Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Yamaguchi

For one person, living is cheaper in Yamaguchi: $1,202 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
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Okinawa Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Yamaguchi
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Yamaguchi Living Index

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Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,388

/mo nomad

Yamaguchi

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Okinawa and in Yamaguchi

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

A single person spends $1,388 per month in Okinawa vs $1,202 in Yamaguchi, rent included.

Okinawa $1,388
Yamaguchi $1,202

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Okinawa vs $1,849 in Yamaguchi, rent included.

Okinawa $2,184
Yamaguchi $1,849

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Okinawa vs $2,495 in Yamaguchi, rent included.

Okinawa $2,980
Yamaguchi $2,495

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

Okinawa sits 2% above the global median, while Yamaguchi is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.12 ¥1,598

$3.80 ¥600

166.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.24 ¥6,353

$31.96 ¥5,047

25.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 ¥1,112

$5.02 ¥793

40.24%

Cappuccino

$4.11 ¥649

$3.71 ¥586

10.78%

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

$1.40 ¥221

$1.05 ¥166

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥145

$0.75 ¥118

22.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ¥396

$3.88 ¥612

-35.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 ¥832

$2.21 ¥349

138.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥249

$1.55 ¥245

1.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 ¥324

$1.83 ¥288

12.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 ¥594

$6.61 ¥1,044

-43.12%

Eggs

$1.84 ¥290

$2.21 ¥349

-16.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.99 ¥2,841

$18.53 ¥2,926

-2.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 ¥757

$5.28 ¥833

-9.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.45 ¥3,545

$19.00 ¥3,001

18.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 ¥602

$3.71 ¥586

2.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 ¥413

$1.87 ¥295

40.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 ¥347

$2.82 ¥445

-21.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 ¥831

$3.26 ¥515

61.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 ¥377

$2.22 ¥351

7.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ¥404

$2.54 ¥401

0.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ¥201

$1.08 ¥171

18.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥122

$0.93 ¥147

-17.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 ¥617

$4.04 ¥638

-3.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.40 ¥1,011

$6.20 ¥979

3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ¥308

$1.67 ¥263

16.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ¥528

$1.91 ¥302

74.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 ¥227

$1.48 ¥234

-2.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ¥10.3K

$50.8 ¥8,016

28.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ¥603

$4.00 ¥631

-4.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.54 ¥559

$2.42 ¥382

46.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.23 ¥1,772

$17.73 ¥2,799

-36.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.07 ¥169

3.74%

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

$20.9K ¥3.3M

$22.5K ¥3.6M

-7.22%

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

$15.5K ¥2.5M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

1.32%

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

$163 ¥25.7K

$214 ¥33.8K

-23.97%

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

$25.35 ¥4,003

$24.94 ¥3,938

1.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ¥8,379

$33.47 ¥5,284

58.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.0 ¥11.5K

$52.7 ¥8,321

38.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.9 ¥8,670

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 ¥1,892

$12.67 ¥2,000

-5.45%

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

$327 ¥51.7K

$695 ¥109.8K

-52.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,668 ¥894.9K

$12.1K ¥1.9M

-53.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.88 ¥7,718

$48.71 ¥7,690

0.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.35 ¥3,687

$25.97 ¥4,101

-10.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 ¥12.8K

$65.8 ¥10.4K

23.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 ¥15.1K

$47.76 ¥7,541

100.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 ¥64.9K

$409 ¥64.6K

0.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ¥52.4K

$256 ¥40.4K

29.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 ¥134.6K

$806 ¥127.2K

5.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 ¥107.0K

$572 ¥90.3K

18.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,422 ¥1.3M

$4,869 ¥768.8K

72.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,185 ¥187.1K

$2,007 ¥316.8K

-40.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,798 ¥283.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.23

1.97

13.20%

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

Last update for Okinawa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Yamaguchi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Okinawa

$332 23.9%

Yamaguchi

$256 21.3% 22.9% $76

Groceries & Markets

Okinawa

$330 23.8%

Yamaguchi

$317 26.4% 3.8% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Okinawa

$241 17.4%

Yamaguchi

$272 22.7% 13% $31

Eating Out

Okinawa

$184 13.2%

Yamaguchi

$121 10.1% 34.2% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Okinawa

$112 8.1%

Yamaguchi

$85 7.1% 24.4% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Okinawa

$97 7%

Yamaguchi

$78 6.5% 19.5% $19

Getting Around

Okinawa

$92 6.7%

Yamaguchi

$73 6.1% 21.2% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $411 in Okinawa versus $409 in Yamaguchi. 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 Yamaguchi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $317 – making Yamaguchi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🇯🇵 Yamaguchi

🕒 Local time

05:29 5:29 AM

Same time as Okinawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,752

193,966

💱 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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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 Yamaguchi: 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 $1,803 in Yamaguchi. 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 $409 in Yamaguchi. 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 Yamaguchi. 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 $1,202 in Yamaguchi. That makes Yamaguchi about 13% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,388 in Okinawa and $1,202 in Yamaguchi. 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 $1,202 in Yamaguchi 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.