Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Maebashi

For one person, living is cheaper in Okinawa: $1,379 a month against $2,696 in Maebashi, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Maebashi outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Okinawa, Japan
Maebashi, Japan
Okinawa
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,379
/mo nomad
Maebashi
🇯🇵 Japan
$2,696
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Okinawa and in Maebashi

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

A single person spends $1,379 per month in Okinawa vs $2,696 in Maebashi, rent included.

  • Okinawa $1,379
  • Maebashi $2,696

A couple spends around $2,171 per month in Okinawa vs $2,569 in Maebashi, rent included.

  • Okinawa $2,171
  • Maebashi $2,569

A family of three spends $2,964 per month in Okinawa vs $2,441 in Maebashi, rent included.

  • Okinawa $2,964
  • Maebashi $2,441

Okinawa is about 49% cheaper than Maebashi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Okinawa and Maebashi sit above the global median – Okinawa by 2%, Maebashi by 99%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Okinawa
Maebashi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.74 ¥1,534
$8.79 ¥1,384
10.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.63 ¥6,399
$31.55 ¥4,969
28.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.87 ¥1,082
$5.00 ¥788
37.40%
Cappuccino
$3.91 ¥616
$2.50 ¥394
56.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40 ¥221
$1.24 ¥196
12.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ¥146
$0.94 ¥148
-1.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.61 ¥411
$2.73 ¥430
-4.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.02 ¥949
$3.23 ¥508
86.38%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Okinawa
Maebashi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.63 ¥257
$1.24 ¥195
31.45%
White Bread (500g)
$2.10 ¥331
$1.48 ¥234
41.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.89 ¥613
$1.30 ¥205
199.23%
Eggs
$1.78 ¥281
$1.68 ¥265
5.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.10 ¥2,851
$15.78 ¥2,485
14.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.89 ¥771
$4.65 ¥733
5.16%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.24 ¥3,503
$17.22 ¥2,712
29.15%
Apples (1kg)
$3.79 ¥597
$4.96 ¥781
-23.59%
Banana (1kg)
$2.59 ¥408
$3.09 ¥487
-16.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.14 ¥337
$5.00 ¥788
-57.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.18 ¥815
$8.04 ¥1,266
-35.57%
Potato (1kg)
$2.49 ¥392
$2.78 ¥438
-10.43%
Onion (1kg)
$2.48 ¥390
$4.24 ¥668
-41.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.26 ¥199
$1.17 ¥185
7.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 ¥123
$0.48 ¥76.2
62.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.03 ¥634
$3.94 ¥621
2.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.40 ¥1,007
$9.38 ¥1,477
-31.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.88 ¥296
$2.64 ¥416
-28.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 ¥500
$2.11 ¥332
50.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Okinawa
Maebashi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.50 ¥236
$2.56 ¥403
-41.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.1 ¥10.2K
$17.79 ¥2,801
265.71%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.92 ¥617
$3.11 ¥490
26.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.47 ¥546
$2.68 ¥423
29.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.44 ¥1,802
$26.85 ¥4,229
-57.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.05 ¥165
$1.10 ¥173
-4.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.3K ¥3.4M
$21.5K ¥3.4M
-0.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.0K ¥2.4M
$15.3K ¥2.4M
-1.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Okinawa
Maebashi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$162 ¥25.6K
$118 ¥18.6K
37.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.31 ¥3,987
$23.75 ¥3,740
6.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.6 ¥8,445
$30.85 ¥4,858
73.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Okinawa
Maebashi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.8 ¥11.3K
$48.29 ¥7,606
48.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$56.8 ¥8,951
$31.18 ¥4,911
82.26%
Cinema Ticket
$12.04 ¥1,897
$12.71 ¥2,002
-5.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Okinawa
Maebashi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$330 ¥51.9K
$710 ¥111.8K
-53.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,654 ¥890.5K
$22.4K ¥3.5M
-74.72%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Okinawa
Maebashi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.74 ¥7,676
$69.6 ¥11.0K
-29.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.34 ¥3,677
$35.69 ¥5,621
-34.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.3 ¥12.8K
$60.1 ¥9,462
35.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.0 ¥15.4K
$98.5 ¥15.5K
-0.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Okinawa
Maebashi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$407 ¥64.1K
$384 ¥60.5K
5.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$327 ¥51.4K
$1,814 ¥285.6K
-81.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$825 ¥130.0K
$566 ¥89.1K
45.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 ¥105.0K
$481 ¥75.8K
38.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,711 ¥1.4M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,220 ¥192.2K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Okinawa
Maebashi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,814 ¥285.7K
$1,704 ¥268.4K
6.42%
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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Maebashi: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Okinawa
$330
Maebashi
$328 0.4% $1.4
Accommodation & Living
Okinawa
$327
Maebashi
$1.8K 455% $1.5K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Okinawa
$241
Maebashi
$173 28.4% $68
Eating Out
Okinawa
$180
Maebashi
$144 19.9% $36
Clothing & Footwear
Okinawa
$113
Maebashi
$119 5% $5.6
Sport & Entertainment
Okinawa
$96
Maebashi
$74 23.2% $22
Getting Around
Okinawa
$92
Maebashi
$45 51.7% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $407 in Okinawa versus $384 in Maebashi. 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 6% higher in Okinawa, 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 $41 in Okinawa versus $32 in Maebashi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $328 – making Maebashi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Okinawa
🇯🇵 Maebashi
🕒 Local time
11:53 11:53 AM
11:53 11:53 AM
Same time as Okinawa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
142,752
324,644
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 157 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Okinawa Maebashi 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Okinawa
  • Maebashi

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 Maebashi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Okinawa cheaper than Maebashi?
Yes – Maebashi is pricier by about 96%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,068 per month in Okinawa and $4,044 in Maebashi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Okinawa and Maebashi?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $407 in Okinawa and $384 in Maebashi. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
What are total monthly expenses in Okinawa and in Maebashi?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,379 in Okinawa and $2,696 in Maebashi. That makes Okinawa about 49% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $330 per month in Okinawa and $710 in Maebashi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is it better to live in Okinawa or in Maebashi?
It depends on your priorities. Okinawa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,379 in Okinawa to $2,696 in Maebashi. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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