Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Kawasaki

For one person, living is cheaper in Okinawa: $1,388 a month against $1,476 in Kawasaki, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kawasaki outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

66

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
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Okinawa Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in Kawasaki
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Kawasaki Living Index

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Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,388

/mo nomad

Kawasaki

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,476

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Okinawa and in Kawasaki

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

A single person spends $1,388 per month in Okinawa vs $1,476 in Kawasaki, rent included.

Okinawa $1,388
Kawasaki $1,476

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Okinawa vs $2,239 in Kawasaki, rent included.

Okinawa $2,184
Kawasaki $2,239

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Okinawa vs $3,003 in Kawasaki, rent included.

Okinawa $2,980
Kawasaki $3,003

Okinawa is about 6% cheaper than Kawasaki.

Both Okinawa and Kawasaki sit above the global median – Okinawa by 2%, Kawasaki by 8%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.12 ¥1,596

$7.43 ¥1,172

36.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.24 ¥6,345

$37.97 ¥5,988

5.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 ¥1,110

$4.99 ¥786

41.08%

Cappuccino

$4.11 ¥648

$2.59 ¥408

58.69%

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

$1.40 ¥221

$1.57 ¥248

-10.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥145

$0.91 ¥144

1.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ¥396

$3.23 ¥509

-22.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 ¥831

$3.13 ¥493

68.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥248

$1.51 ¥238

4.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 ¥324

$1.56 ¥246

31.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 ¥593

$4.21 ¥664

-10.69%

Eggs

$1.84 ¥289

$2.15 ¥339

-14.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.99 ¥2,837

$11.44 ¥1,804

57.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 ¥756

$6.72 ¥1,059

-28.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.45 ¥3,541

$16.41 ¥2,588

36.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 ¥601

$6.02 ¥950

-36.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 ¥412

$2.85 ¥450

-8.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 ¥347

$4.99 ¥786

-55.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 ¥830

$5.18 ¥817

1.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 ¥376

$3.40 ¥536

-29.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ¥404

$3.09 ¥487

-17.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ¥201

$1.19 ¥188

7.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥122

$0.78 ¥122

-1.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 ¥616

$3.97 ¥625

-1.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.40 ¥1,009

$9.29 ¥1,464

-31.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ¥308

$2.39 ¥377

-18.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ¥527

$2.65 ¥418

26.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 ¥227

$1.92 ¥303

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ¥10.3K

$50.5 ¥7,956

29.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ¥602

$3.10 ¥489

23.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.54 ¥558

$3.20 ¥505

10.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.23 ¥1,770

$18.58 ¥2,929

-39.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥174

$1.07 ¥169

3.74%

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

$20.9K ¥3.3M

$22.1K ¥3.5M

-5.42%

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

$15.5K ¥2.5M

$15.4K ¥2.4M

1.22%

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

$163 ¥25.7K

$129 ¥20.3K

26.64%

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

$25.35 ¥3,998

$23.08 ¥3,639

9.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ¥8,369

$31.16 ¥4,913

70.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.0 ¥11.5K

$55.8 ¥8,799

30.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.9 ¥8,659

$6.47 ¥1,020

748.84%

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 ¥1,890

$12.62 ¥1,991

-5.07%

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

$327 ¥51.6K

$695 ¥109.6K

-52.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,668 ¥893.7K

$14.9K ¥2.4M

-62.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.88 ¥7,708

$51.2 ¥8,073

-4.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.35 ¥3,682

$33.12 ¥5,222

-29.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 ¥12.8K

$66.4 ¥10.5K

22.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 ¥15.1K

$70.4 ¥11.1K

35.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 ¥64.8K

$771 ¥121.6K

-46.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ¥52.3K

$565 ¥89.1K

-41.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 ¥134.4K

$1,281 ¥201.9K

-33.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 ¥106.9K

$1,006 ¥158.7K

-32.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,422 ¥1.3M

$4,670 ¥736.4K

80.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,185 ¥186.8K

$3,220 ¥507.8K

-63.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,798 ¥283.4K

$2,608 ¥411.2K

-31.06%

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 Kawasaki: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Okinawa

$332 23.9%

Kawasaki

$565 38.3% 70.2% $233

Groceries & Markets

Okinawa

$330 23.8%

Kawasaki

$333 22.5% 0.9% $2.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Okinawa

$241 17.4%

Kawasaki

$183 12.4% 24.2% $58

Eating Out

Okinawa

$184 13.2%

Kawasaki

$138 9.3% 25% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Okinawa

$112 8.1%

Kawasaki

$99 6.7% 11.2% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Okinawa

$97 7%

Kawasaki

$81 5.5% 16.4% $16

Getting Around

Okinawa

$92 6.7%

Kawasaki

$77 5.2% 16.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $411 in Okinawa versus $771 in Kawasaki. 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 45% higher in Kawasaki. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Okinawa versus $38 in Kawasaki. Groceries tell a different story – $330 in Okinawa vs $333 in Kawasaki – so Okinawa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🇯🇵 Kawasaki

🕒 Local time

16:05 4:05 PM

Same time as Okinawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,752

1,538,262

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Okinawa Kawasaki 1,510 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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 Kawasaki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kawasaki costs about 6% more than Okinawa, 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 $2,082 per month in Okinawa and $2,214 in Kawasaki. 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 $771 in Kawasaki.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,388 in Okinawa and $1,476 in Kawasaki. That makes Okinawa about 6% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $327 per month in Okinawa and $695 in Kawasaki. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Okinawa – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Okinawa. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kawasaki makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.