Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saitama and Okinawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Saitama: $1,017 a month against $1,388 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Saitama
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Saitama Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
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Okinawa Living Index

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Saitama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,017

/mo nomad

Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saitama and in Okinawa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Saitama and in Okinawa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,017 per month in Saitama vs $1,388 in Okinawa, rent included.

Saitama $1,017
Okinawa $1,388

A couple spends around $1,345 per month in Saitama vs $2,184 in Okinawa, rent included.

Saitama $1,345
Okinawa $2,184

A family of three spends $1,673 per month in Saitama vs $2,980 in Okinawa, rent included.

Saitama $1,673
Okinawa $2,980

Saitama is about 27% cheaper than Okinawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Saitama sits 25% below the global median, while Okinawa is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.60 ¥882

$10.12 ¥1,594

-44.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.15 ¥4,907

$40.24 ¥6,338

-22.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 ¥770

$7.04 ¥1,109

-30.54%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ¥487

$4.11 ¥647

-24.82%

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

$0.69 ¥109

$1.40 ¥221

-50.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ¥99.9

$0.92 ¥145

-31.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ¥403

$2.51 ¥395

1.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ¥510

$5.27 ¥830

-38.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ¥227

$1.58 ¥248

-8.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 ¥274

$2.05 ¥323

-15.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 ¥445

$3.76 ¥592

-24.73%

Eggs

$2.06 ¥324

$1.84 ¥289

11.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.46 ¥1,648

$17.99 ¥2,834

-41.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.67 ¥893

$4.79 ¥755

18.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.75 ¥2,324

$22.45 ¥3,537

-34.30%

Apples (1kg)

$5.85 ¥922

$3.81 ¥601

53.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 ¥357

$2.62 ¥412

-13.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 ¥458

$2.20 ¥346

31.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 ¥649

$5.26 ¥829

-21.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 ¥412

$2.39 ¥376

9.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 ¥248

$2.56 ¥403

-38.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 ¥194

$1.28 ¥201

-3.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ¥116

$0.77 ¥122

-5.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.85 ¥606

$3.90 ¥615

-1.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.48 ¥1,021

$6.40 ¥1,008

1.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ¥274

$1.95 ¥307

-10.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ¥318

$3.34 ¥527

-39.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.45 ¥544

$1.44 ¥226

139.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ¥10.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 ¥486

$3.82 ¥602

-19.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 ¥418

$3.54 ¥558

-25.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.57 ¥3,240

$11.23 ¥1,768

83.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥174

$1.11 ¥174

-0.90%

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

$22.2K ¥3.5M

$20.9K ¥3.3M

6.30%

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

$14.6K ¥2.3M

$15.5K ¥2.4M

-6.13%

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

$130 ¥20.5K

$163 ¥25.6K

-20.04%

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

$17.85 ¥2,811

$25.35 ¥3,994

-29.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.90 ¥5,025

$53.1 ¥8,360

-39.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 ¥10.1K

$73.0 ¥11.5K

-12.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.9 ¥8,650

Cinema Ticket

$10.90 ¥1,717

$11.98 ¥1,888

-9.02%

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

$830 ¥130.8K

$327 ¥51.6K

153.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ¥2.3M

$5,668 ¥892.8K

160.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.19 ¥5,543

$48.88 ¥7,700

-28.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.80 ¥4,064

$23.35 ¥3,678

10.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.8 ¥8,631

$81.2 ¥12.8K

-32.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.7 ¥10.0K

$95.7 ¥15.1K

-33.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$409 ¥64.4K

$411 ¥64.8K

-0.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 ¥37.6K

$332 ¥52.3K

-28.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 ¥134.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 ¥106.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,422 ¥1.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,185 ¥186.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,559 ¥245.6K

$1,798 ¥283.2K

-13.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.06

2.23

-7.62%

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

Last update for Saitama: October 26, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Saitama

$281 27.6%

Okinawa

$330 23.8% 17.4% $49

Accommodation & Living

Saitama

$239 23.5%

Okinawa

$332 23.9% 39% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saitama

$180 17.7%

Okinawa

$241 17.4% 34.1% $61

Eating Out

Saitama

$121 11.9%

Okinawa

$184 13.2% 51.8% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Saitama

$86 8.4%

Okinawa

$97 7% 13% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Saitama

$81 7.9%

Okinawa

$112 8.1% 38.8% $31

Getting Around

Saitama

$30 * 3%

Okinawa

$92 6.7% 206% $62

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $409 in Saitama versus $411 in Okinawa. 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 15% 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 $31 in Saitama versus $40 in Okinawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $281 vs $330 – making Saitama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Saitama

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🕒 Local time

18:10 6:10 PM

Same time as Saitama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,182,115

142,752

💱 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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Saitama Okinawa 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Saitama
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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

Saitama vs Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Okinawa is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,526 per month in Saitama and $2,082 in Okinawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $409 in Saitama and $411 in Okinawa. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31 in Saitama and $40 in Okinawa. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Okinawa, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Okinawa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,017 in Saitama 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 Saitama. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Okinawa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.