Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Kobe Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Kobe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,430 in Okinawa versus $1,258 in Kobe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,196 in Okinawa versus $1,901 in Kobe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,961 in Okinawa versus $2,545 in Kobe.

Living in Okinawa is roughly 14% more expensive than Kobe, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Okinawa is 7% above, Kobe is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.57 ¥1,370

$8.49 ¥1,358

0.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.32 ¥6,609

$27.56 ¥4,409

49.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.12 ¥978

$4.72 ¥756

29.66%

Cappuccino

$3.31 ¥529

$3.07 ¥491

7.82%

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

$1.32 ¥211

$0.99 ¥159

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥137

$0.70 ¥112

22.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 ¥557

$2.37 ¥379

46.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 ¥769

$3.09 ¥494

55.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ¥299

$1.62 ¥259

15.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 ¥367

$1.28 ¥204

79.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.83 ¥772

$4.73 ¥756

2.11%

Eggs

$2.01 ¥321

$1.67 ¥267

20.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.33 ¥2,613

$13.98 ¥2,236

16.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.13 ¥1,780

$7.68 ¥1,228

44.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.95 ¥4,310

$15.15 ¥2,424

77.89%

Apples (1kg)

$5.27 ¥842

$9.17 ¥1,467

-42.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 ¥418

$2.79 ¥445

-6.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 ¥485

$4.72 ¥755

-35.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 ¥904

$9.50 ¥1,520

-40.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.69 ¥590

$3.95 ¥632

-6.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 ¥464

$2.54 ¥407

14.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 ¥256

$1.33 ¥212

20.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥151

$1.43 ¥228

-34.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.82 ¥771

$3.54 ¥566

36.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.11 ¥978

$8.34 ¥1,335

-26.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ¥275

$2.76 ¥441

-37.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 ¥461

$2.29 ¥367

26.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 ¥268

$1.44 ¥230

15.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.27 ¥5,642

$38.33 ¥6,130

-7.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 ¥671

$3.57 ¥571

17.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.77 ¥603

$1.29 ¥206

192.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.74 ¥2,037

$17.35 ¥2,775

-26.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ¥192

$1.19 ¥190

0.84%

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

$22.8K ¥3.6M

$21.6K ¥3.5M

5.38%

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

$17.0K ¥2.7M

$14.3K ¥2.3M

18.42%

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

$173 ¥27.7K

$142 ¥22.7K

21.85%

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

$27.72 ¥4,434

$27.24 ¥4,358

1.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.51 ¥5,200

$34.52 ¥5,521

-5.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 ¥8,547

$46.92 ¥7,505

13.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 ¥1,081

$20.89 ¥3,342

-67.64%

Cinema Ticket

$12.60 ¥2,016

$12.35 ¥1,975

2.02%

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

$347 ¥55.5K

$360 ¥57.6K

-3.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K ¥2.2M

$11.5K ¥1.8M

17.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.84 ¥7,813

$46.65 ¥7,461

4.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.28 ¥4,683

$32.12 ¥5,137

-8.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 ¥11.7K

$40.55 ¥6,487

79.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 ¥14.9K

$47.69 ¥7,628

95.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 ¥69.9K

$481 ¥77.0K

-9.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 ¥63.1K

$310 ¥49.7K

27.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$944 ¥150.9K

$691 ¥110.5K

36.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$750 ¥119.9K

$590 ¥94.3K

27.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,543 ¥1.4M

$4,360 ¥697.4K

95.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,187 ¥189.8K

$2,851 ¥456.0K

-58.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,292 ¥206.6K

$1,769 ¥283.0K

-27.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.78

12.36%

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

Last update for Okinawa: June 1, 2026

Last update for Kobe: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Okinawa and $481 in Kobe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kobe pays 37% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $41.00 in Okinawa vs $28.00 in Kobe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $384 per month, with Kobe cheaper across the board.

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 Kobe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kobe wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Okinawa. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kobe the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Kobe earns 37% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $437 in Okinawa versus $481 in Kobe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kobe runs roughly 9% less than in Okinawa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $347 in Okinawa versus $360 in Kobe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,258 in Kobe versus $1,430 in Okinawa, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kobe but tight or insufficient in Okinawa. The gap between the two cities makes Kobe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kobe delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,258 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kobe hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Okinawa and Kobe are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kobe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Okinawa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.