Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Himeji

For one person, living is cheaper in Himeji: $1,301 a month against $1,388 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Okinawa, Japan
Himeji, Japan
Okinawa
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,388
/mo nomad
Himeji
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,301
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Okinawa and in Himeji

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

A single person spends $1,388 per month in Okinawa vs $1,301 in Himeji, rent included.

  • Okinawa $1,388
  • Himeji $1,301

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Okinawa vs $2,030 in Himeji, rent included.

  • Okinawa $2,184
  • Himeji $2,030

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Okinawa vs $2,759 in Himeji, rent included.

  • Okinawa $2,980
  • Himeji $2,759

Okinawa costs about 7% more than Himeji, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Okinawa
Himeji
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.12 ¥1,598
$8.54 ¥1,349
18.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.24 ¥6,355
$32.04 ¥5,059
25.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.04 ¥1,112
$5.11 ¥808
37.77%
Cappuccino
$4.11 ¥649
$2.51 ¥397
63.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40 ¥221
$1.31 ¥207
6.87%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.92 ¥145
$0.93 ¥147
-1.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.51 ¥396
$3.08 ¥487
-18.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.27 ¥832
$3.10 ¥489
70.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Okinawa
Himeji
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 ¥249
$1.54 ¥243
2.60%
White Bread (500g)
$2.05 ¥324
$1.54 ¥244
33.12%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.76 ¥594
$4.15 ¥655
-9.40%
Eggs
$1.84 ¥290
$2.13 ¥336
-13.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.99 ¥2,842
$16.00 ¥2,527
12.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.79 ¥757
$6.97 ¥1,100
-31.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.45 ¥3,546
$17.24 ¥2,722
30.22%
Apples (1kg)
$3.81 ¥602
$8.59 ¥1,357
-55.65%
Banana (1kg)
$2.62 ¥413
$2.99 ¥472
-12.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.20 ¥347
$4.98 ¥787
-55.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.26 ¥831
$7.88 ¥1,244
-33.25%
Potato (1kg)
$2.39 ¥377
$3.95 ¥623
-39.49%
Onion (1kg)
$2.56 ¥404
$4.57 ¥721
-43.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 ¥201
$1.15 ¥181
11.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ¥122
$0.93 ¥148
-17.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.90 ¥617
$3.95 ¥624
-1.27%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.40 ¥1,011
$9.56 ¥1,510
-33.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 ¥308
$2.64 ¥418
-26.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.34 ¥528
$2.16 ¥341
54.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Okinawa
Himeji
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.44 ¥227
$1.61 ¥254
-10.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.1 ¥10.3K
$57.5 ¥9,077
13.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.82 ¥603
$3.22 ¥508
18.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.54 ¥559
$2.90 ¥459
22.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.23 ¥1,773
$15.79 ¥2,494
-28.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.11 ¥175
$1.12 ¥177
-0.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.9K ¥3.3M
$21.4K ¥3.4M
-2.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.5K ¥2.5M
$15.1K ¥2.4M
2.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Okinawa
Himeji
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$163 ¥25.7K
$116 ¥18.3K
40.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.35 ¥4,004
$23.12 ¥3,651
9.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.1 ¥8,382
$31.09 ¥4,911
70.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Okinawa
Himeji
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$73.0 ¥11.5K
$45.40 ¥7,171
60.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$54.9 ¥8,673
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.98 ¥1,893
$12.50 ¥1,974
-4.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Okinawa
Himeji
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$327 ¥51.7K
$701 ¥110.6K
-53.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,668 ¥895.1K
$14.6K ¥2.3M
-61.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Okinawa
Himeji
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.88 ¥7,720
$50.4 ¥7,952
-2.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.35 ¥3,688
$35.32 ¥5,579
-33.89%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.2 ¥12.8K
$60.7 ¥9,579
33.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.7 ¥15.1K
$99.5 ¥15.7K
-3.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Okinawa
Himeji
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$411 ¥65.0K
$595 ¥93.9K
-30.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$332 ¥52.4K
$340 ¥53.7K
-2.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$852 ¥134.6K
$994 ¥156.9K
-14.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$678 ¥107.1K
$657 ¥103.7K
3.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,422 ¥1.3M
$3,978 ¥628.2K
111.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,185 ¥187.1K
$2,227 ¥351.7K
-46.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Okinawa
Himeji
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,798 ¥283.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.23
2.02
10.40%

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

Last update for Okinawa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Himeji: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Okinawa
$332
Himeji
$340 2.4% $8
Groceries & Markets
Okinawa
$330
Himeji
$384 16.5% $54
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Okinawa
$241
Himeji
$170 29.4% $71
Eating Out
Okinawa
$184
Himeji
$144 21.4% $39
Clothing & Footwear
Okinawa
$112
Himeji
$111 1.3% $1.5
Sport & Entertainment
Okinawa
$97
Himeji
$70 27.4% $27
Getting Around
Okinawa
$92
Himeji
$82 11.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $411 in Okinawa versus $595 in Himeji. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Okinawa versus $32 in Himeji. Groceries tell a different story – $330 in Okinawa vs $384 in Himeji – so Okinawa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Okinawa
🇯🇵 Himeji
🕒 Local time
00:11 12:11 AM
00:11 12:11 AM
Same time as Okinawa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
142,752
535,571
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Okinawa Himeji 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Okinawa
  • Himeji

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 Himeji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Himeji cheaper than Okinawa?
Yes – Okinawa is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,082 per month in Okinawa and $1,952 in Himeji. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Okinawa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $411 there versus $595 in Himeji.
How do food prices compare in Okinawa and in Himeji?
Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Okinawa – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Is eating out cheaper in Okinawa or in Himeji?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Okinawa and $32 in Himeji. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is it better to live in Okinawa or in Himeji?
It depends on your priorities. Okinawa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,301 in Himeji to $1,388 in Okinawa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Okinawa or Himeji?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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