Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Akita

For one person, living is cheaper in Akita: $1,229 a month against $1,379 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
Learn more

Okinawa Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Akita
Learn more

Akita Living Index

Jump to prices

Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,379

/mo nomad

Akita

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,229

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Okinawa and in Akita

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

A single person spends $1,379 per month in Okinawa vs $1,229 in Akita, rent included.

Okinawa $1,379
Akita $1,229

A couple spends around $2,171 per month in Okinawa vs $1,929 in Akita, rent included.

Okinawa $2,171
Akita $1,929

A family of three spends $2,964 per month in Okinawa vs $2,630 in Akita, rent included.

Okinawa $2,964
Akita $2,630

Okinawa costs about 12% more than Akita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Okinawa sits 2% above the global median, while Akita is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.74 ¥1,534

$6.49 ¥1,022

50.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.63 ¥6,399

$32.30 ¥5,087

25.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.87 ¥1,082

$4.91 ¥773

39.92%

Cappuccino

$3.91 ¥616

$3.59 ¥565

8.91%

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

$1.40 ¥221

$0.93 ¥146

50.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥146

$0.82 ¥129

13.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 ¥411

$1.85 ¥292

41.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.02 ¥949

$3.18 ¥501

89.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 ¥257

$1.53 ¥242

6.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 ¥331

$1.57 ¥248

33.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 ¥613

$4.28 ¥674

-9.11%

Eggs

$1.78 ¥281

$2.14 ¥337

-16.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.10 ¥2,851

$10.25 ¥1,615

76.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.89 ¥771

$6.42 ¥1,010

-23.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.24 ¥3,503

$16.74 ¥2,636

32.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 ¥597

$3.82 ¥601

-0.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 ¥408

$2.38 ¥374

8.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 ¥337

$2.95 ¥465

-27.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.18 ¥815

$4.30 ¥678

20.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 ¥392

$2.48 ¥390

0.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 ¥390

$2.47 ¥389

0.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 ¥199

$1.24 ¥196

1.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥123

$0.84 ¥133

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 ¥634

$3.98 ¥627

1.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.40 ¥1,007

$6.78 ¥1,068

-5.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 ¥296

$1.87 ¥295

0.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ¥500

$2.11 ¥332

50.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 ¥236

$1.48 ¥233

1.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ¥10.2K

$57.8 ¥9,103

12.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 ¥617

$3.18 ¥501

23.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.47 ¥546

$2.88 ¥454

20.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.44 ¥1,802

$18.62 ¥2,933

-38.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ¥165

$1.33 ¥210

-21.05%

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

$21.3K ¥3.4M

$22.2K ¥3.5M

-4.14%

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

$15.0K ¥2.4M

$15.5K ¥2.4M

-3.38%

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

$162 ¥25.6K

$134 ¥21.1K

21.21%

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

$25.31 ¥3,987

$24.28 ¥3,825

4.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 ¥8,445

$31.40 ¥4,945

70.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.8 ¥11.3K

$51.0 ¥8,038

40.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$56.8 ¥8,951

Cinema Ticket

$12.04 ¥1,897

$12.92 ¥2,035

-6.81%

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

$330 ¥51.9K

$688 ¥108.4K

-52.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,654 ¥890.5K

$12.5K ¥2.0M

-54.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.74 ¥7,676

$42.42 ¥6,681

14.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.34 ¥3,677

$46.16 ¥7,270

-49.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 ¥12.8K

$88.5 ¥13.9K

-8.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.0 ¥15.4K

$89.5 ¥14.1K

9.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$407 ¥64.1K

$556 ¥87.5K

-26.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$327 ¥51.4K

$337 ¥53.2K

-3.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$825 ¥130.0K

$1,032 ¥162.6K

-20.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 ¥105.0K

$721 ¥113.6K

-7.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,711 ¥1.4M

$4,281 ¥674.3K

103.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,220 ¥192.2K

$2,350 ¥370.2K

-48.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,814 ¥285.7K

$1,655 ¥260.7K

9.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.23

2.21

0.90%

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

Last update for Okinawa: November 1, 2026

Last update for Akita: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Okinawa

$330 23.9%

Akita

$291 23.7% 11.8% $39

Accommodation & Living

Okinawa

$327 23.7%

Akita

$337 27.5% 3.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Okinawa

$241 17.5%

Akita

$190 15.4% 21.4% $52

Eating Out

Okinawa

$180 13.1%

Akita

$132 10.8% 26.4% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Okinawa

$113 8.2%

Akita

$120 9.8% 6.1% $6.9

Sport & Entertainment

Okinawa

$96 7%

Akita

$77 6.3% 19.8% $19

Getting Around

Okinawa

$92 6.7%

Akita

$81 6.6% 11.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $407 in Okinawa versus $556 in Akita. 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 10% 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 $41 in Okinawa versus $32 in Akita. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $291 – making Akita the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🇯🇵 Akita

🕒 Local time

22:17 10:17 PM

Same time as Okinawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,752

307,672

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.65 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Okinawa Akita 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Okinawa
Akita

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

Okinawa vs Akita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Okinawa costs about 12% more than Akita, 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 $2,068 per month in Okinawa and $1,843 in Akita. 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 $407 there versus $556 in Akita.

Public transport costs about 11% less in Akita. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $330 per month in Okinawa and $688 in Akita. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,379 in Okinawa and $1,229 in Akita. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Okinawa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,229 in Akita to $1,379 in Okinawa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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