Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Kanazawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Kanazawa: $1,277 a month against $1,364 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Kanazawa
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Kanazawa Living Index

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Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,364

/mo nomad

Kanazawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,277

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Okinawa and in Kanazawa

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

A single person spends $1,364 per month in Okinawa vs $1,277 in Kanazawa, rent included.

Okinawa $1,364
Kanazawa $1,277

A couple spends around $2,154 per month in Okinawa vs $2,031 in Kanazawa, rent included.

Okinawa $2,154
Kanazawa $2,031

A family of three spends $2,944 per month in Okinawa vs $2,786 in Kanazawa, rent included.

Okinawa $2,944
Kanazawa $2,786

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

Okinawa sits 1% above the global median, while Kanazawa is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.91 ¥1,566

$7.64 ¥1,206

29.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.91 ¥6,306

$31.61 ¥4,994

26.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.13 ¥1,126

$4.73 ¥747

50.74%

Cappuccino

$3.87 ¥611

$2.26 ¥358

71.24%

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

$1.47 ¥233

$1.14 ¥180

28.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 ¥156

$0.58 ¥91.2

70.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ¥397

$2.03 ¥320

23.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 ¥685

$2.33 ¥368

86.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 ¥257

$1.55 ¥245

5.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 ¥326

$1.32 ¥208

56.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.88 ¥612

$5.30 ¥837

-26.79%

Eggs

$1.78 ¥281

$2.07 ¥327

-14.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.97 ¥2,840

$12.52 ¥1,978

43.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.85 ¥766

$9.41 ¥1,487

-48.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.79 ¥3,601

$31.96 ¥5,049

-28.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 ¥571

$3.62 ¥572

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 ¥427

$2.28 ¥360

18.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ¥345

$6.48 ¥1,024

-66.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 ¥816

$4.14 ¥655

24.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 ¥377

$3.73 ¥589

-35.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 ¥386

$3.42 ¥540

-28.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 ¥199

$1.28 ¥201

-1.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥122

$1.03 ¥163

-24.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ¥635

$3.55 ¥561

13.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.30 ¥995

$8.40 ¥1,327

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 ¥299

$1.96 ¥310

-3.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 ¥530

$1.52 ¥239

120.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 ¥233

$1.49 ¥236

-0.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.9 ¥10.4K

$54.4 ¥8,598

21.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 ¥625

$3.11 ¥491

27.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 ¥540

$3.22 ¥508

6.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.40 ¥1,802

$26.21 ¥4,140

-56.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥167

$1.11 ¥175

-4.50%

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

$21.1K ¥3.3M

$20.3K ¥3.2M

4.08%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$16.4K ¥2.6M

-7.90%

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

$158 ¥25.0K

$148 ¥23.3K

7.17%

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

$25.31 ¥3,999

$24.34 ¥3,845

3.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 ¥8,338

$43.30 ¥6,840

21.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.1 ¥11.2K

$42.68 ¥6,743

66.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$55.3 ¥8,734

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 ¥1,888

$11.47 ¥1,812

4.18%

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

$329 ¥52.0K

$320 ¥50.6K

2.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,632 ¥889.8K

$6,140 ¥970.0K

-8.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 ¥7,928

$49.59 ¥7,834

1.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.08 ¥3,647

$25.27 ¥3,993

-8.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.5 ¥12.7K

$45.94 ¥7,258

75.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.6 ¥14.9K

$64.9 ¥10.3K

45.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 ¥63.6K

$539 ¥85.1K

-25.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 ¥50.6K

$327 ¥51.6K

-1.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 ¥132.9K

$1,100 ¥173.7K

-23.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 ¥104.7K

$749 ¥118.3K

-11.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,665 ¥1.4M

$4,294 ¥678.4K

101.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,213 ¥191.7K

$1,742 ¥275.3K

-30.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,809 ¥285.8K

$1,857 ¥293.4K

-2.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.23

2.28

-2.19%

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

Last update for Okinawa: October 19, 2026

Last update for Kanazawa: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Okinawa

$330 24.2%

Kanazawa

$382 29.9% 15.8% $52

Accommodation & Living

Okinawa

$320 23.5%

Kanazawa

$327 25.6% 2% $6.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Okinawa

$236 17.3%

Kanazawa

$215 16.9% 8.9% $21

Eating Out

Okinawa

$178 13.1%

Kanazawa

$124 9.7% 30.3% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Okinawa

$112 8.2%

Kanazawa

$84 6.5% 25.2% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Okinawa

$95 7%

Kanazawa

$66 5.1% 30.9% $29

Getting Around

Okinawa

$93 6.8%

Kanazawa

$80 6.2% 14.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $403 in Okinawa versus $539 in Kanazawa. 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 3% higher in Kanazawa, 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 Kanazawa. Groceries tell a different story – $330 in Okinawa vs $382 in Kanazawa – so Okinawa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🇯🇵 Kanazawa

🕒 Local time

09:41 9:41 AM

Same time as Okinawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,752

465,699

💱 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 Kanazawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,364 in Okinawa, $1,277 in Kanazawa – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,047 per month in Okinawa and $1,916 in Kanazawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kanazawa, 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 $1,277 in Kanazawa. That's a gap of about 7%.

Public transport costs about 21% less in Kanazawa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kanazawa, where all-in costs run around $1,277, than in Okinawa at $1,364. In Kanazawa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Okinawa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kanazawa – 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 Kanazawa. 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.