Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nara, Japan and Okinawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Nara: $1,233 a month against $1,388 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Nara
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Nara Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
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Okinawa Living Index

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Nara

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,233

/mo nomad

Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,233 in Nara versus $1,388 in Okinawa.

Nara $1,233
Okinawa $1,388

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,851 in Nara versus $2,184 in Okinawa.

Nara $1,851
Okinawa $2,184

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,468 in Nara versus $2,980 in Okinawa.

Nara $2,468
Okinawa $2,980

Living in Nara costs roughly 11% less than in Okinawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nara is 9% below, Okinawa is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.33 ¥999

$10.12 ¥1,598

-37.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.27 ¥5,095

$40.24 ¥6,353

-19.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥787

$7.04 ¥1,112

-29.12%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ¥395

$4.11 ¥649

-39.17%

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

$1.26 ¥199

$1.40 ¥221

-10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥112

$0.92 ¥145

-22.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 ¥507

$2.51 ¥396

27.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ¥490

$5.27 ¥832

-41.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ¥248

$1.58 ¥249

-0.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ¥205

$2.05 ¥324

-36.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 ¥650

$3.76 ¥594

9.57%

Eggs

$2.23 ¥353

$1.84 ¥290

21.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.75 ¥1,540

$17.99 ¥2,841

-45.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.07 ¥1,117

$4.79 ¥757

47.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.13 ¥2,862

$22.45 ¥3,545

-19.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ¥522

$3.81 ¥602

-13.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 ¥305

$2.62 ¥413

-26.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 ¥334

$2.20 ¥347

-3.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 ¥644

$5.26 ¥831

-22.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 ¥236

$2.39 ¥377

-37.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 ¥179

$2.56 ¥404

-55.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ¥179

$1.28 ¥201

-11.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥139

$0.77 ¥122

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 ¥613

$3.90 ¥617

-0.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.54 ¥1,505

$6.40 ¥1,011

49.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ¥295

$1.95 ¥308

-4.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥339

$3.34 ¥528

-35.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 ¥234

$1.44 ¥227

2.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 ¥11.7K

$65.1 ¥10.3K

14.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ¥498

$3.82 ¥603

-17.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.92 ¥462

$3.54 ¥559

-17.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.66 ¥2,472

$11.23 ¥1,772

39.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ¥170

$1.11 ¥175

-2.70%

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

$21.8K ¥3.4M

$20.9K ¥3.3M

4.04%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$15.5K ¥2.5M

-1.45%

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

$118 ¥18.6K

$163 ¥25.7K

-27.56%

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

$24.81 ¥3,918

$25.35 ¥4,003

-2.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 ¥4,854

$53.1 ¥8,379

-42.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.2 ¥13.1K

$73.0 ¥11.5K

13.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.58 ¥1,197

$54.9 ¥8,670

-86.20%

Cinema Ticket

$12.57 ¥1,985

$11.98 ¥1,892

4.92%

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

$693 ¥109.4K

$327 ¥51.7K

111.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K ¥2.1M

$5,668 ¥894.9K

134.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.11 ¥7,437

$48.88 ¥7,718

-3.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.96 ¥4,888

$23.35 ¥3,687

32.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.8 ¥9,751

$81.2 ¥12.8K

-23.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 ¥14.2K

$95.7 ¥15.1K

-6.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 ¥64.9K

-0.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 ¥53.7K

$332 ¥52.4K

2.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 ¥131.4K

$852 ¥134.6K

-2.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$547 ¥86.3K

$678 ¥107.0K

-19.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,671 ¥421.6K

$8,422 ¥1.3M

-68.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,040 ¥322.1K

$1,185 ¥187.1K

72.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,123 ¥177.2K

$1,798 ¥283.8K

-37.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.02

2.23

-9.42%

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

Last update for Nara: October 24, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nara

$340 27.6%

Okinawa

$332 23.9% 2.4% $8.1

Groceries & Markets

Nara

$285 23.1%

Okinawa

$330 23.8% 15.9% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nara

$173 14.1%

Okinawa

$241 17.4% 39% $68

Eating Out

Nara

$126 10.2%

Okinawa

$184 13.2% 46.2% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Nara

$108 8.8%

Okinawa

$97 7% 10.4% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Nara

$103 8.4%

Okinawa

$112 8.1% 8.4% $8.7

Getting Around

Nara

$98 8%

Okinawa

$92 6.7% 5.8% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

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

Okinawa pays 60% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Nara vs $40 in Okinawa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $330 per month, with Nara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Nara

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🕒 Local time

07:10 7:10 AM

Same time as Nara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

355,280

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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Between locations

Nara Okinawa 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Nara
Okinawa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Nara vs Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nara is about 11% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Nara. 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: $411 in Nara versus $411 in Okinawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nara – a meal for two runs $32 versus $40 in Okinawa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,233 per month in Nara versus $1,388 in Okinawa – Nara is about 11% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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