Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Otsu

For one person, living is cheaper in Otsu: $1,297 a month against $1,388 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Otsu
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Otsu Living Index

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Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,388

/mo nomad

Otsu

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,297

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Okinawa and in Otsu

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

A single person spends $1,388 per month in Okinawa vs $1,297 in Otsu, rent included.

Okinawa $1,388
Otsu $1,297

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Okinawa vs $1,890 in Otsu, rent included.

Okinawa $2,184
Otsu $1,890

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Okinawa vs $2,482 in Otsu, rent included.

Okinawa $2,980
Otsu $2,482

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

Okinawa sits 2% above the global median, while Otsu is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.12 ¥1,598

$8.43 ¥1,330

20.05%

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

$5.13 ¥810

37.23%

Cappuccino

$4.11 ¥649

$3.12 ¥493

31.73%

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

$1.40 ¥221

$1.18 ¥187

18.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥145

$0.90 ¥142

2.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ¥396

$3.19 ¥504

-21.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 ¥832

$4.51 ¥712

16.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥249

$1.53 ¥242

3.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 ¥324

$1.55 ¥245

32.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 ¥594

$4.52 ¥714

-16.81%

Eggs

$1.84 ¥290

$2.14 ¥338

-14.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.99 ¥2,841

$15.67 ¥2,474

14.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 ¥757

$6.88 ¥1,086

-30.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.45 ¥3,545

$17.21 ¥2,717

30.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 ¥602

$4.95 ¥781

-23.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 ¥413

$2.49 ¥392

5.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 ¥347

$4.97 ¥784

-55.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 ¥831

$4.42 ¥698

19.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 ¥377

$2.20 ¥348

8.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ¥404

$1.87 ¥295

36.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ¥201

$1.19 ¥187

7.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥122

$0.87 ¥137

-11.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 ¥617

$3.97 ¥626

-1.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.40 ¥1,011

$9.69 ¥1,529

-33.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ¥308

$2.06 ¥325

-5.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ¥528

$2.19 ¥345

52.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 ¥227

$1.49 ¥235

-3.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ¥10.3K

$57.5 ¥9,077

13.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ¥603

$3.26 ¥514

17.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.54 ¥559

$2.85 ¥449

24.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.23 ¥1,772

$28.41 ¥4,485

-60.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.12 ¥177

-0.89%

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

$20.9K ¥3.3M

$22.2K ¥3.5M

-5.63%

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

$15.5K ¥2.5M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

1.83%

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

$163 ¥25.7K

$118 ¥18.6K

38.27%

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

$25.35 ¥4,003

$23.18 ¥3,660

9.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ¥8,379

$30.70 ¥4,848

72.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.0 ¥11.5K

$50.9 ¥8,039

43.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.9 ¥8,670

$9.46 ¥1,493

480.55%

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 ¥1,892

$12.85 ¥2,029

-6.77%

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

$327 ¥51.7K

$700 ¥110.6K

-53.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,668 ¥894.9K

$12.6K ¥2.0M

-55.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.88 ¥7,718

$55.5 ¥8,764

-11.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.35 ¥3,687

$36.05 ¥5,691

-35.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 ¥12.8K

$69.5 ¥11.0K

16.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 ¥15.1K

$97.1 ¥15.3K

-1.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 ¥64.9K

$443 ¥69.9K

-7.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ¥52.4K

$366 ¥57.8K

-9.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 ¥134.6K

$623 ¥98.3K

36.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 ¥107.0K

$461 ¥72.8K

46.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,422 ¥1.3M

$4,199 ¥662.9K

100.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,185 ¥187.1K

$2,274 ¥359.1K

-47.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,798 ¥283.8K

$1,818 ¥287.0K

-1.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.23

2.1

6.19%

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

Last update for Okinawa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Otsu: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Okinawa

$332 23.9%

Otsu

$366 28.3% 10.4% $34

Groceries & Markets

Okinawa

$330 23.8%

Otsu

$332 25.6% 0.6% $1.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Okinawa

$241 17.4%

Otsu

$172 13.2% 28.9% $70

Eating Out

Okinawa

$184 13.2%

Otsu

$154 11.8% 16.4% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Okinawa

$112 8.1%

Otsu

$116 9% 3.6% $4.1

Sport & Entertainment

Okinawa

$97 7%

Otsu

$77 5.9% 21% $20

Getting Around

Okinawa

$92 6.7%

Otsu

$81 6.2% 12.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $411 in Okinawa versus $443 in Otsu. 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 in Okinawa versus $32 in Otsu. Groceries tell a different story – $330 in Okinawa vs $332 in Otsu – so Okinawa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🇯🇵 Otsu

🕒 Local time

06:12 6:12 AM

Same time as Okinawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,752

341,314

💱 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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Okinawa Otsu 1,210 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 Otsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Okinawa is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,082 per month in Okinawa and $1,945 in Otsu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $411 in Okinawa and $443 in Otsu. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

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

Public transport costs about 12% less in Otsu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,388 in Okinawa and $1,297 in Otsu. 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 $1,297 in Otsu to $1,388 in Okinawa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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