Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Matsuyama

For one person, living is cheaper in Matsuyama: $1,277 a month against $1,364 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 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 Matsuyama
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Matsuyama Living Index

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Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,364

/mo nomad

Matsuyama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,277

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Okinawa and in Matsuyama

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

A single person spends $1,364 per month in Okinawa vs $1,277 in Matsuyama, rent included.

Okinawa $1,364
Matsuyama $1,277

A couple spends around $2,154 per month in Okinawa vs $2,017 in Matsuyama, rent included.

Okinawa $2,154
Matsuyama $2,017

A family of three spends $2,944 per month in Okinawa vs $2,758 in Matsuyama, rent included.

Okinawa $2,944
Matsuyama $2,758

Okinawa costs about 7% more than Matsuyama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Okinawa sits 1% above the global median, while Matsuyama is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.91 ¥1,566

$6.38 ¥1,008

55.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.91 ¥6,306

$30.99 ¥4,896

28.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.13 ¥1,126

$4.71 ¥744

51.38%

Cappuccino

$3.87 ¥611

$2.38 ¥376

62.61%

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

$1.47 ¥233

$1.19 ¥188

23.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 ¥156

$0.58 ¥91.7

70.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ¥397

$2.09 ¥330

20.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 ¥685

$2.29 ¥361

89.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 ¥257

$1.50 ¥238

8.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 ¥326

$1.33 ¥210

55.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.88 ¥612

$5.40 ¥853

-28.15%

Eggs

$1.78 ¥281

$2.08 ¥329

-14.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.97 ¥2,840

$12.49 ¥1,974

43.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.85 ¥766

$9.48 ¥1,498

-48.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.79 ¥3,601

$32.49 ¥5,134

-29.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 ¥571

$3.67 ¥579

-1.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 ¥427

$2.32 ¥367

16.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ¥345

$6.34 ¥1,001

-65.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 ¥816

$4.24 ¥670

21.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 ¥377

$3.67 ¥580

-34.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 ¥386

$3.45 ¥545

-28.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 ¥199

$1.24 ¥196

1.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥122

$0.97 ¥154

-19.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ¥635

$3.51 ¥555

14.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.30 ¥995

$7.99 ¥1,262

-21.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 ¥299

$1.97 ¥312

-3.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 ¥530

$1.44 ¥227

132.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 ¥233

$1.44 ¥228

2.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.9 ¥10.4K

$52.7 ¥8,327

25.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 ¥625

$3.23 ¥510

22.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 ¥540

$3.08 ¥486

11.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.40 ¥1,802

$26.40 ¥4,170

-56.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥167

$1.10 ¥173

-3.64%

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

$21.1K ¥3.3M

$20.0K ¥3.2M

5.57%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$16.7K ¥2.6M

-9.46%

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

$158 ¥25.0K

$144 ¥22.8K

9.72%

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

$25.31 ¥3,999

$23.66 ¥3,738

6.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 ¥8,338

$43.16 ¥6,819

22.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.1 ¥11.2K

$53.0 ¥8,379

34.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$55.3 ¥8,734

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 ¥1,888

$12.54 ¥1,982

-4.70%

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

$329 ¥52.0K

$319 ¥50.3K

3.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,632 ¥889.8K

$6,069 ¥958.9K

-7.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 ¥7,928

$49.43 ¥7,809

1.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.08 ¥3,647

$25.19 ¥3,980

-8.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.5 ¥12.7K

$46.18 ¥7,297

74.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.6 ¥14.9K

$66.3 ¥10.5K

42.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 ¥63.6K

$526 ¥83.2K

-23.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 ¥50.6K

$328 ¥51.8K

-2.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 ¥132.9K

$1,122 ¥177.3K

-25.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 ¥104.7K

$724 ¥114.4K

-8.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,665 ¥1.4M

$4,302 ¥679.6K

101.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,213 ¥191.7K

$1,726 ¥272.6K

-29.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,809 ¥285.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.23

2.28

-2.19%

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

Last update for Okinawa: October 19, 2026

Last update for Matsuyama: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Okinawa

$330 24.2%

Matsuyama

$383 30% 15.9% $53

Accommodation & Living

Okinawa

$320 23.5%

Matsuyama

$328 25.7% 2.4% $7.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Okinawa

$236 17.3%

Matsuyama

$211 16.5% 10.7% $25

Eating Out

Okinawa

$178 13.1%

Matsuyama

$116 9.1% 35% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Okinawa

$112 8.2%

Matsuyama

$84 6.6% 24.7% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Okinawa

$95 7%

Matsuyama

$78 6.1% 17.8% $17

Getting Around

Okinawa

$93 6.8%

Matsuyama

$77 6% 17% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $403 in Okinawa versus $526 in Matsuyama. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Okinawa versus $31.00 in Matsuyama. Groceries tell a different story – $330 in Okinawa vs $383 in Matsuyama – so Okinawa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🇯🇵 Matsuyama

🕒 Local time

12:52 12:52 PM

Same time as Okinawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,752

511,192

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 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 Matsuyama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,364 in Okinawa, $1,277 in Matsuyama – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,047 per month in Okinawa and $1,915 in Matsuyama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Matsuyama, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 25% less in Matsuyama. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $329 per month in Okinawa and $319 in Matsuyama. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Matsuyama, where all-in costs run around $1,277, than in Okinawa at $1,364. In Matsuyama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Okinawa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Matsuyama – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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