Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Kitakyushu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kitakyushu: $1,250 a month against $1,388 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. The total is higher in Okinawa despite lower rent and utilities.

66

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
Learn more

Okinawa Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Kitakyushu
Learn more

Kitakyushu Living Index

Jump to prices

Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,388

/mo nomad

Kitakyushu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,250

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Okinawa and in Kitakyushu

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

A single person spends $1,388 per month in Okinawa vs $1,250 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

Okinawa $1,388
Kitakyushu $1,250

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Okinawa vs $1,923 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

Okinawa $2,184
Kitakyushu $1,923

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Okinawa vs $2,596 in Kitakyushu, rent included.

Okinawa $2,980
Kitakyushu $2,596

Okinawa costs about 11% more than Kitakyushu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Okinawa sits 2% above the global median, while Kitakyushu is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.12 ¥1,598

$7.03 ¥1,110

43.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.24 ¥6,355

$32.97 ¥5,206

22.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 ¥1,112

$5.43 ¥857

29.65%

Cappuccino

$4.11 ¥649

$3.40 ¥537

20.88%

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

$1.40 ¥221

$1.06 ¥167

32.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥145

$0.70 ¥111

31.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ¥396

$3.04 ¥479

-17.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 ¥832

$2.18 ¥344

141.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥249

$1.42 ¥225

11.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 ¥324

$1.28 ¥202

60.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 ¥594

$5.29 ¥835

-28.92%

Eggs

$1.84 ¥290

$2.20 ¥348

-16.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.99 ¥2,842

$9.42 ¥1,487

90.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 ¥757

$5.25 ¥830

-8.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.45 ¥3,546

$18.86 ¥2,978

19.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 ¥602

$3.59 ¥567

6.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 ¥413

$1.88 ¥297

39.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 ¥347

$2.79 ¥441

-21.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 ¥831

$2.87 ¥454

83.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 ¥377

$2.23 ¥352

7.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ¥404

$2.64 ¥418

-3.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ¥201

$1.05 ¥165

21.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥122

$0.99 ¥156

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 ¥617

$4.05 ¥640

-3.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.40 ¥1,011

$6.23 ¥984

2.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ¥308

$1.64 ¥259

18.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ¥528

$1.72 ¥271

94.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 ¥227

$1.62 ¥256

-11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ¥10.3K

$56.8 ¥8,964

14.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ¥603

$3.98 ¥628

-4.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.54 ¥559

$2.04 ¥323

73.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.23 ¥1,773

$17.83 ¥2,815

-37.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.05 ¥165

5.71%

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

$20.9K ¥3.3M

$20.3K ¥3.2M

3.22%

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

$15.5K ¥2.5M

$15.4K ¥2.4M

1.03%

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

$163 ¥25.7K

$196 ¥31.0K

-17.17%

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

$25.35 ¥4,004

$25.10 ¥3,965

1.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ¥8,382

$32.21 ¥5,087

64.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.0 ¥11.5K

$52.1 ¥8,233

40.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.9 ¥8,673

$3.22 ¥509

1605.59%

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 ¥1,893

$12.65 ¥1,998

-5.30%

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

$327 ¥51.7K

$379 ¥59.8K

-13.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,668 ¥895.1K

$12.3K ¥1.9M

-54.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.88 ¥7,720

$48.55 ¥7,668

0.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.35 ¥3,688

$26.37 ¥4,164

-11.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 ¥12.8K

$67.0 ¥10.6K

21.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 ¥15.1K

$55.7 ¥8,798

71.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 ¥65.0K

$555 ¥87.7K

-25.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ¥52.4K

$338 ¥53.3K

-1.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 ¥134.6K

$1,005 ¥158.7K

-15.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 ¥107.1K

$715 ¥113.0K

-5.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,422 ¥1.3M

$4,304 ¥679.8K

95.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,185 ¥187.1K

$2,319 ¥366.2K

-48.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,798 ¥283.9K

$1,533 ¥242.2K

17.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.23

1.69

31.95%

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

Last update for Okinawa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kitakyushu: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Okinawa

$332 23.9%

Kitakyushu

$338 27% 1.7% $5.7

Groceries & Markets

Okinawa

$330 23.8%

Kitakyushu

$275 22% 16.6% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Okinawa

$241 17.4%

Kitakyushu

$254 20.3% 5.2% $13

Eating Out

Okinawa

$184 13.2%

Kitakyushu

$140 11.2% 23.9% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Okinawa

$112 8.1%

Kitakyushu

$89 7.1% 20.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Okinawa

$97 7%

Kitakyushu

$77 6.2% 20.2% $20

Getting Around

Okinawa

$92 6.7%

Kitakyushu

$77 6.2% 16.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $411 in Okinawa versus $555 in Kitakyushu. 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 17% higher in Okinawa. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Okinawa versus $33 in Kitakyushu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $275 – making Kitakyushu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🇯🇵 Kitakyushu

🕒 Local time

21:12 9:12 PM

Same time as Okinawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,752

939,029

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Okinawa Kitakyushu 870 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Okinawa
Kitakyushu

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 Kitakyushu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,388 in Okinawa, $1,250 in Kitakyushu – Kitakyushu comes out roughly 10% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,082 per month in Okinawa and $1,875 in Kitakyushu. 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 $555 in Kitakyushu.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Okinawa, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Okinawa and $33 in Kitakyushu. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,388 in Okinawa and $1,250 in Kitakyushu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Kitakyushu has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,250 in Kitakyushu 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.

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