Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Kurume Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Kurume

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,430 in Okinawa versus $1,019 in Kurume.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,196 in Okinawa versus $1,606 in Kurume.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,961 in Okinawa versus $2,194 in Kurume.

Living in Okinawa is roughly 40% more expensive than Kurume, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Okinawa is 7% above, Kurume is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.57 ¥1,370

$4.79 ¥766

78.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.32 ¥6,609

$41.36 ¥6,616

-0.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.12 ¥978

$4.06 ¥649

50.74%

Cappuccino

$3.31 ¥529

$2.02 ¥323

63.86%

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

$1.32 ¥211

$0.80 ¥128

65.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥137

$0.59 ¥95.0

45.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 ¥557

$3.45 ¥552

0.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 ¥769

$1.71 ¥273

181.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ¥299

$1.42 ¥227

31.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 ¥367

$1.37 ¥218

67.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.83 ¥772

$4.24 ¥679

13.92%

Eggs

$2.01 ¥321

$2.14 ¥342

-6.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.33 ¥2,613

$10.18 ¥1,628

60.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.13 ¥1,780

$6.10 ¥976

82.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.95 ¥4,310

$20.39 ¥3,261

32.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.27 ¥842

$3.15 ¥504

67.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 ¥418

$1.43 ¥229

82.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 ¥485

$1.42 ¥227

113.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 ¥904

$5.97 ¥955

-5.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.69 ¥590

$2.85 ¥456

29.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 ¥464

$3.20 ¥512

-9.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 ¥256

$0.99 ¥159

61.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥151

$0.80 ¥128

17.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.82 ¥771

$3.81 ¥609

26.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.11 ¥978

$6.19 ¥990

-1.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ¥275

$1.99 ¥319

-13.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 ¥461

$1.25 ¥199

131.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 ¥268

$1.60 ¥255

4.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.27 ¥5,642

$54.8 ¥8,763

-35.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 ¥671

$4.62 ¥739

-9.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.77 ¥603

$2.88 ¥461

30.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.74 ¥2,037

$19.64 ¥3,141

-35.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ¥192

$0.66 ¥106

81.82%

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

$22.8K ¥3.6M

$23.0K ¥3.7M

-1.07%

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

$17.0K ¥2.7M

$20.3K ¥3.3M

-16.56%

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

$173 ¥27.7K

$213 ¥34.1K

-18.82%

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

$27.72 ¥4,434

$26.86 ¥4,295

3.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.51 ¥5,200

$25.14 ¥4,021

29.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 ¥8,547

$55.7 ¥8,912

-4.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.76 ¥1,081

$13.93 ¥2,227

-51.47%

Cinema Ticket

$12.60 ¥2,016

$7.52 ¥1,204

67.55%

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

$347 ¥55.5K

$423 ¥67.6K

-17.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K ¥2.2M

$13.2K ¥2.1M

2.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.84 ¥7,813

$43.55 ¥6,966

12.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.28 ¥4,683

$13.64 ¥2,182

114.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 ¥11.7K

$27.11 ¥4,337

168.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 ¥14.9K

$35.11 ¥5,616

165.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 ¥69.9K

$204 ¥32.6K

114.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 ¥63.1K

$138 ¥22.0K

186.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$944 ¥150.9K

$521 ¥83.3K

81.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$750 ¥119.9K

$351 ¥56.2K

113.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,543 ¥1.4M

$4,879 ¥780.4K

75.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,187 ¥189.8K

$2,517 ¥402.5K

-52.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,292 ¥206.6K

$1,526 ¥244.1K

-15.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.67

19.76%

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

Last update for Okinawa: June 1, 2026

Last update for Kurume: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Okinawa and $204 in Kurume. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kurume pays 18% 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 $41.00 in Kurume. Groceries flip the comparison at $398 vs $289, with Kurume cheaper for home cooking.

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 Kurume: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Okinawa and Kurume differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($1,430 vs $1,019 including rent). Kurume is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kurume earns 18% 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 $204 in Kurume. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Okinawa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kurume – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $41.00 in Okinawa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,019 in Kurume versus $1,430 in Okinawa, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kurume but tight or insufficient in Okinawa. The gap between the two cities makes Kurume the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Okinawa and Kurume 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 Kurume gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Okinawa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.