Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Nishinomiya

For one person, living is cheaper in Nishinomiya: $1,257 a month against $1,364 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 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
61

Cost of Living Index in Nishinomiya
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Nishinomiya Living Index

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Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,364

/mo nomad

Nishinomiya

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,257

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Okinawa and in Nishinomiya

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

A single person spends $1,364 per month in Okinawa vs $1,257 in Nishinomiya, rent included.

Okinawa $1,364
Nishinomiya $1,257

A couple spends around $2,154 per month in Okinawa vs $2,020 in Nishinomiya, rent included.

Okinawa $2,154
Nishinomiya $2,020

A family of three spends $2,944 per month in Okinawa vs $2,783 in Nishinomiya, rent included.

Okinawa $2,944
Nishinomiya $2,783

Okinawa costs about 9% more than Nishinomiya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Okinawa sits 1% above the global median, while Nishinomiya is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.91 ¥1,566

$8.71 ¥1,377

13.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.91 ¥6,306

$31.81 ¥5,025

25.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.13 ¥1,126

$5.02 ¥794

42.03%

Cappuccino

$3.87 ¥611

$2.26 ¥358

71.24%

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

$1.47 ¥233

$1.17 ¥185

25.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 ¥156

$0.63 ¥99.4

57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ¥397

$2.09 ¥331

20.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 ¥685

$2.23 ¥353

94.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 ¥257

$1.49 ¥236

9.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 ¥326

$1.49 ¥236

38.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.88 ¥612

$5.61 ¥886

-30.84%

Eggs

$1.78 ¥281

$2.14 ¥338

-16.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.97 ¥2,840

$12.69 ¥2,005

41.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.85 ¥766

$9.42 ¥1,489

-48.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.79 ¥3,601

$31.74 ¥5,015

-28.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 ¥571

$5.13 ¥810

-29.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 ¥427

$1.81 ¥286

49.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ¥345

$3.04 ¥480

-27.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 ¥816

$6.01 ¥949

-14.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 ¥377

$1.62 ¥256

47.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 ¥386

$2.53 ¥400

-3.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 ¥199

$1.13 ¥179

11.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥122

$0.94 ¥149

-17.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ¥635

$3.41 ¥538

17.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.30 ¥995

$9.56 ¥1,511

-34.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 ¥299

$2.35 ¥371

-19.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 ¥530

$1.52 ¥240

120.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 ¥233

$1.50 ¥237

-1.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.9 ¥10.4K

$53.1 ¥8,392

24.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 ¥625

$3.23 ¥510

22.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.42 ¥540

$2.81 ¥444

21.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.40 ¥1,802

$15.51 ¥2,450

-26.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥167

$1.10 ¥174

-3.64%

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

$21.1K ¥3.3M

$19.8K ¥3.1M

6.86%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$15.0K ¥2.4M

0.58%

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

$158 ¥25.0K

$117 ¥18.4K

35.70%

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

$25.31 ¥3,999

$23.12 ¥3,653

9.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 ¥8,338

$30.51 ¥4,819

72.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.1 ¥11.2K

$62.2 ¥9,820

14.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$55.3 ¥8,734

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 ¥1,888

$11.49 ¥1,816

4.00%

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

$329 ¥52.0K

$323 ¥51.0K

1.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,632 ¥889.8K

$6,082 ¥960.9K

-7.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 ¥7,928

$49.33 ¥7,793

1.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.08 ¥3,647

$25.09 ¥3,964

-8.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.5 ¥12.7K

$46.56 ¥7,356

72.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.6 ¥14.9K

$64.4 ¥10.2K

46.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 ¥63.6K

$523 ¥82.6K

-22.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 ¥50.6K

$328 ¥51.9K

-2.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 ¥132.9K

$1,114 ¥175.9K

-24.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 ¥104.7K

$751 ¥118.6K

-11.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,665 ¥1.4M

$4,265 ¥673.9K

103.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,213 ¥191.7K

$1,735 ¥274.1K

-30.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,809 ¥285.8K

$1,977 ¥312.4K

-8.52%

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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nishinomiya: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Okinawa

$330 24.2%

Nishinomiya

$380 30.2% 15% $49

Accommodation & Living

Okinawa

$320 23.5%

Nishinomiya

$328 26.1% 2.6% $8.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Okinawa

$236 17.3%

Nishinomiya

$170 13.5% 28% $66

Eating Out

Okinawa

$178 13.1%

Nishinomiya

$134 10.7% 24.7% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Okinawa

$112 8.2%

Nishinomiya

$83 6.6% 25.3% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Okinawa

$95 7%

Nishinomiya

$85 6.8% 10.4% $9.9

Getting Around

Okinawa

$93 6.8%

Nishinomiya

$76 6.1% 17.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $403 in Okinawa versus $523 in Nishinomiya. 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 9% higher in Nishinomiya, 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 $40.00 in Okinawa versus $32.00 in Nishinomiya. Groceries tell a different story – $330 in Okinawa vs $380 in Nishinomiya – so Okinawa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🇯🇵 Nishinomiya

🕒 Local time

09:52 9:52 AM

Same time as Okinawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,752

488,873

💱 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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Okinawa Nishinomiya 1,160 km ≈ 2 h 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 Nishinomiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Okinawa is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,047 per month in Okinawa and $1,886 in Nishinomiya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Okinawa and $32.00 in Nishinomiya. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,364 in Okinawa and $1,257 in Nishinomiya. That's a gap of about 9%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nishinomiya, where all-in costs run around $1,257, than in Okinawa at $1,364. In Nishinomiya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Okinawa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nishinomiya – 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 Nishinomiya. 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.