Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Kyoto

For one person, living is cheaper in Kyoto: $1,290 a month against $1,388 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 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 Kyoto
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Kyoto Living Index

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Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,388

/mo nomad

Kyoto

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,290

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Okinawa and in Kyoto

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

A single person spends $1,388 per month in Okinawa vs $1,290 in Kyoto, rent included.

Okinawa $1,388
Kyoto $1,290

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Okinawa vs $1,932 in Kyoto, rent included.

Okinawa $2,184
Kyoto $1,932

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Okinawa vs $2,574 in Kyoto, rent included.

Okinawa $2,980
Kyoto $2,574

Okinawa costs about 8% more than Kyoto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Okinawa sits 2% above the global median, while Kyoto is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.12 ¥1,598

$9.77 ¥1,542

3.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.24 ¥6,353

$32.34 ¥5,106

24.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 ¥1,112

$5.11 ¥807

37.77%

Cappuccino

$4.11 ¥649

$3.22 ¥508

27.64%

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

$1.40 ¥221

$0.89 ¥141

57.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥145

$0.71 ¥112

29.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ¥396

$3.22 ¥509

-22.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 ¥832

$5.85 ¥924

-9.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥249

$1.55 ¥245

1.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 ¥324

$1.61 ¥254

27.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 ¥594

$5.84 ¥923

-35.62%

Eggs

$1.84 ¥290

$2.11 ¥333

-12.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.99 ¥2,841

$8.84 ¥1,395

103.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 ¥757

$7.92 ¥1,251

-39.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.45 ¥3,545

$10.70 ¥1,690

109.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 ¥602

$5.19 ¥819

-26.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 ¥413

$2.37 ¥374

10.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 ¥347

$5.15 ¥813

-57.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 ¥831

$3.69 ¥582

42.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 ¥377

$1.87 ¥295

27.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ¥404

$1.66 ¥262

54.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ¥201

$1.14 ¥180

12.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥122

$0.94 ¥148

-18.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 ¥617

$4.04 ¥639

-3.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.40 ¥1,011

$7.73 ¥1,221

-17.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ¥308

$1.61 ¥255

21.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ¥528

$3.37 ¥531

-0.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 ¥227

$1.42 ¥225

1.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ¥10.3K

$62.1 ¥9,804

4.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ¥603

$3.30 ¥520

15.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.54 ¥559

$3.88 ¥612

-8.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.23 ¥1,772

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.10 ¥174

0.91%

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

$20.9K ¥3.3M

$22.7K ¥3.6M

-7.92%

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

$15.5K ¥2.5M

$15.5K ¥2.4M

0.32%

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

$163 ¥25.7K

$101 ¥16.0K

60.91%

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

$25.35 ¥4,003

$23.51 ¥3,712

7.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ¥8,379

$30.41 ¥4,801

74.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.0 ¥11.5K

$51.6 ¥8,145

41.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.9 ¥8,670

$18.87 ¥2,980

191.04%

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 ¥1,892

$13.72 ¥2,166

-12.68%

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

$327 ¥51.7K

$718 ¥113.4K

-54.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,668 ¥894.9K

$6,490 ¥1.0M

-12.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.88 ¥7,718

$56.7 ¥8,956

-13.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.35 ¥3,687

$45.07 ¥7,116

-48.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 ¥12.8K

$70.3 ¥11.1K

15.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 ¥15.1K

$102 ¥16.1K

-6.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 ¥64.9K

$638 ¥100.7K

-35.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ¥52.4K

$379 ¥59.9K

-12.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 ¥134.6K

$1,176 ¥185.6K

-27.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 ¥107.0K

$577 ¥91.1K

17.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,422 ¥1.3M

$4,226 ¥667.2K

99.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,185 ¥187.1K

$2,921 ¥461.2K

-59.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,798 ¥283.8K

$1,873 ¥295.6K

-4.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.23

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

Last update for Okinawa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kyoto: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Okinawa

$332 23.9%

Kyoto

$379 29.4% 14.3% $47

Groceries & Markets

Okinawa

$330 23.8%

Kyoto

$296 22.9% 10.3% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Okinawa

$241 17.4%

Kyoto

$155 12% 35.7% $86

Eating Out

Okinawa

$184 13.2%

Kyoto

$166 12.9% 9.5% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Okinawa

$112 8.1%

Kyoto

$123 9.6% 10.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Okinawa

$97 7%

Kyoto

$79 6.1% 18.5% $18

Getting Around

Okinawa

$92 6.7%

Kyoto

$90 7% 2.1% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $411 in Okinawa versus $638 in Kyoto. 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 4% higher in Kyoto, 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 in Okinawa versus $32 in Kyoto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $296 – making Kyoto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🇯🇵 Kyoto

🕒 Local time

03:47 3:47 AM

Same time as Okinawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,752

1,475,183

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Kyoto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,388 in Okinawa, $1,290 in Kyoto – roughly 8% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,082 per month in Okinawa and $1,934 in Kyoto. 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 $638 in Kyoto.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Okinawa, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Okinawa and $32 in Kyoto. 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 $1,290 in Kyoto, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.