Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Wakayama

For one person, living is cheaper in Wakayama: $1,265 a month against $1,388 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
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Okinawa Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Wakayama
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Wakayama Living Index

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Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,388

/mo nomad

Wakayama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,265

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Okinawa and in Wakayama

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

A single person spends $1,388 per month in Okinawa vs $1,265 in Wakayama, rent included.

Okinawa $1,388
Wakayama $1,265

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Okinawa vs $2,078 in Wakayama, rent included.

Okinawa $2,184
Wakayama $2,078

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Okinawa vs $2,890 in Wakayama, rent included.

Okinawa $2,980
Wakayama $2,890

Okinawa costs about 10% more than Wakayama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Okinawa sits 2% above the global median, while Wakayama is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.12 ¥1,594

$6.32 ¥995

60.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.24 ¥6,338

$32.23 ¥5,077

24.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 ¥1,109

$5.22 ¥822

34.87%

Cappuccino

$4.11 ¥647

$2.61 ¥411

57.47%

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

$1.40 ¥221

$1.30 ¥205

7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥145

$0.95 ¥149

-3.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ¥395

$3.12 ¥492

-19.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 ¥830

$1.89 ¥298

178.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥248

$1.52 ¥240

3.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 ¥323

$1.54 ¥242

33.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 ¥592

$4.06 ¥640

-7.39%

Eggs

$1.84 ¥289

$2.21 ¥348

-16.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.99 ¥2,834

$15.58 ¥2,454

15.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 ¥755

$6.93 ¥1,092

-30.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.45 ¥3,537

$16.97 ¥2,674

32.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 ¥601

$8.61 ¥1,356

-55.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 ¥412

$2.99 ¥471

-12.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 ¥346

$5.15 ¥812

-57.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 ¥829

$7.67 ¥1,209

-31.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 ¥376

$3.91 ¥616

-38.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ¥403

$4.57 ¥719

-43.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ¥201

$1.18 ¥185

8.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥122

$0.94 ¥147

-18.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 ¥615

$3.87 ¥610

0.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.40 ¥1,008

$9.65 ¥1,520

-33.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ¥307

$2.52 ¥397

-22.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ¥527

$2.11 ¥332

58.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 ¥226

$1.61 ¥254

-10.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ¥10.3K

$63.7 ¥10.0K

2.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ¥602

$3.22 ¥508

18.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.54 ¥558

$2.93 ¥461

20.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.23 ¥1,768

$15.82 ¥2,493

-29.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥174

$1.10 ¥174

0.91%

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 ¥2.4M

$15.0K ¥2.4M

3.49%

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

$163 ¥25.6K

$118 ¥18.6K

37.83%

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

$25.35 ¥3,994

$23.84 ¥3,755

6.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ¥8,360

$31.84 ¥5,015

66.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.0 ¥11.5K

$49.43 ¥7,786

47.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.9 ¥8,650

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 ¥1,888

$12.61 ¥1,986

-5.00%

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

$327 ¥51.6K

$685 ¥108.0K

-52.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,668 ¥892.8K

$15.0K ¥2.4M

-62.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.88 ¥7,700

$50.3 ¥7,923

-2.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.35 ¥3,678

$35.61 ¥5,609

-34.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 ¥12.8K

$60.8 ¥9,571

33.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 ¥15.1K

$99.4 ¥15.7K

-3.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 ¥64.8K

$475 ¥74.8K

-13.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ¥52.3K

$311 ¥49.0K

6.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 ¥134.3K

$1,147 ¥180.6K

-25.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 ¥106.8K

$810 ¥127.5K

-16.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,422 ¥1.3M

$4,633 ¥729.8K

81.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,185 ¥186.6K

$2,252 ¥354.7K

-47.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,798 ¥283.2K

$3,949 ¥622.0K

-54.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.23

1.67

33.53%

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

Last update for Okinawa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Wakayama: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Okinawa

$332 23.9%

Wakayama

$311 24.6% 6.3% $21

Groceries & Markets

Okinawa

$330 23.8%

Wakayama

$381 30.1% 15.5% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Okinawa

$241 17.4%

Wakayama

$174 13.7% 28% $67

Eating Out

Okinawa

$184 13.2%

Wakayama

$126 10% 31.5% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Okinawa

$112 8.1%

Wakayama

$111 8.8% 1.2% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Okinawa

$97 7%

Wakayama

$75 5.9% 23% $22

Getting Around

Okinawa

$92 6.7%

Wakayama

$88 7% 4.7% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $411 in Okinawa versus $475 in Wakayama. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Wakayama are about 2.2 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Okinawa versus $32 in Wakayama. Groceries tell a different story – $330 in Okinawa vs $381 in Wakayama – so Okinawa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🇯🇵 Wakayama

🕒 Local time

07:16 7:16 AM

Same time as Okinawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,752

362,163

💱 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 Wakayama 1,110 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 Wakayama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Okinawa is pricier by about 10%, 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 $1,897 in Wakayama. 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 $475 in Wakayama.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Okinawa – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

It depends on your priorities. Okinawa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,265 in Wakayama to $1,388 in Okinawa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.