Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Kamakura

For one person, living is cheaper in Kamakura: $1,165 a month against $1,388 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Okinawa, Japan
Kamakura, Japan
Okinawa
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,388
/mo nomad
Kamakura
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,165
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Okinawa and in Kamakura

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,388 in Okinawa versus $1,165 in Kamakura.

  • Okinawa $1,388
  • Kamakura $1,165

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Okinawa versus $1,822 in Kamakura.

  • Okinawa $2,184
  • Kamakura $1,822

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Okinawa versus $2,478 in Kamakura.

  • Okinawa $2,980
  • Kamakura $2,478

Living in Okinawa is roughly 19% more expensive than in Kamakura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Okinawa is 2% above, Kamakura is 14% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Okinawa
Kamakura
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.12 ¥1,598
$6.44 ¥1,017
57.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.24 ¥6,355
$31.61 ¥4,992
27.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.04 ¥1,112
$4.98 ¥787
41.37%
Cappuccino
$4.11 ¥649
$2.59 ¥409
58.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40 ¥221
$1.11 ¥176
26.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.92 ¥145
$0.74 ¥116
24.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.51 ¥396
$2.56 ¥404
-1.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.27 ¥832
$3.21 ¥507
64.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Okinawa
Kamakura
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 ¥249
$1.44 ¥228
9.72%
White Bread (500g)
$2.05 ¥324
$1.50 ¥238
36.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.76 ¥594
$3.70 ¥585
1.62%
Eggs
$1.84 ¥290
$2.02 ¥319
-8.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.99 ¥2,842
$10.49 ¥1,657
71.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.79 ¥757
$5.92 ¥934
-19.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.45 ¥3,546
$14.54 ¥2,296
54.40%
Apples (1kg)
$3.81 ¥602
$5.67 ¥896
-32.80%
Banana (1kg)
$2.62 ¥413
$2.71 ¥429
-3.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.20 ¥347
$2.82 ¥445
-21.99%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.26 ¥831
$4.16 ¥657
26.44%
Potato (1kg)
$2.39 ¥377
$2.63 ¥415
-9.13%
Onion (1kg)
$2.56 ¥404
$2.57 ¥406
-0.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 ¥201
$1.13 ¥179
13.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ¥122
$0.82 ¥129
-6.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.90 ¥617
$3.74 ¥590
4.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.40 ¥1,011
$6.52 ¥1,029
-1.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 ¥308
$1.83 ¥290
6.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.34 ¥528
$2.09 ¥331
59.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Okinawa
Kamakura
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.44 ¥227
$1.50 ¥237
-4.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.1 ¥10.3K
$53.1 ¥8,392
22.51%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.82 ¥603
$3.15 ¥497
21.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.54 ¥559
$2.63 ¥415
34.60%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.23 ¥1,773
$15.63 ¥2,469
-28.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.11 ¥175
$1.11 ¥176
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.9K ¥3.3M
$21.9K ¥3.5M
-4.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.5K ¥2.5M
$15.0K ¥2.4M
3.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Okinawa
Kamakura
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$163 ¥25.7K
$115 ¥18.2K
40.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.35 ¥4,004
$23.20 ¥3,663
9.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.1 ¥8,382
$31.50 ¥4,974
68.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Okinawa
Kamakura
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$73.0 ¥11.5K
$51.6 ¥8,154
41.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$54.9 ¥8,673
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.98 ¥1,893
$12.92 ¥2,040
-7.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Okinawa
Kamakura
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$327 ¥51.7K
$695 ¥109.8K
-52.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,668 ¥895.1K
$14.6K ¥2.3M
-61.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Okinawa
Kamakura
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.88 ¥7,720
$51.2 ¥8,080
-4.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.35 ¥3,688
$35.94 ¥5,676
-35.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.2 ¥12.8K
$60.3 ¥9,517
34.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.7 ¥15.1K
$97.3 ¥15.4K
-1.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Okinawa
Kamakura
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$411 ¥65.0K
$559 ¥88.3K
-26.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$332 ¥52.4K
$321 ¥50.6K
3.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$852 ¥134.6K
$1,094 ¥172.8K
-22.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$678 ¥107.1K
$650 ¥102.6K
4.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,422 ¥1.3M
$4,071 ¥642.9K
106.90%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,185 ¥187.1K
$2,427 ¥383.2K
-51.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Okinawa
Kamakura
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,798 ¥283.9K
$1,810 ¥285.8K
-0.66%
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 Kamakura: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Okinawa
$332
Kamakura
$321 3.4% $11
Groceries & Markets
Okinawa
$330
Kamakura
$288 12.8% $42
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Okinawa
$241
Kamakura
$170 29.4% $71
Eating Out
Okinawa
$184
Kamakura
$124 32.4% $60
Clothing & Footwear
Okinawa
$112
Kamakura
$110 1.8% $2
Sport & Entertainment
Okinawa
$97
Kamakura
$77 20.1% $20
Getting Around
Okinawa
$92
Kamakura
$75 18.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $411 in Okinawa and $559 in Kamakura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40 in Okinawa vs $32 in Kamakura for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $330 vs $288 per month, with Kamakura cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Okinawa
🇯🇵 Kamakura
🕒 Local time
22:07 10:07 PM
22:07 10:07 PM
Same time as Okinawa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
142,752
172,710
💱 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 Kamakura 1,480 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Okinawa
  • Kamakura

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 Kamakura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kamakura cheaper than Okinawa?
Kamakura is about 16% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $2,082 in Okinawa and $1,748 in Kamakura to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Okinawa and Kamakura?
Rent for a central apartment: $411 in Okinawa versus $559 in Kamakura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $327 in Okinawa versus $695 in Kamakura. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Okinawa and in Kamakura?
Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Okinawa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is it better to live in Okinawa or in Kamakura?
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.
Which city is safer, Okinawa or Kamakura?
Safety-wise, Okinawa and Kamakura are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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