Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nagano and Okinawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Nagano: $1,231 a month against $1,364 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Okinawa despite lower rent and utilities.

58

Cost of Living Index in Nagano
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Nagano Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
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Okinawa Living Index

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Nagano

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,231

/mo nomad

Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,364

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,231 per month in Nagano vs $1,364 in Okinawa, rent included.

Nagano $1,231
Okinawa $1,364

A couple spends around $1,891 per month in Nagano vs $2,154 in Okinawa, rent included.

Nagano $1,891
Okinawa $2,154

A family of three spends $2,550 per month in Nagano vs $2,944 in Okinawa, rent included.

Nagano $2,550
Okinawa $2,944

Nagano is about 10% cheaper than Okinawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Nagano sits 9% below the global median, while Okinawa is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.45 ¥1,019

$9.91 ¥1,566

-34.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.32 ¥6,370

$39.91 ¥6,306

1.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.13 ¥810

$7.13 ¥1,126

-28.05%

Cappuccino

$3.37 ¥532

$3.87 ¥611

-12.92%

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

$1.06 ¥167

$1.47 ¥233

-27.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.99 ¥156

-19.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ¥409

$2.51 ¥397

3.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ¥483

$4.34 ¥685

-29.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 ¥228

$1.63 ¥257

-11.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 ¥260

$2.07 ¥326

-20.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 ¥564

$3.88 ¥612

-7.99%

Eggs

$1.99 ¥315

$1.78 ¥281

11.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.32 ¥1,630

$17.97 ¥2,840

-42.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.17 ¥975

$4.85 ¥766

27.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.40 ¥2,275

$22.79 ¥3,601

-36.81%

Apples (1kg)

$5.82 ¥919

$3.62 ¥571

60.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 ¥425

$2.70 ¥427

-0.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 ¥448

$2.19 ¥345

29.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 ¥642

$5.16 ¥816

-21.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 ¥396

$2.39 ¥377

4.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ¥401

$2.45 ¥386

3.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.26 ¥199

-0.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥121

$0.78 ¥122

-2.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.68 ¥582

$4.02 ¥635

-8.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.21 ¥982

$6.30 ¥995

-1.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥287

$1.90 ¥299

-4.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ¥317

$3.35 ¥530

-40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 ¥207

$1.48 ¥233

-11.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.2 ¥8,082

$65.9 ¥10.4K

-22.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ¥501

$3.96 ¥625

-19.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.70 ¥427

$3.42 ¥540

-21.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.17 ¥3,187

$11.40 ¥1,802

76.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ¥166

$1.06 ¥167

-0.94%

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

$21.6K ¥3.4M

$21.1K ¥3.3M

2.15%

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

$15.5K ¥2.4M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

2.33%

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

$130 ¥20.6K

$158 ¥25.0K

-17.79%

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

$23.91 ¥3,778

$25.31 ¥3,999

-5.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.76 ¥2,016

$52.8 ¥8,338

-75.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 ¥8,387

$71.1 ¥11.2K

-25.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$55.3 ¥8,734

Cinema Ticket

$12.71 ¥2,008

$11.95 ¥1,888

6.36%

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

$622 ¥98.3K

$329 ¥52.0K

89.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ¥2.4M

$5,632 ¥889.8K

164.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 ¥9,759

$50.2 ¥7,928

23.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.29 ¥5,733

$23.08 ¥3,647

57.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.0 ¥9,797

$80.5 ¥12.7K

-23.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 ¥15.8K

$94.6 ¥14.9K

5.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$557 ¥88.0K

$403 ¥63.6K

38.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 ¥59.2K

$320 ¥50.6K

17.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 ¥180.4K

$841 ¥132.9K

35.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 ¥102.4K

$663 ¥104.7K

-2.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,188 ¥661.7K

$8,665 ¥1.4M

-51.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,974 ¥311.9K

$1,213 ¥191.7K

62.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$627 ¥99.0K

$1,809 ¥285.8K

-65.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.64

2.23

18.39%

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

Last update for Nagano: October 18, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nagano

$375 30.4%

Okinawa

$320 23.5% 14.6% $55

Groceries & Markets

Nagano

$287 23.3%

Okinawa

$330 24.2% 14.9% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nagano

$167 13.6%

Okinawa

$236 17.3% 41.7% $70

Eating Out

Nagano

$134 10.9%

Okinawa

$178 13.1% 33.1% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Nagano

$117 9.5%

Okinawa

$112 8.2% 4.6% $5.4

Sport & Entertainment

Nagano

$79 6.4%

Okinawa

$95 7% 21% $17

Getting Around

Nagano

$73 5.9%

Okinawa

$93 6.8% 27% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $557 in Nagano versus $403 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 189% higher in Okinawa, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Nagano versus $40.00 in Okinawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $330 – making Nagano the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Nagano

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🕒 Local time

11:27 11:27 AM

Same time as Nagano

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

372,760

142,752

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Nagano Okinawa 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 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

Nagano vs Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Okinawa costs about 11% more than Nagano, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Nagano and $2,047 in Okinawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nagano, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Nagano and $40.00 in Okinawa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,231 in Nagano and $1,364 in Okinawa. That's a gap of about 11%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nagano, where all-in costs run around $1,231, than in Okinawa at $1,364. In Nagano it covers expenses comfortably, while in Okinawa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nagano – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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