Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyoto and Okinawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Kyoto: $1,290 a month against $1,388 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Kyoto
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Kyoto Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
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Okinawa Living Index

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Kyoto

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,290

/mo nomad

Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,290 per month in Kyoto vs $1,388 in Okinawa, rent included.

Kyoto $1,290
Okinawa $1,388

A couple spends around $1,932 per month in Kyoto vs $2,184 in Okinawa, rent included.

Kyoto $1,932
Okinawa $2,184

A family of three spends $2,574 per month in Kyoto vs $2,980 in Okinawa, rent included.

Kyoto $2,574
Okinawa $2,980

Kyoto is about 7% cheaper than Okinawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kyoto sits 5% below the global median, while Okinawa is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.77 ¥1,539

$10.12 ¥1,594

-3.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 ¥5,094

$40.24 ¥6,338

-19.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥806

$7.04 ¥1,109

-27.41%

Cappuccino

$3.22 ¥506

$4.11 ¥647

-21.65%

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

$0.89 ¥141

$1.40 ¥221

-36.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥111

$0.92 ¥145

-22.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 ¥508

$2.51 ¥395

28.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 ¥921

$5.27 ¥830

11.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥245

$1.58 ¥248

-1.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥253

$2.05 ¥323

-21.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.84 ¥921

$3.76 ¥592

55.32%

Eggs

$2.11 ¥332

$1.84 ¥289

14.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.84 ¥1,392

$17.99 ¥2,834

-50.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.92 ¥1,248

$4.79 ¥755

65.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.70 ¥1,686

$22.45 ¥3,537

-52.34%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 ¥817

$3.81 ¥601

36.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ¥374

$2.62 ¥412

-9.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.15 ¥812

$2.20 ¥346

134.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.69 ¥581

$5.26 ¥829

-29.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 ¥294

$2.39 ¥376

-21.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ¥261

$2.56 ¥403

-35.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ¥180

$1.28 ¥201

-10.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥148

$0.77 ¥122

22.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 ¥637

$3.90 ¥615

3.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.73 ¥1,218

$6.40 ¥1,008

20.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥254

$1.95 ¥307

-17.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ¥530

$3.34 ¥527

0.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ¥224

$1.44 ¥226

-1.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.1 ¥9,781

$65.1 ¥10.3K

-4.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 ¥519

$3.82 ¥602

-13.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.88 ¥611

$3.54 ¥558

9.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.23 ¥1,768

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥174

$1.11 ¥174

-0.90%

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

$22.7K ¥3.6M

$20.9K ¥3.3M

8.60%

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

$15.5K ¥2.4M

-0.32%

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

$101 ¥15.9K

$163 ¥25.6K

-37.85%

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

$23.51 ¥3,703

$25.35 ¥3,994

-7.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.41 ¥4,790

$53.1 ¥8,360

-42.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ¥8,126

$73.0 ¥11.5K

-29.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.87 ¥2,973

$54.9 ¥8,650

-65.64%

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 ¥2,161

$11.98 ¥1,888

14.52%

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

$718 ¥113.1K

$327 ¥51.6K

119.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,490 ¥1.0M

$5,668 ¥892.8K

14.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ¥8,936

$48.88 ¥7,700

16.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.07 ¥7,100

$23.35 ¥3,678

93.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 ¥11.1K

$81.2 ¥12.8K

-13.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ¥16.1K

$95.7 ¥15.1K

6.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 ¥100.5K

$411 ¥64.8K

55.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 ¥59.8K

$332 ¥52.3K

14.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,176 ¥185.2K

$852 ¥134.3K

37.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$577 ¥90.9K

$678 ¥106.8K

-14.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,226 ¥665.7K

$8,422 ¥1.3M

-49.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,921 ¥460.1K

$1,185 ¥186.6K

146.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,873 ¥295.0K

$1,798 ¥283.2K

4.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.23

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

Last update for Kyoto: October 25, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kyoto

$379 29.4%

Okinawa

$332 23.9% 12.5% $47

Groceries & Markets

Kyoto

$296 22.9%

Okinawa

$330 23.8% 11.4% $34

Eating Out

Kyoto

$166 12.9%

Okinawa

$184 13.2% 10.5% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kyoto

$155 12%

Okinawa

$241 17.4% 55.5% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Kyoto

$123 9.6%

Okinawa

$112 8.1% 9.2% $11

Getting Around

Kyoto

$90 7%

Okinawa

$92 6.7% 2.1% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Kyoto

$79 6.1%

Okinawa

$97 7% 22.7% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $638 in Kyoto 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 4% higher in Kyoto, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Kyoto versus $40 in Okinawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $296 vs $330 – making Kyoto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Kyoto

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🕒 Local time

05:11 5:11 AM

Same time as Kyoto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,183

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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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Kyoto vs Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,290 in Kyoto, $1,388 in Okinawa – Kyoto comes out roughly 7% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,934 per month in Kyoto 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 $638 in Kyoto.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Okinawa, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Kyoto 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 $1,290 in Kyoto and $1,388 in Okinawa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.