Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Osaka

For one person, living costs are similar in Okinawa and in Osaka: $1,388 and $1,396 a month, rent and utilities included.

66

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
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Okinawa Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index

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Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,388

/mo nomad

Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,396

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Okinawa and in Osaka

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

A single person spends $1,388 per month in Okinawa vs $1,396 in Osaka, rent included.

Okinawa $1,388
Osaka $1,396

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Okinawa vs $2,027 in Osaka, rent included.

Okinawa $2,184
Osaka $2,027

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Okinawa vs $2,658 in Osaka, rent included.

Okinawa $2,980
Osaka $2,658

Okinawa and Osaka have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Okinawa and Osaka sit above the global median – Okinawa by 2%, Osaka by 3%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.12 ¥1,598

$6.50 ¥1,027

55.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.24 ¥6,353

$31.93 ¥5,041

26.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 ¥1,112

$5.15 ¥813

36.70%

Cappuccino

$4.11 ¥649

$3.03 ¥478

35.64%

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

$1.40 ¥221

$1.39 ¥220

0.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥145

$0.71 ¥113

29.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ¥396

$2.75 ¥434

-8.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 ¥832

$3.89 ¥614

35.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥249

$1.46 ¥230

8.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 ¥324

$1.30 ¥205

57.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 ¥594

$5.46 ¥863

-31.14%

Eggs

$1.84 ¥290

$2.03 ¥321

-9.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.99 ¥2,841

$9.63 ¥1,520

86.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 ¥757

$9.45 ¥1,492

-49.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.45 ¥3,545

$18.58 ¥2,933

20.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 ¥602

$3.39 ¥535

12.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 ¥413

$2.00 ¥316

31.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 ¥347

$2.09 ¥329

5.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 ¥831

$4.14 ¥654

27.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 ¥377

$1.57 ¥247

52.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ¥404

$1.17 ¥185

118.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ¥201

$1.37 ¥217

-6.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥122

$0.81 ¥128

-4.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 ¥617

$4.02 ¥635

-2.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.40 ¥1,011

$9.72 ¥1,535

-34.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ¥308

$1.94 ¥306

0.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ¥528

$3.19 ¥503

4.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 ¥227

$1.35 ¥213

6.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ¥10.3K

$32.79 ¥5,178

98.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ¥603

$3.90 ¥616

-2.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.54 ¥559

$3.26 ¥515

8.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.23 ¥1,772

$21.50 ¥3,395

-47.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.11 ¥176

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

$20.9K ¥3.3M

$22.3K ¥3.5M

-6.28%

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

$15.5K ¥2.5M

$14.9K ¥2.3M

4.66%

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

$163 ¥25.7K

$141 ¥22.3K

15.44%

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

$25.35 ¥4,003

$24.00 ¥3,790

5.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ¥8,379

$30.50 ¥4,815

74.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.0 ¥11.5K

$51.7 ¥8,168

41.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.9 ¥8,670

$18.86 ¥2,978

191.20%

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 ¥1,892

$12.85 ¥2,028

-6.77%

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

$327 ¥51.7K

$709 ¥111.9K

-53.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,668 ¥894.9K

$13.2K ¥2.1M

-57.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.88 ¥7,718

$48.77 ¥7,700

0.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.35 ¥3,687

$30.94 ¥4,885

-24.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 ¥12.8K

$72.9 ¥11.5K

11.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 ¥15.1K

$90.8 ¥14.3K

5.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 ¥64.9K

$732 ¥115.6K

-43.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ¥52.4K

$516 ¥81.5K

-35.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 ¥134.6K

$1,693 ¥267.3K

-49.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 ¥107.0K

$773 ¥122.1K

-12.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,422 ¥1.3M

$6,542 ¥1.0M

28.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,185 ¥187.1K

$3,063 ¥483.6K

-61.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,798 ¥283.8K

$2,363 ¥373.1K

-23.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.23

2.21

0.90%

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

Last update for Okinawa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Osaka: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Okinawa

$332 23.9%

Osaka

$516 37% 55.5% $184

Groceries & Markets

Okinawa

$330 23.8%

Osaka

$305 21.9% 7.5% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Okinawa

$241 17.4%

Osaka

$195 14% 18.9% $46

Eating Out

Okinawa

$184 13.2%

Osaka

$134 9.6% 27.2% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Okinawa

$112 8.1%

Osaka

$110 7.9% 2.3% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Okinawa

$97 7%

Osaka

$77 5.6% 20.2% $20

Getting Around

Okinawa

$92 6.7%

Osaka

$58 4.2% 36.8% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $411 in Okinawa versus $732 in Osaka. 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 31% higher in Osaka. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Okinawa versus $32 in Osaka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $305 – making Osaka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🇯🇵 Osaka

🕒 Local time

07:54 7:54 AM

Same time as Okinawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,752

2,691,185

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Okinawa Osaka 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Okinawa
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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 Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,082 per month in Okinawa and $2,094 in Osaka. 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 $732 in Osaka.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Okinawa and $32 in Osaka. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 50% less in Osaka. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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