Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Ibaraki Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Ibaraki

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,427 in Okinawa versus $1,178 in Ibaraki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,228 in Okinawa versus $1,848 in Ibaraki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,030 in Okinawa versus $2,518 in Ibaraki.

Living in Okinawa is roughly 21% more expensive than in Ibaraki, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Okinawa is 4% above, Ibaraki is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.68 ¥1,512

$6.63 ¥1,035

46.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.32 ¥6,297

$31.89 ¥4,979

26.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.94 ¥1,083

$5.30 ¥828

30.94%

Cappuccino

$4.18 ¥653

$3.13 ¥489

33.55%

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

$1.47 ¥230

$1.16 ¥181

26.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 ¥158

$0.76 ¥119

32.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 ¥313

$2.53 ¥395

-20.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 ¥697

$3.22 ¥502

38.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ¥249

$2.80 ¥437

-43.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 ¥344

$1.55 ¥243

41.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.98 ¥621

$4.34 ¥679

-8.29%

Eggs

$1.81 ¥282

$2.10 ¥328

-13.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.99 ¥2,809

$11.19 ¥1,747

60.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.05 ¥789

$6.62 ¥1,034

-23.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.90 ¥3,577

$17.37 ¥2,713

31.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 ¥583

$4.90 ¥765

-23.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 ¥434

$2.35 ¥367

18.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ¥359

$3.17 ¥496

-27.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.27 ¥823

$4.33 ¥676

21.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 ¥382

$2.53 ¥394

-3.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 ¥394

$2.42 ¥378

4.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 ¥211

$1.28 ¥200

5.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥120

$0.81 ¥127

-4.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.93 ¥614

$3.78 ¥590

3.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.51 ¥1,016

$7.54 ¥1,178

-13.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 ¥306

$1.84 ¥288

6.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ¥539

$2.21 ¥345

56.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 ¥229

$1.66 ¥259

-12.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.1 ¥10.6K

$58.7 ¥9,167

15.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.94 ¥615

$4.80 ¥750

-17.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.59 ¥560

$2.85 ¥444

25.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.87 ¥1,854

$19.73 ¥3,082

-39.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥177

$1.17 ¥182

-3.42%

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

$21.9K ¥3.4M

$22.3K ¥3.5M

-1.84%

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

$15.4K ¥2.4M

0.24%

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

$165 ¥25.8K

$134 ¥20.8K

23.60%

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

$25.69 ¥4,012

$24.24 ¥3,786

5.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.8 ¥8,558

$31.64 ¥4,941

73.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.0 ¥11.6K

$52.1 ¥8,129

42.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$56.5 ¥8,822

Cinema Ticket

$12.50 ¥1,952

$11.94 ¥1,865

4.69%

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

$345 ¥53.9K

$552 ¥86.2K

-37.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,827 ¥909.9K

$14.0K ¥2.2M

-58.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 ¥8,070

$26.82 ¥4,189

92.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.12 ¥3,766

$33.01 ¥5,155

-26.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.1 ¥12.7K

$67.7 ¥10.6K

19.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.9 ¥15.0K

$80.4 ¥12.6K

19.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 ¥64.2K

$405 ¥63.3K

1.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ¥51.8K

$265 ¥41.4K

25.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$863 ¥134.8K

$1,034 ¥161.4K

-16.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$694 ¥108.3K

$541 ¥84.5K

28.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,703 ¥1.4M

$4,081 ¥637.4K

113.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,200 ¥187.4K

$2,033 ¥317.6K

-40.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,861 ¥290.6K

$2,572 ¥401.6K

-27.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.23

2.09

6.70%

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

Last update for Okinawa: September 13, 2026

Last update for Ibaraki: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $411 in Okinawa and $405 in Ibaraki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibaraki pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Okinawa vs $32.00 in Ibaraki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $317 per month, with Ibaraki cheaper across the board.

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 Ibaraki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Okinawa and Ibaraki differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,427 vs $1,178 including rent). Ibaraki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Ibaraki. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $411 in Okinawa versus $405 in Ibaraki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Okinawa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ibaraki – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $40.00 in Okinawa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,178 in Ibaraki versus $1,427 in Okinawa, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ibaraki but tight or insufficient in Okinawa. The gap between the two cities makes Ibaraki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Okinawa and Ibaraki are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ibaraki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Okinawa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.