Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Shiga

For one person, living is cheaper in Shiga: $1,207 a month against $1,388 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
Learn more

Okinawa Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Shiga
Learn more

Shiga Living Index

Jump to prices

Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,388

/mo nomad

Shiga

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Okinawa and in Shiga

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

A single person spends $1,388 per month in Okinawa vs $1,207 in Shiga, rent included.

Okinawa $1,388
Shiga $1,207

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Okinawa vs $1,897 in Shiga, rent included.

Okinawa $2,184
Shiga $1,897

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Okinawa vs $2,588 in Shiga, rent included.

Okinawa $2,980
Shiga $2,588

Okinawa costs about 15% more than Shiga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Okinawa sits 2% above the global median, while Shiga is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.12 ¥1,598

$6.19 ¥977

63.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.24 ¥6,355

$31.73 ¥5,011

26.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 ¥1,112

$4.96 ¥783

41.94%

Cappuccino

$4.11 ¥649

$2.95 ¥466

39.32%

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

$1.40 ¥221

$1.31 ¥206

6.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥145

$0.70 ¥110

31.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ¥396

$2.76 ¥436

-9.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 ¥832

$3.53 ¥558

49.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥249

$1.28 ¥203

23.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 ¥324

$1.24 ¥196

65.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 ¥594

$3.89 ¥614

-3.34%

Eggs

$1.84 ¥290

$2.04 ¥322

-9.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.99 ¥2,842

$9.45 ¥1,492

90.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 ¥757

$9.19 ¥1,452

-47.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.45 ¥3,546

$18.48 ¥2,918

21.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 ¥602

$3.44 ¥543

10.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 ¥413

$2.03 ¥320

29.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 ¥347

$2.04 ¥323

7.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 ¥831

$3.97 ¥626

32.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 ¥377

$1.52 ¥240

57.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ¥404

$1.14 ¥180

124.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ¥201

$1.36 ¥215

-5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥122

$0.87 ¥137

-11.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 ¥617

$3.97 ¥627

-1.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.40 ¥1,011

$9.77 ¥1,543

-34.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ¥308

$1.90 ¥301

2.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ¥528

$3.13 ¥494

6.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 ¥227

$1.16 ¥183

24.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ¥10.3K

$56.2 ¥8,877

15.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ¥603

$3.86 ¥610

-1.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.54 ¥559

$3.20 ¥505

10.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.23 ¥1,773

$21.98 ¥3,472

-48.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.09 ¥173

1.83%

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

$20.9K ¥3.3M

$22.7K ¥3.6M

-7.77%

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

$15.5K ¥2.5M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

1.86%

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

$163 ¥25.7K

$137 ¥21.7K

18.72%

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

$25.35 ¥4,004

$24.58 ¥3,882

3.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ¥8,382

$18.76 ¥2,962

182.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.0 ¥11.5K

$52.0 ¥8,215

40.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.9 ¥8,673

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 ¥1,893

$12.55 ¥1,982

-4.54%

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

$327 ¥51.7K

$697 ¥110.1K

-53.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,668 ¥895.1K

$13.4K ¥2.1M

-57.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.88 ¥7,720

$48.59 ¥7,674

0.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.35 ¥3,688

$30.84 ¥4,870

-24.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 ¥12.8K

$73.3 ¥11.6K

10.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 ¥15.1K

$90.1 ¥14.2K

6.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 ¥65.0K

$551 ¥87.0K

-25.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ¥52.4K

$337 ¥53.2K

-1.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 ¥134.6K

$998 ¥157.6K

-14.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 ¥107.1K

$727 ¥114.8K

-6.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,422 ¥1.3M

$4,617 ¥729.1K

82.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,185 ¥187.1K

$2,022 ¥319.3K

-41.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,798 ¥283.9K

$1,210 ¥191.2K

48.51%

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 Shiga: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Okinawa

$332 23.9%

Shiga

$337 27.9% 1.5% $4.9

Groceries & Markets

Okinawa

$330 23.8%

Shiga

$294 24.4% 10.8% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Okinawa

$241 17.4%

Shiga

$180 15% 25.2% $61

Eating Out

Okinawa

$184 13.2%

Shiga

$129 10.7% 30% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Okinawa

$112 8.1%

Shiga

$109 9.1% 2.5% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

Okinawa

$97 7%

Shiga

$77 6.4% 20.5% $20

Getting Around

Okinawa

$92 6.7%

Shiga

$81 6.7% 12.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $411 in Okinawa versus $551 in Shiga. 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 49% higher in Okinawa. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Okinawa versus $32 in Shiga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $294 – making Shiga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🇯🇵 Shiga

🕒 Local time

22:05 10:05 PM

Same time as Okinawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,752

23,836

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Okinawa Shiga 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Okinawa
Shiga

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 Shiga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Okinawa is pricier by about 15%, 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 $1,811 in Shiga. 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 $551 in Shiga.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,388 in Okinawa and $1,207 in Shiga. That makes Shiga about 13% cheaper.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,388 in Okinawa and $1,207 in Shiga, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Okinawa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,207 in Shiga 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.

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