Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Utsunomiya

For one person, living is cheaper in Utsunomiya: $1,316 a month against $1,388 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $860 less a year. The total is higher in Okinawa despite lower rent and utilities.

Okinawa, Japan
Utsunomiya, Japan
Okinawa
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,388
/mo nomad
Utsunomiya
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,316
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Okinawa and in Utsunomiya

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

A single person spends $1,388 per month in Okinawa vs $1,316 in Utsunomiya, rent included.

  • Okinawa $1,388
  • Utsunomiya $1,316

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Okinawa vs $1,971 in Utsunomiya, rent included.

  • Okinawa $2,184
  • Utsunomiya $1,971

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Okinawa vs $2,625 in Utsunomiya, rent included.

  • Okinawa $2,980
  • Utsunomiya $2,625

Okinawa costs about 5% more than Utsunomiya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Okinawa sits 2% above the global median, while Utsunomiya is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Okinawa
Utsunomiya
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.12 ¥1,598
$6.07 ¥958
66.72%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.24 ¥6,353
$16.88 ¥2,666
138.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.04 ¥1,112
$4.86 ¥768
44.86%
Cappuccino
$4.11 ¥649
$3.52 ¥556
16.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40 ¥221
$1.07 ¥169
30.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.92 ¥145
$0.84 ¥133
9.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.51 ¥396
$3.11 ¥490
-19.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.27 ¥832
$1.86 ¥293
183.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Okinawa
Utsunomiya
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 ¥249
$1.45 ¥229
8.97%
White Bread (500g)
$2.05 ¥324
$1.67 ¥264
22.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.76 ¥594
$5.63 ¥888
-33.21%
Eggs
$1.84 ¥290
$2.25 ¥356
-18.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.99 ¥2,841
$11.56 ¥1,825
55.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.79 ¥757
$6.80 ¥1,074
-29.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.45 ¥3,545
$16.74 ¥2,644
34.11%
Apples (1kg)
$3.81 ¥602
$4.85 ¥766
-21.44%
Banana (1kg)
$2.62 ¥413
$2.27 ¥358
15.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.20 ¥347
$4.25 ¥672
-48.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.26 ¥831
$5.27 ¥832
-0.19%
Potato (1kg)
$2.39 ¥377
$3.40 ¥536
-29.71%
Onion (1kg)
$2.56 ¥404
$3.01 ¥476
-14.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 ¥201
$1.18 ¥187
8.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 ¥122
$0.79 ¥124
-2.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.90 ¥617
$3.96 ¥626
-1.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.40 ¥1,011
$9.70 ¥1,531
-34.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 ¥308
$1.68 ¥265
16.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.34 ¥528
$2.75 ¥434
21.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Okinawa
Utsunomiya
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.44 ¥227
$1.25 ¥198
15.20%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$65.1 ¥10.3K
$64.4 ¥10.2K
1.09%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.82 ¥603
$3.08 ¥486
24.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.54 ¥559
$3.13 ¥495
13.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.23 ¥1,772
$18.99 ¥2,998
-40.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.11 ¥175
$1.06 ¥167
4.72%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.9K ¥3.3M
$22.8K ¥3.6M
-8.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.5K ¥2.5M
$15.2K ¥2.4M
2.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Okinawa
Utsunomiya
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$163 ¥25.7K
$150 ¥23.6K
8.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.35 ¥4,003
$23.41 ¥3,696
8.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.1 ¥8,379
$30.11 ¥4,754
76.25%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Okinawa
Utsunomiya
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$73.0 ¥11.5K
$50.5 ¥7,980
44.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$54.9 ¥8,670
$12.49 ¥1,972
339.71%
Cinema Ticket
$11.98 ¥1,892
$13.12 ¥2,072
-8.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Okinawa
Utsunomiya
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$327 ¥51.7K
$1,408 ¥222.3K
-76.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,668 ¥894.9K
$18.2K ¥2.9M
-68.82%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Okinawa
Utsunomiya
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.88 ¥7,718
$55.1 ¥8,694
-11.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.35 ¥3,687
$32.60 ¥5,148
-28.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.2 ¥12.8K
$64.8 ¥10.2K
25.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.7 ¥15.1K
$72.1 ¥11.4K
32.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Okinawa
Utsunomiya
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$411 ¥64.9K
$609 ¥96.2K
-32.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$332 ¥52.4K
$388 ¥61.3K
-14.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$852 ¥134.6K
$893 ¥141.0K
-4.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$678 ¥107.0K
$721 ¥113.9K
-5.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,422 ¥1.3M
$3,783 ¥597.2K
122.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,185 ¥187.1K
$2,111 ¥333.3K
-43.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Okinawa
Utsunomiya
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,798 ¥283.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.23
2.25
-0.89%

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

Last update for Okinawa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Utsunomiya: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Okinawa
$332
Utsunomiya
$388 17% $57
Groceries & Markets
Okinawa
$330
Utsunomiya
$327 1% $3.2
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Okinawa
$241
Utsunomiya
$203 15.8% $38
Eating Out
Okinawa
$184
Utsunomiya
$132 28% $52
Clothing & Footwear
Okinawa
$112
Utsunomiya
$101 9.8% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Okinawa
$97
Utsunomiya
$77 20.8% $20
Getting Around
Okinawa
$92
Utsunomiya
$88 4.6% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $411 in Okinawa versus $609 in Utsunomiya. 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 $17 in Utsunomiya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $327 – making Utsunomiya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Okinawa
🇯🇵 Utsunomiya
🕒 Local time
04:02 4:02 AM
04:02 4:02 AM
Same time as Okinawa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
142,752
519,217
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Okinawa Utsunomiya 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Okinawa
  • Utsunomiya

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 Utsunomiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Utsunomiya cheaper than Okinawa?
Yes – Okinawa is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,082 per month in Okinawa and $1,974 in Utsunomiya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Okinawa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $411 there versus $609 in Utsunomiya.
Is eating out cheaper in Okinawa or in Utsunomiya?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Okinawa and $17 in Utsunomiya. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $327 per month in Okinawa and $1,408 in Utsunomiya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is it better to live in Okinawa or in Utsunomiya?
It depends on your priorities. Okinawa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,316 in Utsunomiya to $1,388 in Okinawa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Okinawa or Utsunomiya?
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.

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