Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sendai and Okinawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Sendai: $1,164 a month against $1,388 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Sendai
Learn more

Sendai Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
Learn more

Okinawa Living Index

Jump to prices

Sendai

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,164

/mo nomad

Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sendai 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 Sendai and in Okinawa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,164 per month in Sendai vs $1,388 in Okinawa, rent included.

Sendai $1,164
Okinawa $1,388

A couple spends around $1,851 per month in Sendai vs $2,184 in Okinawa, rent included.

Sendai $1,851
Okinawa $2,184

A family of three spends $2,538 per month in Sendai vs $2,980 in Okinawa, rent included.

Sendai $2,538
Okinawa $2,980

Sendai is about 16% cheaper than Okinawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sendai sits 14% below the global median, while Okinawa is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.42 ¥1,013

$10.12 ¥1,598

-36.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.25 ¥5,567

$40.24 ¥6,355

-12.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.57 ¥722

$7.04 ¥1,112

-35.09%

Cappuccino

$3.79 ¥598

$4.11 ¥649

-7.79%

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

$1.03 ¥162

$1.40 ¥221

-26.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥125

$0.92 ¥145

-14.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 ¥307

$2.51 ¥396

-22.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 ¥514

$5.27 ¥832

-38.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 ¥225

$1.58 ¥249

-9.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ¥231

$2.05 ¥324

-28.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.88 ¥1,087

$3.76 ¥594

82.98%

Eggs

$2.12 ¥335

$1.84 ¥290

15.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ¥1,682

$17.99 ¥2,842

-40.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.63 ¥1,837

$4.79 ¥757

142.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.78 ¥1,386

$22.45 ¥3,546

-60.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 ¥538

$3.81 ¥602

-10.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 ¥335

$2.62 ¥413

-19.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.65 ¥734

$2.20 ¥347

111.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 ¥510

$5.26 ¥831

-38.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 ¥390

$2.39 ¥377

3.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 ¥363

$2.56 ¥404

-10.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 ¥220

$1.28 ¥201

8.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ¥201

$0.77 ¥122

64.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ¥696

$3.90 ¥617

13.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.84 ¥1,081

$6.40 ¥1,011

6.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥260

$1.95 ¥308

-15.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ¥435

$3.34 ¥528

-17.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 ¥238

$1.44 ¥227

4.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.91 ¥5,988

$65.1 ¥10.3K

-41.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 ¥839

$3.82 ¥603

39.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.54 ¥559

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.16 ¥2,869

$11.23 ¥1,773

61.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

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

$16.1K ¥2.5M

$20.9K ¥3.3M

-22.86%

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

$25.4K ¥4.0M

$15.5K ¥2.5M

63.19%

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

$137 ¥21.6K

$163 ¥25.7K

-16.09%

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

$29.82 ¥4,709

$25.35 ¥4,004

17.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.46 ¥5,600

$53.1 ¥8,382

-33.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.05 ¥7,115

$73.0 ¥11.5K

-38.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.76 ¥2,016

$54.9 ¥8,673

-76.77%

Cinema Ticket

$10.18 ¥1,608

$11.98 ¥1,893

-15.03%

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

$230 ¥36.4K

$327 ¥51.7K

-29.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,740 ¥590.7K

$5,668 ¥895.1K

-34.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 ¥8,885

$48.88 ¥7,720

15.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.48 ¥5,288

$23.35 ¥3,688

43.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$34.73 ¥5,485

$81.2 ¥12.8K

-57.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.4 ¥8,437

$95.7 ¥15.1K

-44.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$573 ¥90.5K

$411 ¥65.0K

39.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 ¥51.8K

$332 ¥52.4K

-1.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 ¥111.7K

$852 ¥134.6K

-16.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$736 ¥116.2K

$678 ¥107.1K

8.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ¥428.4K

$8,422 ¥1.3M

-67.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ¥227.1K

$1,185 ¥187.1K

21.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$979 ¥154.6K

$1,798 ¥283.9K

-45.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.73

2.23

22.42%

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

Last update for Sendai: October 25, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sendai

$328 28.1%

Okinawa

$332 23.9% 1.3% $4.2

Groceries & Markets

Sendai

$306 26.3%

Okinawa

$330 23.8% 7.7% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sendai

$202 17.3%

Okinawa

$241 17.4% 19.5% $39

Eating Out

Sendai

$134 11.5%

Okinawa

$184 13.2% 37.1% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Sendai

$80 6.9%

Okinawa

$112 8.1% 40% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Sendai

$65 5.6%

Okinawa

$97 7% 48.3% $32

Getting Around

Sendai

$49 * 4.2%

Okinawa

$92 6.7% 87.5% $43

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $573 in Sendai 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 84% higher in Okinawa. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Sendai versus $40 in Okinawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $306 vs $330 – making Sendai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Sendai

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🕒 Local time

08:38 8:38 AM

Same time as Sendai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,082,159

142,752

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.65 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sendai Okinawa 1,790 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sendai
Okinawa

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

Sendai vs Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Okinawa is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,747 per month in Sendai and $2,082 in Okinawa. 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 $573 in Sendai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Sendai and $40 in Okinawa. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,164 in Sendai and $1,388 in Okinawa. That makes Sendai about 16% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,164 in Sendai and $1,388 in Okinawa. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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 Sendai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Okinawa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.