Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shiso and Okinawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Shiso: $1,048 a month against $1,364 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Shiso
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Shiso Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
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Okinawa Living Index

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Shiso

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,048

/mo nomad

Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,364

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,048 per month in Shiso vs $1,364 in Okinawa, rent included.

Shiso $1,048
Okinawa $1,364

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Shiso vs $2,154 in Okinawa, rent included.

Shiso $1,913
Okinawa $2,154

A family of three spends $2,777 per month in Shiso vs $2,944 in Okinawa, rent included.

Shiso $2,777
Okinawa $2,944

Shiso is about 23% cheaper than Okinawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Shiso sits 23% below the global median, while Okinawa is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.87 ¥1,244

$9.91 ¥1,566

-20.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 ¥10.7K

$39.91 ¥6,306

70.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.29 ¥993

$7.13 ¥1,126

-11.78%

Cappuccino

$3.69 ¥584

$3.87 ¥611

-4.65%

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

$0.83 ¥132

$1.47 ¥233

-43.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥114

$0.99 ¥156

-27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 ¥407

$2.51 ¥397

2.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 ¥497

$4.34 ¥685

-27.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥240

$1.63 ¥257

-6.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 ¥474

$2.07 ¥326

44.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.87 ¥769

$3.88 ¥612

25.52%

Eggs

$2.19 ¥346

$1.78 ¥281

23.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 ¥1,609

$17.97 ¥2,840

-43.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 ¥1,023

$4.85 ¥766

33.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.01 ¥4,267

$22.79 ¥3,601

18.52%

Apples (1kg)

$5.33 ¥842

$3.62 ¥571

47.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 ¥409

$2.70 ¥427

-4.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 ¥641

$2.19 ¥345

85.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.97 ¥943

$5.16 ¥816

15.70%

Potato (1kg)

$4.29 ¥678

$2.39 ¥377

79.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 ¥411

$2.45 ¥386

6.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 ¥218

$1.26 ¥199

9.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥130

$0.78 ¥122

6.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.11 ¥650

$4.02 ¥635

2.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.66 ¥1,211

$6.30 ¥995

21.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 ¥303

$1.90 ¥299

1.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ¥351

$3.35 ¥530

-33.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ¥216

$1.48 ¥233

-8.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.90 ¥5,356

$65.9 ¥10.4K

-48.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ¥564

$3.96 ¥625

-9.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.88 ¥455

$3.42 ¥540

-15.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.87 ¥3,297

$11.40 ¥1,802

83.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥202

$1.06 ¥167

20.75%

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

$22.9K ¥3.6M

$21.1K ¥3.3M

8.29%

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

$17.0K ¥2.7M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

12.29%

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

$144 ¥22.8K

$158 ¥25.0K

-8.80%

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

$23.93 ¥3,781

$25.31 ¥3,999

-5.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.58 ¥2,146

$52.8 ¥8,338

-74.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.74 ¥5,805

$71.1 ¥11.2K

-48.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.71 ¥2,167

$55.3 ¥8,734

-75.20%

Cinema Ticket

$4.59 ¥726

$11.95 ¥1,888

-61.59%

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

$283 ¥44.8K

$329 ¥52.0K

-13.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K ¥2.1M

$5,632 ¥889.8K

141.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.06 ¥1,589

$50.2 ¥7,928

-79.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.87 ¥4,720

$23.08 ¥3,647

29.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$33.76 ¥5,334

$80.5 ¥12.7K

-58.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.7 ¥15.7K

$94.6 ¥14.9K

5.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$470 ¥74.3K

$403 ¥63.6K

16.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$165 ¥26.0K

$320 ¥50.6K

-48.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$862 ¥136.1K

$841 ¥132.9K

2.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ¥104.2K

$663 ¥104.7K

-0.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,229 ¥668.1K

$8,665 ¥1.4M

-51.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,769 ¥279.5K

$1,213 ¥191.7K

45.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,809 ¥285.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.78

2.23

-20.18%

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

Last update for Shiso: October 18, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Shiso

$368 35.2%

Okinawa

$330 24.2% 10.4% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shiso

$182 17.4%

Okinawa

$236 17.3% 30% $55

Accommodation & Living

Shiso

$165 15.7%

Okinawa

$320 23.5% 94.4% $155

Eating Out

Shiso

$152 14.5%

Okinawa

$178 13.1% 17.5% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Shiso

$78 7.4%

Okinawa

$112 8.2% 43.3% $34

Getting Around

Shiso

$57 5.5%

Okinawa

$93 6.8% 61.9% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Shiso

$46 4.4%

Okinawa

$95 7% 107% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $470 in Shiso versus $403 in Okinawa. 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 $68.0 in Shiso versus $40.00 in Okinawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $368 vs $330 – making Okinawa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Shiso

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🕒 Local time

11:59 11:59 AM

Same time as Shiso

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,610

142,752

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Shiso Okinawa 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Shiso
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

Shiso vs Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Okinawa is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,572 per month in Shiso and $2,047 in Okinawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shiso, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Shiso and $40.00 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 $1,048 in Shiso and $1,364 in Okinawa. That's a gap of about 30%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Shiso, where all-in costs run around $1,048, than in Okinawa at $1,364. In Shiso it covers expenses comfortably, while in Okinawa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shiso – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Shiso. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Okinawa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.