Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Kagoshima

For one person, living is cheaper in Kagoshima: $1,135 a month against $1,388 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Kagoshima
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Kagoshima Living Index

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Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,388

/mo nomad

Kagoshima

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,135

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Okinawa and in Kagoshima

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

A single person spends $1,388 per month in Okinawa vs $1,135 in Kagoshima, rent included.

Okinawa $1,388
Kagoshima $1,135

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Okinawa vs $1,887 in Kagoshima, rent included.

Okinawa $2,184
Kagoshima $1,887

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Okinawa vs $2,639 in Kagoshima, rent included.

Okinawa $2,980
Kagoshima $2,639

Okinawa costs about 22% more than Kagoshima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Okinawa sits 2% above the global median, while Kagoshima is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.12 ¥1,594

$6.39 ¥1,006

58.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.24 ¥6,338

$33.97 ¥5,350

18.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 ¥1,109

$5.34 ¥842

31.84%

Cappuccino

$4.11 ¥647

$2.97 ¥468

38.38%

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

$1.40 ¥221

$1.04 ¥164

34.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥145

$0.75 ¥118

22.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ¥395

$2.50 ¥394

0.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 ¥830

$2.21 ¥348

138.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥248

$1.31 ¥207

20.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 ¥323

$1.15 ¥182

78.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 ¥592

$5.15 ¥811

-26.99%

Eggs

$1.84 ¥289

$2.05 ¥324

-10.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.99 ¥2,834

$17.94 ¥2,826

0.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 ¥755

$5.29 ¥833

-9.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.45 ¥3,537

$18.77 ¥2,957

19.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 ¥601

$3.71 ¥585

2.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 ¥412

$1.86 ¥293

40.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 ¥346

$2.83 ¥446

-22.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 ¥829

$3.43 ¥541

53.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 ¥376

$2.09 ¥329

14.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ¥403

$1.88 ¥296

36.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ¥201

$1.03 ¥163

24.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥122

$0.80 ¥126

-3.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 ¥615

$3.85 ¥607

1.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.40 ¥1,008

$6.20 ¥977

3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ¥307

$1.21 ¥191

61.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ¥527

$1.84 ¥290

81.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 ¥226

$1.25 ¥196

15.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ¥10.3K

$56.7 ¥8,927

14.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ¥602

$4.12 ¥649

-7.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.54 ¥558

$2.34 ¥369

51.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.23 ¥1,768

$11.30 ¥1,780

-0.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥174

$1.11 ¥175

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

$20.9K ¥3.3M

$22.6K ¥3.6M

-7.37%

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

$15.5K ¥2.4M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

1.88%

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

$163 ¥25.6K

$188 ¥29.6K

-13.29%

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

$25.35 ¥3,994

$24.69 ¥3,890

2.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ¥8,360

$31.51 ¥4,963

68.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.0 ¥11.5K

$52.1 ¥8,207

40.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.9 ¥8,650

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 ¥1,888

$11.96 ¥1,884

0.17%

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

$327 ¥51.6K

$703 ¥110.8K

-53.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,668 ¥892.8K

$12.4K ¥1.9M

-54.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.88 ¥7,700

$48.66 ¥7,665

0.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.35 ¥3,678

$26.33 ¥4,147

-11.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 ¥12.8K

$65.4 ¥10.3K

24.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 ¥15.1K

$76.3 ¥12.0K

25.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 ¥64.8K

$550 ¥86.6K

-25.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ¥52.3K

$219 ¥34.5K

51.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 ¥134.3K

$957 ¥150.8K

-10.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 ¥106.8K

$730 ¥115.0K

-7.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,422 ¥1.3M

$4,461 ¥702.6K

88.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,185 ¥186.6K

$2,528 ¥398.3K

-53.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,798 ¥283.2K

$1,861 ¥293.1K

-3.39%

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 Kagoshima: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Okinawa

$332 23.9%

Kagoshima

$219 19.3% 34.1% $113

Groceries & Markets

Okinawa

$330 23.8%

Kagoshima

$294 25.9% 10.8% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Okinawa

$241 17.4%

Kagoshima

$244 21.5% 1.1% $2.7

Eating Out

Okinawa

$184 13.2%

Kagoshima

$127 11.2% 31% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Okinawa

$112 8.1%

Kagoshima

$98 8.6% 13% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Okinawa

$97 7%

Kagoshima

$76 6.7% 21.6% $21

Getting Around

Okinawa

$92 6.7%

Kagoshima

$77 6.8% 16.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $411 in Okinawa versus $550 in Kagoshima. 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 4% higher in Kagoshima, 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 in Okinawa versus $34 in Kagoshima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $294 – making Kagoshima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🇯🇵 Kagoshima

🕒 Local time

08:03 8:03 AM

Same time as Okinawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,752

593,128

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 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 Kagoshima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Okinawa costs about 22% more than Kagoshima, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,082 per month in Okinawa and $1,702 in Kagoshima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Okinawa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $411 there versus $550 in Kagoshima.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Kagoshima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $327 per month in Okinawa and $703 in Kagoshima. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,388 in Okinawa and $1,135 in Kagoshima. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Okinawa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,135 in Kagoshima to $1,388 in Okinawa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.