Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kurume and Okinawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Kurume: $986 a month against $1,388 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Kurume
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Kurume Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
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Okinawa Living Index

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Kurume

🇯🇵 Japan

$986

/mo nomad

Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $986 in Kurume versus $1,388 in Okinawa.

Kurume $986
Okinawa $1,388

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,555 in Kurume versus $2,184 in Okinawa.

Kurume $1,555
Okinawa $2,184

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,124 in Kurume versus $2,980 in Okinawa.

Kurume $2,124
Okinawa $2,980

Living in Kurume costs roughly 29% less than in Okinawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kurume is 28% below, Okinawa is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.30 ¥679

$10.12 ¥1,598

-57.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.56 ¥6,720

$40.24 ¥6,353

5.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.85 ¥607

$7.04 ¥1,112

-45.31%

Cappuccino

$1.88 ¥298

$4.11 ¥649

-54.26%

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

$0.69 ¥108

$1.40 ¥221

-50.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ¥84.3

$0.92 ¥145

-42.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 ¥494

$2.51 ¥396

24.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥257

$5.27 ¥832

-69.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥206

$1.58 ¥249

-17.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ¥203

$2.05 ¥324

-37.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.01 ¥791

$3.76 ¥594

33.24%

Eggs

$1.87 ¥296

$1.84 ¥290

1.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ¥2,834

$17.99 ¥2,841

-0.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.52 ¥872

$4.79 ¥757

15.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.22 ¥3,034

$22.45 ¥3,545

-14.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 ¥559

$3.81 ¥602

-7.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 ¥294

$2.62 ¥413

-29.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 ¥461

$2.20 ¥347

32.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 ¥514

$5.26 ¥831

-38.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 ¥348

$2.39 ¥377

-7.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 ¥413

$2.56 ¥404

2.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ¥165

$1.28 ¥201

-18.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ¥152

$0.77 ¥122

24.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.57 ¥564

$3.90 ¥617

-8.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.52 ¥1,030

$6.40 ¥1,011

1.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥265

$1.95 ¥308

-13.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 ¥174

$3.34 ¥528

-67.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 ¥233

$1.44 ¥227

2.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.0 ¥9,163

$65.1 ¥10.3K

-10.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.15 ¥655

$3.82 ¥603

8.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.31 ¥365

$3.54 ¥559

-34.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.66 ¥2,788

$11.23 ¥1,772

57.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 ¥103

$1.11 ¥175

-41.44%

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

$22.6K ¥3.6M

$20.9K ¥3.3M

7.90%

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

$15.2K ¥2.4M

$15.5K ¥2.5M

-1.90%

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

$215 ¥34.0K

$163 ¥25.7K

32.29%

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

$24.93 ¥3,937

$25.35 ¥4,003

-1.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 ¥3,576

$53.1 ¥8,379

-57.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 ¥8,806

$73.0 ¥11.5K

-23.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.9 ¥8,670

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 ¥1,091

$11.98 ¥1,892

-42.32%

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

$695 ¥109.7K

$327 ¥51.7K

112.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K ¥2.0M

$5,668 ¥894.9K

120.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.99 ¥7,735

$48.88 ¥7,718

0.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.62 ¥1,992

$23.35 ¥3,687

-45.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$25.10 ¥3,962

$81.2 ¥12.8K

-69.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.59 ¥4,987

$95.7 ¥15.1K

-66.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$549 ¥86.7K

$411 ¥64.9K

33.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$127 ¥20.1K

$332 ¥52.4K

-61.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 ¥76.6K

$852 ¥134.6K

-43.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 ¥50.2K

$678 ¥107.0K

-53.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,977 ¥627.8K

$8,422 ¥1.3M

-52.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,146 ¥338.9K

$1,185 ¥187.1K

81.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,510 ¥238.4K

$1,798 ¥283.8K

-16.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.97

2.23

-11.66%

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

Last update for Kurume: October 24, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kurume

$301 30.5%

Okinawa

$330 23.8% 9.7% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kurume

$263 26.7%

Okinawa

$241 17.4% 8.3% $22

Accommodation & Living

Kurume

$127 12.9%

Okinawa

$332 23.9% 161% $205

Eating Out

Kurume

$92 9.4%

Okinawa

$184 13.2% 99% $91

Getting Around

Kurume

$80 8.1%

Okinawa

$92 6.7% 16% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Kurume

$70 7.1%

Okinawa

$97 7% 39.4% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Kurume

$53 5.4%

Okinawa

$112 8.1% 111% $59

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $549 in Kurume and $411 in Okinawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Okinawa pays 19% 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: $43 in Kurume vs $40 in Okinawa. Groceries flip the comparison at $301 vs $330, with Kurume cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Kurume

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🕒 Local time

05:36 5:36 AM

Same time as Kurume

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

303,316

142,752

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Kurume Okinawa 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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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

Kurume vs Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $986 in Kurume and $1,388 in Okinawa, so Kurume is about 29% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Kurume. 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: $549 in Kurume versus $411 in Okinawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Okinawa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Okinawa – a meal for two runs $40 versus $43 in Kurume. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $986 in Kurume versus $1,388 in Okinawa, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Kurume but tight or insufficient in Okinawa. The gap between the two cities makes Kurume 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.

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