥121.5K

-11.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,816 ¥620.1K

$8,584 ¥1.4M

-55.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,816 ¥295.1K

$1,221 ¥198.4K

48.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,769 ¥287.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.67

-16.50%

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

Last update for Kumamoto: July 12, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $462 in Kumamoto and $445 in Okinawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Kumamoto vs $42.00 in Okinawa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $395 per month, with Kumamoto cheaper across the board.

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

Kumamoto vs Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kumamoto and Okinawa differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,268 vs $1,437 including rent). Kumamoto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,902 in Kumamoto and $2,155 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $462 in Kumamoto versus $445 in Okinawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kumamoto runs roughly 58% less than in Okinawa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $409 in Kumamoto versus $346 in Okinawa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,268 in Kumamoto versus $1,437 in Okinawa, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kumamoto but tight or insufficient in Okinawa. The gap between the two cities makes Kumamoto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Kumamoto 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.

Expats usually find Kumamoto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Okinawa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.