Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Tsukuba

For one person, living is cheaper in Tsukuba: $1,111 a month against $1,388 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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
54

Cost of Living Index in Tsukuba
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Tsukuba Living Index

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Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,388

/mo nomad

Tsukuba

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,111

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Okinawa and in Tsukuba

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

A single person spends $1,388 per month in Okinawa vs $1,111 in Tsukuba, rent included.

Okinawa $1,388
Tsukuba $1,111

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Okinawa vs $1,773 in Tsukuba, rent included.

Okinawa $2,184
Tsukuba $1,773

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Okinawa vs $2,434 in Tsukuba, rent included.

Okinawa $2,980
Tsukuba $2,434

Okinawa costs about 25% more than Tsukuba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Okinawa sits 2% above the global median, while Tsukuba is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.12 ¥1,594

$6.49 ¥1,023

55.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.24 ¥6,338

$33.75 ¥5,316

19.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 ¥1,109

$5.13 ¥808

37.23%

Cappuccino

$4.11 ¥647

$2.63 ¥415

56.27%

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

$1.40 ¥221

$0.96 ¥151

45.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥145

$0.80 ¥126

15.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ¥395

$2.11 ¥332

18.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 ¥830

$3.13 ¥493

68.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥248

$1.39 ¥219

13.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 ¥323

$1.67 ¥264

22.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 ¥592

$3.25 ¥511

15.69%

Eggs

$1.84 ¥289

$2.09 ¥329

-11.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.99 ¥2,834

$10.46 ¥1,648

71.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 ¥755

$6.03 ¥949

-20.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.45 ¥3,537

$14.40 ¥2,268

55.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 ¥601

$5.63 ¥887

-32.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 ¥412

$2.75 ¥433

-4.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 ¥346

$2.83 ¥445

-22.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 ¥829

$4.23 ¥666

24.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 ¥376

$2.52 ¥396

-5.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ¥403

$2.67 ¥420

-4.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ¥201

$0.82 ¥129

56.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥122

$0.76 ¥119

1.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 ¥615

$3.71 ¥584

5.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.40 ¥1,008

$6.52 ¥1,027

-1.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ¥307

$1.74 ¥274

12.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ¥527

$2.08 ¥327

60.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 ¥226

$1.43 ¥225

0.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ¥10.3K

$55.8 ¥8,788

16.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ¥602

$3.20 ¥503

19.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.54 ¥558

$2.76 ¥435

28.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.23 ¥1,768

$20.77 ¥3,271

-45.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥174

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

$20.9K ¥3.3M

$22.2K ¥3.5M

-5.87%

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

$15.5K ¥2.4M

$15.7K ¥2.5M

-0.72%

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

$163 ¥25.6K

$131 ¥20.7K

23.81%

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

$25.35 ¥3,994

$24.64 ¥3,881

2.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ¥8,360

$31.74 ¥5,000

67.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.0 ¥11.5K

$56.0 ¥8,827

30.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.9 ¥8,650

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 ¥1,888

$13.27 ¥2,091

-9.72%

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

$327 ¥51.6K

$96.3 ¥15.2K

239.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,668 ¥892.8K

$15.1K ¥2.4M

-62.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.88 ¥7,700

$47.58 ¥7,494

2.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.35 ¥3,678

$36.56 ¥5,759

-36.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 ¥12.8K

$38.69 ¥6,095

109.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 ¥15.1K

$41.36 ¥6,515

131.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 ¥64.8K

$465 ¥73.3K

-11.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ¥52.3K

$280 ¥44.2K

18.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 ¥134.3K

$1,086 ¥171.1K

-21.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 ¥106.8K

$645 ¥101.6K

5.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,422 ¥1.3M

$4,791 ¥754.7K

75.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,185 ¥186.6K

$2,181 ¥343.5K

-45.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,798 ¥283.2K

$1,458 ¥229.7K

23.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.23

11.50%

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

Last update for Okinawa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tsukuba: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Okinawa

$332 23.9%

Tsukuba

$280 25.3% 15.5% $51

Groceries & Markets

Okinawa

$330 23.8%

Tsukuba

$285 25.6% 13.6% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Okinawa

$241 17.4%

Tsukuba

$188 16.9% 22.1% $53

Eating Out

Okinawa

$184 13.2%

Tsukuba

$123 11.1% 33.2% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Okinawa

$112 8.1%

Tsukuba

$74 6.7% 34.1% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Okinawa

$97 7%

Tsukuba

$83 7.4% 14.9% $14

Getting Around

Okinawa

$92 6.7%

Tsukuba

$79 7.1% 15% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $411 in Okinawa versus $465 in Tsukuba. 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 23% higher in Okinawa, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Okinawa versus $34 in Tsukuba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $285 – making Tsukuba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🇯🇵 Tsukuba

🕒 Local time

12:06 12:06 PM

Same time as Okinawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,752

230,398

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Okinawa Tsukuba 1,570 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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 Tsukuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Okinawa is pricier by about 25%, 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 $1,666 in Tsukuba. 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 $465 in Tsukuba.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Okinawa and $34 in Tsukuba. 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 $1,111 in Tsukuba. That makes Tsukuba about 20% cheaper.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,388 in Okinawa and $1,111 in Tsukuba, 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 $1,111 in Tsukuba 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 Tsukuba. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Okinawa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.