KyotovsOkinawa
💰
Okinawa saves you $400/month
17% cheaper on rent, food & transport
📶
Kyoto has 2x faster internet
200 Mbps avg download speed
🌡️
Continental vs Subtropical climate
Different weather patterns year-round
💰 Cost of Living Breakdown
Monthly expenses comparison in USD
Expense
Kyoto
Okinawa
Total Budget
$2,300/mo
$1,900/mo ✓
Rent (1BR)
$900/mo
$450/mo ✓
Coworking
$260/mo
$120/mo ✓
Meal Out
$7
$7
Coffee
$3.5 ✓
$4
Okinawa is $400/mo cheaper (21% savings)
💻 Remote Work Essentials
Internet, timezone, and language comparison
🇯🇵 Kyoto
📶 Internet200 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC+9
🗣️ Englishmedium
🛂 Nomad VisaAvailable
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West0h
🇺🇸 US East0h
🇬🇧 London2h
🇩🇪 Berlin3h
🇯🇵 Okinawa
📶 Internet100 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC+9
🗣️ Englishlow
🛂 Nomad VisaAvailable
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West0h
🇺🇸 US East0h
🇬🇧 London2h
🇩🇪 Berlin3h
🌡️ Climate Comparison
Weather patterns and best times to visit
Kyoto
ClimateContinental
Avg Temp16°C
Rainy Days127/year
Best months: June, July, September
Okinawa
ClimateSubtropical
Avg Temp24°C
Rainy Days187/year
Best months: January, November
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
4°17°
Apr
14°22°
Jul
28°29°
Oct
18°27°
KyotoOkinawa
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🇯🇵Kyoto
🇯🇵Okinawa
💰
Monthly Budget
$2,300
$1,900
Winner📶
Internet Speed
200 Mbps
Winner100 Mbps
🛡️
Safety
4.6/5
4.8/5
⭐
Nomad Score
4.2/10
4/10
🍽️
Food Scene
9/10
9/10
🎉
Nightlife
6/10
6/10
🚶
Walkability
8/10
Winner6/10
👥
Community
small
small
2
Kyoto wins
vs
1
Okinawa wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
Okinawa
$400/mo cheaper with similar quality of life
💻Developer
Kyoto
200 Mbps is essential for video calls & uploads
🦋Social Butterfly
Either works
Similar social opportunities
🛡️Safety-First
Either works
Both cities are similarly safe
🍜Foodie
Either works
Both have great food scenes
🎉Party Person
Either works
Both have great nightlife
🇯🇵Kyoto
Pros
- +World-class concentration of temples, shrines and traditional streets for deep cultural immersion
- +Lower cost of living than Tokyo with still good infrastructure and services
- +Fast and reliable fibre internet widely available in apartments and coworking spaces
- +Safe city with low violent crime and generally calm neighbourhoods
Cons
- −Summers are hot and humid with mosquitoes, which can be uncomfortable if you like walking a lot
- −Overtourism in popular areas like Gion, Fushimi Inari and Arashiyama, especially during peak seasons
- −Smaller nomad and startup community compared to Tokyo or Osaka
- −English levels vary and some local businesses are Japanese-only
🇯🇵Okinawa
Pros
- +Stunning tropical beaches with crystal-clear waters
- +Unique Ryukyuan culture distinct from mainland Japan
- +Extremely safe with very low crime rates
- +Subtropical climate - warm year-round
Cons
- −Car essential for exploring beyond Naha city center
- −Limited public transportation (only monorail in Naha)
- −Typhoon season from June to October
- −Language barrier - limited English outside tourist areas
