Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wakayama and Okinawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Wakayama: $1,276 a month against $1,364 in Okinawa, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Wakayama
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Wakayama Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
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Okinawa Living Index

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Wakayama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,276

/mo nomad

Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,364

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,276 per month in Wakayama vs $1,364 in Okinawa, rent included.

Wakayama $1,276
Okinawa $1,364

A couple spends around $2,031 per month in Wakayama vs $2,154 in Okinawa, rent included.

Wakayama $2,031
Okinawa $2,154

A family of three spends $2,785 per month in Wakayama vs $2,944 in Okinawa, rent included.

Wakayama $2,785
Okinawa $2,944

Wakayama is about 6% cheaper than Okinawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Wakayama sits 6% below the global median, while Okinawa is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.47 ¥1,022

$9.91 ¥1,566

-34.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.22 ¥4,932

$39.91 ¥6,306

-21.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 ¥773

$7.13 ¥1,126

-31.42%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ¥389

$3.87 ¥611

-36.43%

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

$1.25 ¥197

$1.47 ¥233

-14.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥136

$0.99 ¥156

-13.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ¥506

$2.51 ¥397

27.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ¥293

$4.34 ¥685

-57.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ¥248

$1.63 ¥257

-3.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 ¥242

$2.07 ¥326

-26.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 ¥675

$3.88 ¥612

10.05%

Eggs

$2.11 ¥334

$1.78 ¥281

18.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.04 ¥2,534

$17.97 ¥2,840

-10.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.05 ¥1,114

$4.85 ¥766

45.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.10 ¥2,701

$22.79 ¥3,601

-24.97%

Apples (1kg)

$8.20 ¥1,296

$3.62 ¥571

126.52%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 ¥478

$2.70 ¥427

11.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.15 ¥814

$2.19 ¥345

135.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.94 ¥1,255

$5.16 ¥816

53.88%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 ¥633

$2.39 ¥377

67.78%

Onion (1kg)

$4.59 ¥726

$2.45 ¥386

87.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ¥179

$1.26 ¥199

-9.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥139

$0.78 ¥122

12.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 ¥630

$4.02 ¥635

-0.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.33 ¥1,475

$6.30 ¥995

48.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 ¥393

$1.90 ¥299

31.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥340

$3.35 ¥530

-35.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 ¥236

$1.48 ¥233

1.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 ¥8,496

$65.9 ¥10.4K

-18.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 ¥485

$3.96 ¥625

-22.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.91 ¥460

$3.42 ¥540

-14.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.69 ¥2,478

$11.40 ¥1,802

37.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥167

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

$22.0K ¥3.5M

$21.1K ¥3.3M

3.96%

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

$15.0K ¥2.4M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

-0.54%

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

$117 ¥18.4K

$158 ¥25.0K

-26.26%

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

$23.45 ¥3,705

$25.31 ¥3,999

-7.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.45 ¥4,968

$52.8 ¥8,338

-40.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 ¥8,109

$71.1 ¥11.2K

-27.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$55.3 ¥8,734

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 ¥1,771

$11.95 ¥1,888

-6.19%

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

$564 ¥89.1K

$329 ¥52.0K

71.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ¥2.3M

$5,632 ¥889.8K

163.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ¥7,800

$50.2 ¥7,928

-1.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.42 ¥5,596

$23.08 ¥3,647

53.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.4 ¥9,385

$80.5 ¥12.7K

-26.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 ¥15.6K

$94.6 ¥14.9K

4.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 ¥83.1K

$403 ¥63.6K

30.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 ¥53.3K

$320 ¥50.6K

5.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 ¥172.7K

$841 ¥132.9K

29.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 ¥116.5K

$663 ¥104.7K

11.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,206 ¥664.5K

$8,665 ¥1.4M

-51.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,756 ¥277.4K

$1,213 ¥191.7K

44.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,965 ¥626.4K

$1,809 ¥285.8K

119.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.67

2.23

-25.11%

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

Last update for Wakayama: October 17, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Wakayama

$382 30%

Okinawa

$330 24.2% 13.7% $52

Accommodation & Living

Wakayama

$337 26.4%

Okinawa

$320 23.5% 5.1% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wakayama

$172 13.5%

Okinawa

$236 17.3% 37.7% $65

Eating Out

Wakayama

$124 9.7%

Okinawa

$178 13.1% 43.5% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Wakayama

$109 8.6%

Okinawa

$112 8.2% 2.3% $2.5

Getting Around

Wakayama

$77 6.1%

Okinawa

$93 6.8% 20% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Wakayama

$74 5.8%

Okinawa

$95 7% 28.8% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $526 in Wakayama 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.

Salaries run about 119% higher in Wakayama, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Wakayama versus $40.00 in Okinawa. Groceries tell a different story – $382 in Wakayama vs $330 in Okinawa – so Okinawa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Wakayama

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🕒 Local time

09:54 9:54 AM

Same time as Wakayama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

362,163

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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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

Wakayama vs Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Okinawa is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,914 per month in Wakayama 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 Wakayama, 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 $31.00 in Wakayama 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 $1,276 in Wakayama and $1,364 in Okinawa. That's a gap of about 7%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Wakayama, where all-in costs run around $1,276, than in Okinawa at $1,364. In Wakayama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Okinawa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Wakayama – 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 Wakayama. 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.