Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Fukuoka

For one person, living is cheaper in Fukuoka: $1,307 a month against $1,388 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $970 less a year. The total is higher in Okinawa despite lower rent and utilities.

Okinawa, Japan
Fukuoka, Japan
Okinawa
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,388
/mo nomad
Fukuoka
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,307
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Okinawa and in Fukuoka

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

A single person spends $1,388 per month in Okinawa vs $1,307 in Fukuoka, rent included.

  • Okinawa $1,388
  • Fukuoka $1,307

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Okinawa vs $2,031 in Fukuoka, rent included.

  • Okinawa $2,184
  • Fukuoka $2,031

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Okinawa vs $2,754 in Fukuoka, rent included.

  • Okinawa $2,980
  • Fukuoka $2,754

Okinawa costs about 6% more than Fukuoka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Okinawa sits 2% above the global median, while Fukuoka is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Okinawa
Fukuoka
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.12 ¥1,598
$7.33 ¥1,158
38.06%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.24 ¥6,353
$43.83 ¥6,920
-8.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.04 ¥1,112
$5.97 ¥942
17.92%
Cappuccino
$4.11 ¥649
$3.72 ¥587
10.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40 ¥221
$1.06 ¥167
32.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.92 ¥145
$0.75 ¥118
22.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.51 ¥396
$3.85 ¥608
-34.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.27 ¥832
$2.16 ¥340
143.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Okinawa
Fukuoka
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 ¥249
$1.55 ¥245
1.94%
White Bread (500g)
$2.05 ¥324
$1.83 ¥288
12.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.76 ¥594
$6.43 ¥1,015
-41.52%
Eggs
$1.84 ¥290
$2.30 ¥364
-20.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.99 ¥2,841
$18.19 ¥2,872
-1.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.79 ¥757
$5.34 ¥843
-10.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.45 ¥3,545
$18.96 ¥2,994
18.41%
Apples (1kg)
$3.81 ¥602
$3.62 ¥572
5.25%
Banana (1kg)
$2.62 ¥413
$1.85 ¥293
41.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.20 ¥347
$2.83 ¥446
-22.26%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.26 ¥831
$3.33 ¥526
57.96%
Potato (1kg)
$2.39 ¥377
$2.15 ¥339
11.16%
Onion (1kg)
$2.56 ¥404
$2.59 ¥409
-1.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 ¥201
$1.03 ¥162
24.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ¥122
$0.98 ¥154
-21.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.90 ¥617
$3.98 ¥628
-2.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.40 ¥1,011
$6.41 ¥1,012
-0.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 ¥308
$1.71 ¥270
14.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.34 ¥528
$1.92 ¥303
73.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Okinawa
Fukuoka
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.44 ¥227
$1.29 ¥204
11.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.1 ¥10.3K
$52.9 ¥8,352
23.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.82 ¥603
$4.11 ¥649
-7.06%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.54 ¥559
$2.39 ¥377
48.12%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.23 ¥1,772
$17.92 ¥2,830
-37.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.11 ¥175
$1.10 ¥174
0.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.9K ¥3.3M
$22.2K ¥3.5M
-5.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.5K ¥2.5M
$15.0K ¥2.4M
3.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Okinawa
Fukuoka
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$163 ¥25.7K
$215 ¥33.9K
-24.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.35 ¥4,003
$25.33 ¥4,000
0.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.1 ¥8,379
$34.10 ¥5,384
55.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Okinawa
Fukuoka
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$73.0 ¥11.5K
$48.11 ¥7,597
51.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$54.9 ¥8,670
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.98 ¥1,892
$12.61 ¥1,990
-5.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Okinawa
Fukuoka
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$327 ¥51.7K
$702 ¥110.9K
-53.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,668 ¥894.9K
$12.4K ¥2.0M
-54.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Okinawa
Fukuoka
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.88 ¥7,718
$48.84 ¥7,712
0.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.35 ¥3,687
$26.49 ¥4,182
-11.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.2 ¥12.8K
$65.8 ¥10.4K
23.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.7 ¥15.1K
$47.48 ¥7,497
101.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Okinawa
Fukuoka
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$411 ¥64.9K
$523 ¥82.6K
-21.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$332 ¥52.4K
$332 ¥52.4K
0.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$852 ¥134.6K
$1,173 ¥185.2K
-27.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$678 ¥107.0K
$709 ¥112.0K
-4.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,422 ¥1.3M
$4,674 ¥737.9K
80.20%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,185 ¥187.1K
$2,568 ¥405.5K
-53.86%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Okinawa
Fukuoka
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,798 ¥283.8K
$1,647 ¥260.1K
9.13%
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 26, 2026

Last update for Fukuoka: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Okinawa
$332
Fukuoka
$332 0.1% $0.3
Groceries & Markets
Okinawa
$330
Fukuoka
$317 3.9% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Okinawa
$241
Fukuoka
$274 13.8% $33
Eating Out
Okinawa
$184
Fukuoka
$152 17.3% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Okinawa
$112
Fukuoka
$85 24.3% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Okinawa
$97
Fukuoka
$73 24.4% $24
Getting Around
Okinawa
$92
Fukuoka
$74 19.8% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $411 in Okinawa versus $523 in Fukuoka. 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 9% higher in Okinawa. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Okinawa versus $44 in Fukuoka. Groceries tell a different story – $330 in Okinawa vs $317 in Fukuoka – so Fukuoka wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Okinawa
🇯🇵 Fukuoka
🕒 Local time
06:23 6:23 AM
06:23 6:23 AM
Same time as Okinawa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
142,752
1,612,392
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Okinawa Fukuoka 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Okinawa
  • Fukuoka

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 Fukuoka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Okinawa and in Fukuoka compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,388 in Okinawa, $1,307 in Fukuoka – Fukuoka comes out roughly 6% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Okinawa compared to Fukuoka?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,082 per month in Okinawa and $1,961 in Fukuoka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Okinawa and Fukuoka?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Okinawa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $411 there versus $523 in Fukuoka.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Okinawa and Fukuoka?
Kindergarten costs $327 per month in Okinawa and $702 in Fukuoka. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 4% more in Okinawa, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How far does $2,000 go in Okinawa compared to Fukuoka?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,388 in Okinawa and $1,307 in Fukuoka, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Okinawa and Fukuoka?
It depends on your priorities. Fukuoka has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,307 in Fukuoka to $1,388 in Okinawa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Okinawa or Fukuoka safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Okinawa and Fukuoka?
If budget matters most, go with Fukuoka. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Okinawa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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