Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Miyazaki

For one person, living is cheaper in Miyazaki: $1,105 a month against $1,364 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Okinawa
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,364
/mo nomad
Miyazaki
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,105
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Okinawa and in Miyazaki

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,364 in Okinawa versus $1,105 in Miyazaki.

  • Okinawa $1,364
  • Miyazaki $1,105

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,154 in Okinawa versus $1,754 in Miyazaki.

  • Okinawa $2,154
  • Miyazaki $1,754

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,944 in Okinawa versus $2,402 in Miyazaki.

  • Okinawa $2,944
  • Miyazaki $2,402

Living in Okinawa is roughly 23% more expensive than in Miyazaki, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Okinawa is 1% above, Miyazaki is 18% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Okinawa
Miyazaki
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.91 ¥1,566
$6.21 ¥982
59.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$39.91 ¥6,306
$27.67 ¥4,371
44.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.13 ¥1,126
$4.65 ¥735
53.33%
Cappuccino
$3.87 ¥611
$2.20 ¥347
75.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47 ¥233
$1.00 ¥159
47.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.99 ¥156
$0.65 ¥103
52.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.51 ¥397
$1.54 ¥243
62.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.34 ¥685
$2.19 ¥346
98.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Okinawa
Miyazaki
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.63 ¥257
$1.29 ¥204
26.36%
White Bread (500g)
$2.07 ¥326
$1.56 ¥246
32.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.88 ¥612
$2.46 ¥389
57.72%
Eggs
$1.78 ¥281
$2.10 ¥332
-15.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.97 ¥2,840
$12.67 ¥2,001
41.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.85 ¥766
$5.24 ¥828
-7.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.79 ¥3,601
$18.99 ¥3,001
20.01%
Apples (1kg)
$3.62 ¥571
$3.54 ¥559
2.26%
Banana (1kg)
$2.70 ¥427
$1.79 ¥282
50.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ¥345
$2.92 ¥462
-25.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.16 ¥816
$3.13 ¥494
64.86%
Potato (1kg)
$2.39 ¥377
$1.84 ¥291
29.89%
Onion (1kg)
$2.45 ¥386
$1.92 ¥303
27.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.26 ¥199
$0.66 ¥103
90.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 ¥122
$0.91 ¥143
-14.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.02 ¥635
$3.86 ¥609
4.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.30 ¥995
$6.33 ¥1,000
-0.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.90 ¥299
$1.66 ¥263
14.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.35 ¥530
$1.81 ¥286
85.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Okinawa
Miyazaki
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.48 ¥233
$1.52 ¥241
-2.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.9 ¥10.4K
$52.6 ¥8,315
25.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.96 ¥625
$3.39 ¥535
16.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.42 ¥540
$2.03 ¥320
68.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.40 ¥1,802
$15.96 ¥2,522
-28.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.06 ¥167
$1.01 ¥160
4.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K ¥3.3M
$21.3K ¥3.4M
-0.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.1K ¥2.4M
$14.8K ¥2.3M
2.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Okinawa
Miyazaki
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 ¥25.0K
$107 ¥16.9K
48.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.31 ¥3,999
$24.98 ¥3,947
1.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.8 ¥8,338
$33.21 ¥5,247
58.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Okinawa
Miyazaki
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$71.1 ¥11.2K
$53.0 ¥8,372
34.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$55.3 ¥8,734
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.95 ¥1,888
$10.95 ¥1,729
9.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Okinawa
Miyazaki
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$329 ¥52.0K
$127 ¥20.1K
158.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,632 ¥889.8K
$12.4K ¥2.0M
-54.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Okinawa
Miyazaki
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.2 ¥7,928
$48.45 ¥7,655
3.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.08 ¥3,647
$24.75 ¥3,910
-6.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$80.5 ¥12.7K
$56.2 ¥8,877
43.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.6 ¥14.9K
$47.91 ¥7,569
97.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Okinawa
Miyazaki
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$403 ¥63.6K
$528 ¥83.4K
-23.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$320 ¥50.6K
$333 ¥52.6K
-3.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$841 ¥132.9K
$1,084 ¥171.2K
-22.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$663 ¥104.7K
$739 ¥116.8K
-10.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,665 ¥1.4M
$4,299 ¥679.1K
101.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,213 ¥191.7K
$1,750 ¥276.5K
-30.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Okinawa
Miyazaki
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,809 ¥285.8K
$1,281 ¥202.4K
41.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.23
1.97
13.20%

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

Last update for Okinawa: October 19, 2026

Last update for Miyazaki: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Okinawa
$330
Miyazaki
$271 17.9% $59
Accommodation & Living
Okinawa
$320
Miyazaki
$333 4.1% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Okinawa
$236
Miyazaki
$165 30.1% $71
Eating Out
Okinawa
$178
Miyazaki
$109 39% $69
Clothing & Footwear
Okinawa
$112
Miyazaki
$80 28.6% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Okinawa
$95
Miyazaki
$75 21.2% $20
Getting Around
Okinawa
$93
Miyazaki
$72 22.2% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $403 in Okinawa and $528 in Miyazaki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Okinawa pays 41% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Okinawa vs $28.00 in Miyazaki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $330 vs $271 per month, with Miyazaki cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Okinawa
🇯🇵 Miyazaki
🕒 Local time
11:17 11:17 AM
11:17 11:17 AM
Same time as Okinawa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
142,752
401,339
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Okinawa Miyazaki 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Okinawa
  • Miyazaki

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 Miyazaki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Okinawa and in Miyazaki?
Okinawa and Miyazaki differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,364 vs $1,105 including rent). Miyazaki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Okinawa or Miyazaki?
Average pay runs 41% higher in Okinawa, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Okinawa and in Miyazaki?
Rent for a central apartment: $403 in Okinawa versus $528 in Miyazaki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Miyazaki – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $40.00 in Okinawa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Okinawa or Miyazaki?
All in, you'll spend $1,364 per month in Okinawa versus $1,105 in Miyazaki – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,105 in Miyazaki versus $1,364 in Okinawa, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Miyazaki but tight or insufficient in Okinawa. The gap between the two cities makes Miyazaki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Okinawa and Miyazaki?
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.
Is Okinawa or Miyazaki safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Okinawa and Miyazaki are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Okinawa or Miyazaki?
Expats usually find Miyazaki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Okinawa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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