Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Hiroshima

For one person, living is cheaper in Hiroshima: $961 a month against $1,364 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 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 Hiroshima
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Hiroshima Living Index

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Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,364

/mo nomad

Hiroshima

🇯🇵 Japan

$961

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Okinawa and in Hiroshima

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

A single person spends $1,364 per month in Okinawa vs $961 in Hiroshima, rent included.

Okinawa $1,364
Hiroshima $961

A couple spends around $2,154 per month in Okinawa vs $1,557 in Hiroshima, rent included.

Okinawa $2,154
Hiroshima $1,557

A family of three spends $2,944 per month in Okinawa vs $2,152 in Hiroshima, rent included.

Okinawa $2,944
Hiroshima $2,152

Okinawa costs about 42% more than Hiroshima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Okinawa sits 1% above the global median, while Hiroshima is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.91 ¥1,566

$6.13 ¥969

61.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.91 ¥6,306

$31.92 ¥5,043

25.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.13 ¥1,126

$5.07 ¥801

40.63%

Cappuccino

$3.87 ¥611

$2.72 ¥429

42.28%

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

$1.47 ¥233

$0.96 ¥152

53.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 ¥156

$0.69 ¥109

43.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ¥397

$2.74 ¥433

-8.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 ¥685

$3.68 ¥582

17.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 ¥257

$1.49 ¥236

9.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 ¥326

$1.52 ¥240

36.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.88 ¥612

$4.74 ¥748

-18.14%

Eggs

$1.78 ¥281

$2.07 ¥327

-14.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.97 ¥2,840

$5.11 ¥808

251.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.85 ¥766

$6.18 ¥976

-21.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.79 ¥3,601

$10.90 ¥1,722

109.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 ¥571

$3.31 ¥522

9.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 ¥427

$1.98 ¥313

36.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ¥345

$3.77 ¥595

-41.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 ¥816

$3.72 ¥588

38.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 ¥377

$1.51 ¥238

58.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 ¥386

$3.45 ¥545

-28.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 ¥199

$1.35 ¥214

-6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥122

$0.83 ¥130

-6.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ¥635

$4.00 ¥631

0.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.30 ¥995

$7.70 ¥1,217

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 ¥299

$1.92 ¥303

-1.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 ¥530

$2.48 ¥392

35.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 ¥233

$1.84 ¥290

-19.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.9 ¥10.4K

$32.79 ¥5,181

100.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 ¥625

$3.68 ¥581

7.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 ¥540

$1.22 ¥192

180.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.40 ¥1,802

$21.43 ¥3,386

-46.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥167

$1.10 ¥174

-3.64%

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

$21.1K ¥3.3M

$21.8K ¥3.4M

-3.07%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$14.8K ¥2.3M

2.51%

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

$158 ¥25.0K

$139 ¥21.9K

13.96%

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

$25.31 ¥3,999

$24.17 ¥3,818

4.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 ¥8,338

$30.93 ¥4,887

70.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.1 ¥11.2K

$52.6 ¥8,315

35.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$55.3 ¥8,734

$4.65 ¥734

1088.82%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 ¥1,888

$12.72 ¥2,009

-6.05%

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

$329 ¥52.0K

$155 ¥24.5K

112.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,632 ¥889.8K

$3,400 ¥537.2K

65.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 ¥7,928

$28.67 ¥4,529

75.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.08 ¥3,647

$24.54 ¥3,877

-5.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.5 ¥12.7K

$47.85 ¥7,560

68.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.6 ¥14.9K

$64.0 ¥10.1K

47.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 ¥63.6K

$241 ¥38.1K

66.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 ¥50.6K

$186 ¥29.3K

72.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 ¥132.9K

$618 ¥97.7K

36.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 ¥104.7K

$508 ¥80.2K

30.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,665 ¥1.4M

$3,058 ¥483.1K

183.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,213 ¥191.7K

$1,406 ¥222.2K

-13.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,809 ¥285.8K

$1,973 ¥311.8K

-8.33%

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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Hiroshima: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Okinawa

$330 24.2%

Hiroshima

$255 26.5% 22.8% $75

Accommodation & Living

Okinawa

$320 23.5%

Hiroshima

$186 19.3% 42% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Okinawa

$236 17.3%

Hiroshima

$194 20.2% 17.9% $42

Eating Out

Okinawa

$178 13.1%

Hiroshima

$125 13% 30.1% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Okinawa

$112 8.2%

Hiroshima

$74 7.7% 33.5% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Okinawa

$95 7%

Hiroshima

$78 8.1% 17.8% $17

Getting Around

Okinawa

$93 6.8%

Hiroshima

$50 5.2% 46.3% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $403 in Okinawa versus $241 in Hiroshima. 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 Hiroshima, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Okinawa versus $32.00 in Hiroshima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $255 – making Hiroshima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🇯🇵 Hiroshima

🕒 Local time

12:51 12:51 PM

Same time as Okinawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,752

1,200,754

💱 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)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Okinawa vs Hiroshima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Okinawa costs about 42% more than Hiroshima, 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 $1,442 in Hiroshima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hiroshima, 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 $961 in Hiroshima. That's a gap of about 42%.

Public transport costs about 101% less in Hiroshima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hiroshima, where all-in costs run around $961, than in Okinawa at $1,364. In Hiroshima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Okinawa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hiroshima – 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 Hiroshima. 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.