Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nago, Okinawa and Shanghai

For one person, living costs are similar in Nago, Okinawa and in Shanghai: $1,231 and $1,256 a month, rent and utilities included.

60

Cost of Living Index in Nago, Okinawa
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Nago, Okinawa Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Nago, Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,231

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nago, Okinawa and in Shanghai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nago, Okinawa and in Shanghai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,231 per month in Nago, Okinawa vs $1,256 in Shanghai, rent included.

Nago, Okinawa $1,231
Shanghai $1,256

A couple spends around $1,923 per month in Nago, Okinawa vs $1,999 in Shanghai, rent included.

Nago, Okinawa $1,923
Shanghai $1,999

A family of three spends $2,614 per month in Nago, Okinawa vs $2,743 in Shanghai, rent included.

Nago, Okinawa $2,614
Shanghai $2,743

Nago, Okinawa is about 2% cheaper than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Nago, Okinawa and Shanghai are more affordable than the global median – Nago, Okinawa 9% lower, Shanghai 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.82 ¥1,077

$4.45 ¥29.78

53.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.35 ¥5,586

$30.29 ¥203

16.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.68 ¥898

$5.09 ¥34.01

11.59%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ¥479

$3.43 ¥22.96

-11.66%

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

$1.10 ¥173

$0.62 ¥4.15

77.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥121

$0.39 ¥2.58

94.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 ¥332

$1.23 ¥8.25

70.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 ¥482

$2.21 ¥14.81

38.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥239

$1.85 ¥12.37

-17.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 ¥259

$1.95 ¥13.02

-15.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.67 ¥738

$1.00 ¥6.67

367.00%

Eggs

$2.28 ¥361

$1.71 ¥11.43

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.13 ¥1,601

$17.47 ¥117

-42.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.15 ¥971

$3.24 ¥21.66

89.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.49 ¥2,448

$12.99 ¥86.8

19.25%

Apples (1kg)

$5.36 ¥847

$2.24 ¥14.98

139.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 ¥402

$1.68 ¥11.25

51.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.13 ¥652

$1.95 ¥13.03

111.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 ¥716

$1.73 ¥11.60

161.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 ¥511

$0.76 ¥5.10

326.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ¥404

$0.92 ¥6.15

178.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 ¥217

$0.66 ¥4.41

109.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥140

$0.60 ¥4.00

46.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ¥674

$3.69 ¥24.65

15.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.50 ¥1,027

$10.92 ¥73.0

-40.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 ¥302

$0.87 ¥5.85

119.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ¥375

$1.63 ¥10.87

45.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 ¥250

$0.62 ¥4.13

154.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.0 ¥8,840

$30.38 ¥203

84.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 ¥542

$2.06 ¥13.79

66.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.87 ¥454

$0.46 ¥3.08

523.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.07 ¥3,329

$8.84 ¥59.1

138.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥194

$1.33 ¥8.86

-7.52%

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

$23.5K ¥3.7M

$19.3K ¥128.7K

22.04%

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

$16.9K ¥2.7M

$18.2K ¥122.0K

-7.61%

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

$139 ¥21.9K

$57.1 ¥382

142.81%

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

$27.18 ¥4,294

$8.07 ¥53.9

236.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.51 ¥5,452

$10.70 ¥71.5

222.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 ¥9,012

$64.6 ¥432

-11.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.97 ¥2,207

$17.29 ¥116

-19.20%

Cinema Ticket

$13.04 ¥2,061

$9.05 ¥60.5

44.09%

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

$285 ¥45.0K

$1,441 ¥9,638

-80.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K ¥2.1M

$28.2K ¥188.4K

-51.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.95 ¥6,944

$53.5 ¥358

-17.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.96 ¥4,575

$37.05 ¥248

-21.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.0 ¥9,328

$77.0 ¥515

-23.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.2 ¥14.6K

$104 ¥694

-11.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$461 ¥72.8K

$1,023 ¥6,841

-54.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 ¥51.9K

$594 ¥3,971

-44.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$878 ¥138.6K

$2,563 ¥17.1K

-65.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ¥104.1K

$1,213 ¥8,107

-45.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 ¥446.5K

$13.5K ¥90.4K

-79.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,726 ¥272.6K

$6,247 ¥41.8K

-72.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,699 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.81

3.36

-46.13%

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

Last update for Nago, Okinawa: October 19, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nago, Okinawa

$328 26.7%

Shanghai

$594 47.3% 80.9% $266

Groceries & Markets

Nago, Okinawa

$306 24.9%

Shanghai

$238 18.9% 22.5% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nago, Okinawa

$200 16.3%

Shanghai

$76 6% 62.1% $124

Eating Out

Nago, Okinawa

$132 10.7%

Shanghai

$107 8.5% 19.1% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Nago, Okinawa

$101 8.2%

Shanghai

$122 9.7% 21.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Nago, Okinawa

$83 6.8%

Shanghai

$83 6.6% 0.5% $0.4

Getting Around

Nago, Okinawa

$80 6.5%

Shanghai

$37 3% 53.5% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $461 in Nago, Okinawa versus $1,023 in Shanghai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Nago, Okinawa versus $30.00 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $306 vs $238 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Nago, Okinawa

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

07:43 7:43 AM

06:43 6:43 AM

1 h behind Nago, Okinawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,554

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

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).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

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Nago, Okinawa Shanghai 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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

Nago, Okinawa vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shanghai is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Nago, Okinawa and $1,884 in Shanghai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 84% less in Nago, Okinawa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $285 per month in Nago, Okinawa and $1,441 in Shanghai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nago, Okinawa, where all-in costs run around $1,231, than in Shanghai at $1,256. In Nago, Okinawa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nago, Okinawa – 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 Nago, Okinawa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shanghai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.