Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Nagano

For one person, living is cheaper in Nagano: $1,164 a month against $1,388 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Nagano
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Nagano Living Index

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Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,388

/mo nomad

Nagano

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,164

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Okinawa and in Nagano

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

A single person spends $1,388 per month in Okinawa vs $1,164 in Nagano, rent included.

Okinawa $1,388
Nagano $1,164

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Okinawa vs $1,965 in Nagano, rent included.

Okinawa $2,184
Nagano $1,965

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Okinawa vs $2,765 in Nagano, rent included.

Okinawa $2,980
Nagano $2,765

Okinawa costs about 19% more than Nagano, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Okinawa sits 2% above the global median, while Nagano is 14% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.12 ¥1,596

$6.23 ¥982

62.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.24 ¥6,345

$41.48 ¥6,540

-2.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 ¥1,110

$5.06 ¥798

39.13%

Cappuccino

$4.11 ¥648

$3.43 ¥542

19.83%

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

$1.40 ¥221

$1.05 ¥166

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥145

$0.79 ¥125

16.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ¥396

$2.61 ¥412

-3.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 ¥831

$3.18 ¥502

65.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥248

$1.38 ¥218

14.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 ¥324

$1.74 ¥274

17.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 ¥593

$3.67 ¥579

2.45%

Eggs

$1.84 ¥289

$2.02 ¥319

-8.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.99 ¥2,837

$10.48 ¥1,653

71.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 ¥756

$6.23 ¥982

-23.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.45 ¥3,541

$14.75 ¥2,326

52.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 ¥601

$5.82 ¥917

-34.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 ¥412

$2.85 ¥450

-8.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 ¥347

$2.87 ¥453

-23.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 ¥830

$4.25 ¥671

23.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 ¥376

$2.60 ¥411

-8.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ¥404

$2.70 ¥425

-5.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ¥201

$1.30 ¥205

-1.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥122

$0.83 ¥130

-7.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 ¥616

$3.77 ¥594

3.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.40 ¥1,009

$6.27 ¥989

2.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ¥308

$1.77 ¥279

10.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ¥527

$2.10 ¥330

59.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 ¥227

$1.34 ¥212

7.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ¥10.3K

$56.4 ¥8,895

15.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ¥602

$3.24 ¥510

17.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.54 ¥558

$2.74 ¥432

29.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.23 ¥1,770

$20.81 ¥3,282

-46.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥174

$1.06 ¥167

4.72%

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

$20.9K ¥3.3M

$22.1K ¥3.5M

-5.41%

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

$15.5K ¥2.5M

$15.8K ¥2.5M

-1.53%

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

$163 ¥25.7K

$131 ¥20.6K

24.62%

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

$25.35 ¥3,998

$24.32 ¥3,835

4.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ¥8,369

$12.78 ¥2,015

315.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.0 ¥11.5K

$50.6 ¥7,971

44.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.9 ¥8,659

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 ¥1,890

$13.08 ¥2,062

-8.41%

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

$327 ¥51.6K

$829 ¥130.7K

-60.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,668 ¥893.7K

$14.8K ¥2.3M

-61.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.88 ¥7,708

$63.0 ¥9,932

-22.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.35 ¥3,682

$36.77 ¥5,799

-36.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 ¥12.8K

$62.5 ¥9,854

29.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 ¥15.1K

$104 ¥16.4K

-7.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 ¥64.8K

$508 ¥80.2K

-19.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ¥52.3K

$294 ¥46.4K

12.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 ¥134.4K

$883 ¥139.2K

-3.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 ¥106.9K

$829 ¥130.8K

-18.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,422 ¥1.3M

$3,805 ¥600.0K

121.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,185 ¥186.8K

$2,265 ¥357.2K

-47.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,798 ¥283.4K

$640 ¥100.9K

181.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.23

2.64

-15.53%

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

Last update for Okinawa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Nagano: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Okinawa

$332 23.9%

Nagano

$294 25.3% 11.3% $37

Groceries & Markets

Okinawa

$330 23.8%

Nagano

$294 25.2% 10.9% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Okinawa

$241 17.4%

Nagano

$168 14.4% 30.5% $73

Eating Out

Okinawa

$184 13.2%

Nagano

$133 11.4% 27.6% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Okinawa

$112 8.1%

Nagano

$120 10.3% 6.9% $7.7

Sport & Entertainment

Okinawa

$97 7%

Nagano

$77 6.6% 20.9% $20

Getting Around

Okinawa

$92 6.7%

Nagano

$79 6.8% 14.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $411 in Okinawa versus $508 in Nagano. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Okinawa are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Okinawa versus $41 in Nagano. Groceries tell a different story – $330 in Okinawa vs $294 in Nagano – so Nagano wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🇯🇵 Nagano

🕒 Local time

15:09 3:09 PM

Same time as Okinawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,752

372,760

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Okinawa Nagano 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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 Nagano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Okinawa costs about 19% more than Nagano, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,082 per month in Okinawa and $1,746 in Nagano. 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 $508 in Nagano.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Nagano. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Okinawa, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,388 in Okinawa and $1,164 in Nagano. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Okinawa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,164 in Nagano to $1,388 in Okinawa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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