Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Beppu

For one person, living is cheaper in Beppu: $979 a month against $1,364 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
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Okinawa Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Beppu
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Beppu Living Index

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Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,364

/mo nomad

Beppu

🇯🇵 Japan

$979

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Okinawa and in Beppu

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 Beppu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,364 per month in Okinawa vs $979 in Beppu, rent included.

Okinawa $1,364
Beppu $979

A couple spends around $2,154 per month in Okinawa vs $1,443 in Beppu, rent included.

Okinawa $2,154
Beppu $1,443

A family of three spends $2,944 per month in Okinawa vs $1,907 in Beppu, rent included.

Okinawa $2,944
Beppu $1,907

Okinawa costs about 39% more than Beppu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Okinawa sits 1% above the global median, while Beppu is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.91 ¥1,566

$6.32 ¥999

56.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.91 ¥6,306

$23.30 ¥3,681

71.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.13 ¥1,126

$4.45 ¥703

60.22%

Cappuccino

$3.87 ¥611

$3.03 ¥479

27.72%

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

$1.47 ¥233

$1.01 ¥160

45.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 ¥156

$0.77 ¥121

28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ¥397

$3.21 ¥507

-21.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 ¥685

$2.22 ¥351

95.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 ¥257

$1.45 ¥229

12.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 ¥326

$1.60 ¥253

29.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.88 ¥612

$4.42 ¥699

-12.22%

Eggs

$1.78 ¥281

$1.53 ¥242

16.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.97 ¥2,840

$8.99 ¥1,421

99.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.85 ¥766

$5.52 ¥871

-12.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.79 ¥3,601

$9.95 ¥1,571

129.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 ¥571

$3.55 ¥561

1.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 ¥427

$1.78 ¥281

51.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ¥345

$2.89 ¥457

-24.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 ¥816

$3.36 ¥531

53.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 ¥377

$2.12 ¥335

12.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 ¥386

$2.18 ¥345

12.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 ¥199

$1.06 ¥168

18.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥122

$0.94 ¥148

-17.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ¥635

$3.80 ¥600

5.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.30 ¥995

$6.42 ¥1,014

-1.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 ¥299

$1.43 ¥225

32.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 ¥530

$1.74 ¥275

92.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 ¥233

$2.53 ¥400

-41.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.9 ¥10.4K

$31.33 ¥4,949

110.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 ¥625

$4.11 ¥650

-3.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 ¥540

$2.30 ¥363

48.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.40 ¥1,802

$17.70 ¥2,797

-35.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥167

$1.11 ¥175

-4.50%

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

$21.1K ¥3.3M

$11.3K ¥1.8M

87.46%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$15.2K ¥2.4M

-0.33%

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

$158 ¥25.0K

$149 ¥23.6K

6.03%

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

$25.31 ¥3,999

$12.72 ¥2,010

98.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 ¥8,338

$28.21 ¥4,457

87.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.1 ¥11.2K

$44.21 ¥6,985

60.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$55.3 ¥8,734

$3.10 ¥490

1683.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 ¥1,888

$6.33 ¥1,000

88.78%

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

$329 ¥52.0K

$188 ¥29.8K

74.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,632 ¥889.8K

$12.1K ¥1.9M

-53.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 ¥7,928

$27.92 ¥4,411

79.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.08 ¥3,647

$22.03 ¥3,481

4.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.5 ¥12.7K

$66.0 ¥10.4K

22.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.6 ¥14.9K

$38.27 ¥6,046

147.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 ¥63.6K

$306 ¥48.3K

31.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 ¥50.6K

$233 ¥36.7K

37.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 ¥132.9K

$573 ¥90.5K

46.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 ¥104.7K

$377 ¥59.6K

75.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,665 ¥1.4M

$4,209 ¥665.0K

105.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,213 ¥191.7K

$1,559 ¥246.3K

-22.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,809 ¥285.8K

$1,360 ¥214.9K

32.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.23

1.97

13.20%

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

Last update for Okinawa: October 19, 2026

Last update for Beppu: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Okinawa

$330 24.2%

Beppu

$245 25% 25.7% $85

Accommodation & Living

Okinawa

$320 23.5%

Beppu

$233 23.8% 27.4% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Okinawa

$236 17.3%

Beppu

$190 19.4% 19.5% $46

Eating Out

Okinawa

$178 13.1%

Beppu

$128 13.1% 28.2% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Okinawa

$112 8.2%

Beppu

$69 7.1% 37.9% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Okinawa

$95 7%

Beppu

$57 5.8% 40.1% $38

Getting Around

Okinawa

$93 6.8%

Beppu

$57 5.8% 38.6% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $403 in Okinawa versus $306 in Beppu. 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 33% 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 Okinawa versus $23.00 in Beppu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $245 – making Beppu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🇯🇵 Beppu

🕒 Local time

12:51 12:51 PM

Same time as Okinawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,752

115,321

💱 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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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 Beppu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Okinawa costs about 39% more than Beppu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,047 per month in Okinawa and $1,469 in Beppu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,364 in Okinawa and $979 in Beppu. That's a gap of about 39%.

Public transport costs about 110% less in Beppu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Beppu, where all-in costs run around $979, than in Okinawa at $1,364. In Beppu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Okinawa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Beppu – 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 Beppu. 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.