Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Okinawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Okinawa: $1,388 a month against $1,688 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tokyo outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

81

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
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Okinawa Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,688

/mo nomad

Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,688 per month in Tokyo vs $1,388 in Okinawa, rent included.

Tokyo $1,688
Okinawa $1,388

A couple spends around $2,588 per month in Tokyo vs $2,184 in Okinawa, rent included.

Tokyo $2,588
Okinawa $2,184

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Tokyo vs $2,980 in Okinawa, rent included.

Tokyo $3,489
Okinawa $2,980

Tokyo costs about 22% more than Okinawa.

Both Tokyo and Okinawa sit above the global median – Tokyo by 24%, Okinawa by 2%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 ¥1,220

$10.12 ¥1,598

-23.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.51 ¥5,923

$40.24 ¥6,353

-6.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 ¥790

$7.04 ¥1,112

-28.84%

Cappuccino

$3.68 ¥580

$4.11 ¥649

-10.46%

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

$1.51 ¥239

$1.40 ¥221

7.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥133

$0.92 ¥145

-7.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ¥596

$2.51 ¥396

50.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 ¥908

$5.27 ¥832

9.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥236

$1.58 ¥249

-5.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥273

$2.05 ¥324

-15.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.80 ¥916

$3.76 ¥594

54.26%

Eggs

$2.25 ¥355

$1.84 ¥290

22.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.50 ¥1,815

$17.99 ¥2,841

-36.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 ¥1,099

$4.79 ¥757

45.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.39 ¥2,588

$22.45 ¥3,545

-26.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 ¥747

$3.81 ¥602

24.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 ¥360

$2.62 ¥413

-12.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 ¥673

$2.20 ¥347

93.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.37 ¥847

$5.26 ¥831

2.09%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 ¥520

$2.39 ¥377

37.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 ¥474

$2.56 ¥404

17.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ¥181

$1.28 ¥201

-10.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.77 ¥122

3.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥615

$3.90 ¥617

-0.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 ¥1,535

$6.40 ¥1,011

51.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ¥269

$1.95 ¥308

-12.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ¥420

$3.34 ¥528

-20.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.44 ¥227

-13.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 ¥9,858

$65.1 ¥10.3K

-4.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 ¥497

$3.82 ¥603

-17.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 ¥495

$3.54 ¥559

-11.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.98 ¥2,996

$11.23 ¥1,772

69.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

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

$22.5K ¥3.6M

$20.9K ¥3.3M

7.56%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$15.5K ¥2.5M

-1.32%

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

$147 ¥23.2K

$163 ¥25.7K

-9.74%

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

$23.17 ¥3,659

$25.35 ¥4,003

-8.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 ¥4,752

$53.1 ¥8,379

-43.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 ¥9,069

$73.0 ¥11.5K

-21.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.48 ¥4,181

$54.9 ¥8,670

-51.78%

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 ¥2,114

$11.98 ¥1,892

11.77%

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

$1,410 ¥222.7K

$327 ¥51.7K

330.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K ¥2.9M

$5,668 ¥894.9K

228.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 ¥8,735

$48.88 ¥7,718

13.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.43 ¥5,120

$23.35 ¥3,687

38.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥10.2K

$81.2 ¥12.8K

-20.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 ¥11.4K

$95.7 ¥15.1K

-24.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 ¥209.9K

$411 ¥64.9K

223.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ¥115.0K

$332 ¥52.4K

119.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 ¥414.0K

$852 ¥134.6K

207.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 ¥221.2K

$678 ¥107.0K

106.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.7K ¥1.7M

$8,422 ¥1.3M

27.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,054 ¥798.0K

$1,185 ¥187.1K

326.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 ¥476.6K

$1,798 ¥283.8K

67.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

2.23

0.90%

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

Last update for Tokyo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$729 43.2%

Okinawa

$332 23.9% 54.5% $397

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$327 19.4%

Okinawa

$330 23.8% 0.7% $2.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$200 11.9%

Okinawa

$241 17.4% 20.5% $41

Eating Out

Tokyo

$161 9.5%

Okinawa

$184 13.2% 14.3% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$101 6%

Okinawa

$112 8.1% 11.1% $11

Getting Around

Tokyo

$86 5.1%

Okinawa

$92 6.7% 7.1% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$84 5%

Okinawa

$97 7% 15.2% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,329 in Tokyo 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 68% higher in Tokyo. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tokyo versus $40 in Okinawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $330 – making Tokyo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🕒 Local time

08:46 8:46 AM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

142,752

💱 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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Between locations

Tokyo Okinawa 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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

Tokyo vs Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,533 per month in Tokyo 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 $1,329 in Tokyo.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tokyo and $40 in Okinawa. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 4% less in Tokyo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

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

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