Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Hamamatsu

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamamatsu: $783 a month against $1,388 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Okinawa, Japan
Hamamatsu, Japan
Okinawa
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,388
/mo nomad
Hamamatsu
🇯🇵 Japan
$783
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Okinawa and in Hamamatsu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,388 in Okinawa versus $783 in Hamamatsu.

  • Okinawa $1,388
  • Hamamatsu $783

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Okinawa versus $1,266 in Hamamatsu.

  • Okinawa $2,184
  • Hamamatsu $1,266

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Okinawa versus $1,750 in Hamamatsu.

  • Okinawa $2,980
  • Hamamatsu $1,750

Living in Okinawa is roughly 77% more expensive than in Hamamatsu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Okinawa is 2% above, Hamamatsu is 42% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Okinawa
Hamamatsu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.12 ¥1,594
$3.90 ¥614
159.49%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.24 ¥6,338
$41.78 ¥6,581
-3.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.04 ¥1,109
$5.19 ¥818
35.65%
Cappuccino
$4.11 ¥647
$3.41 ¥538
20.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40 ¥221
$1.10 ¥173
27.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.92 ¥145
$0.75 ¥118
22.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.51 ¥395
$2.61 ¥411
-3.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.27 ¥830
$3.11 ¥489
69.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Okinawa
Hamamatsu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 ¥248
$1.08 ¥170
46.30%
White Bread (500g)
$2.05 ¥323
$1.70 ¥267
20.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.76 ¥592
$3.67 ¥578
2.45%
Eggs
$1.84 ¥289
$1.68 ¥265
9.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.99 ¥2,834
$10.25 ¥1,615
75.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.79 ¥755
$6.17 ¥971
-22.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.45 ¥3,537
$14.24 ¥2,242
57.65%
Apples (1kg)
$3.81 ¥601
$5.80 ¥914
-34.31%
Banana (1kg)
$2.62 ¥412
$2.84 ¥447
-7.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.20 ¥346
$2.95 ¥465
-25.42%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.26 ¥829
$4.30 ¥678
22.33%
Potato (1kg)
$2.39 ¥376
$2.61 ¥412
-8.43%
Onion (1kg)
$2.56 ¥403
$2.59 ¥407
-1.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 ¥201
$1.29 ¥204
-0.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ¥122
$0.66 ¥104
16.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.90 ¥615
$3.89 ¥612
0.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.40 ¥1,008
$6.39 ¥1,006
0.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 ¥307
$1.82 ¥287
7.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.34 ¥527
$2.10 ¥331
59.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Okinawa
Hamamatsu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.44 ¥226
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.1 ¥10.3K
$50.1 ¥7,896
29.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.82 ¥602
$3.11 ¥489
22.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.54 ¥558
$2.63 ¥414
34.60%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.23 ¥1,768
$20.62 ¥3,248
-45.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.11 ¥174
$1.06 ¥167
4.72%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.9K ¥3.3M
$21.6K ¥3.4M
-3.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.5K ¥2.4M
$15.8K ¥2.5M
-1.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Okinawa
Hamamatsu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$163 ¥25.6K
$130 ¥20.5K
24.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.35 ¥3,994
$8.59 ¥1,353
195.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.1 ¥8,360
$32.78 ¥5,164
61.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Okinawa
Hamamatsu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$73.0 ¥11.5K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$54.9 ¥8,650
$17.40 ¥2,741
215.63%
Cinema Ticket
$11.98 ¥1,888
$13.08 ¥2,060
-8.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Okinawa
Hamamatsu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$327 ¥51.6K
$819 ¥129.0K
-60.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,668 ¥892.8K
$14.8K ¥2.3M
-61.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Okinawa
Hamamatsu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.88 ¥7,700
$63.6 ¥10.0K
-23.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.35 ¥3,678
$37.10 ¥5,844
-37.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.2 ¥12.8K
$61.3 ¥9,655
32.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.7 ¥15.1K
$103 ¥16.2K
-7.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Okinawa
Hamamatsu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$411 ¥64.8K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$332 ¥52.3K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$852 ¥134.3K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$678 ¥106.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,422 ¥1.3M
$7,787 ¥1.2M
8.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,185 ¥186.6K
$5,298 ¥834.5K
-77.63%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Okinawa
Hamamatsu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,798 ¥283.2K
$1,602 ¥252.4K
12.18%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.23
2.64
-15.53%

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

Last update for Okinawa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hamamatsu: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Okinawa
$332
Hamamatsu
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Okinawa
$330
Hamamatsu
$285 13.6% $45
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Okinawa
$241
Hamamatsu
$172 28.8% $69
Eating Out
Okinawa
$184
Hamamatsu
$114 37.8% $69
Clothing & Footwear
Okinawa
$112
Hamamatsu
$119 6.4% $7.2
Sport & Entertainment
Okinawa
$97
Hamamatsu
$26 * 73% $71
Getting Around
Okinawa
$92
Hamamatsu
$66 * 28.1% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Okinawa pays 12% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40 in Okinawa vs $42 in Hamamatsu. Groceries flip the comparison at $330 vs $285, with Hamamatsu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Okinawa
🇯🇵 Hamamatsu
🕒 Local time
07:14 7:14 AM
07:14 7:14 AM
Same time as Okinawa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
142,752
797,033
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Okinawa Hamamatsu 1,310 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Okinawa
  • Hamamatsu

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 Hamamatsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Okinawa and in Hamamatsu?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,388 in Okinawa and $783 in Hamamatsu, so Hamamatsu is about 44% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Okinawa or Hamamatsu?
Average pay runs 12% higher in Okinawa, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Okinawa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Okinawa – a meal for two runs $40 versus $42 in Hamamatsu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $783 in Hamamatsu versus $1,388 in Okinawa, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Hamamatsu but tight or insufficient in Okinawa. The gap between the two cities makes Hamamatsu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Okinawa and Hamamatsu?
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.
Is Okinawa or Hamamatsu safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Okinawa and Hamamatsu are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Okinawa and Hamamatsu?
It comes down to priorities – Hamamatsu wins on affordability, Okinawa on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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