Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kyoto

For one person, living is cheaper in Kyoto: $1,229 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Kyoto
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Kyoto Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Kyoto

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,229

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Kyoto

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Kyoto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,229 in Kyoto.

Austin, TX $2,663
Kyoto $1,229

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,987 in Kyoto.

Austin, TX $4,133
Kyoto $1,987

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,745 in Kyoto.

Austin, TX $5,603
Kyoto $2,745

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 117% more expensive than in Kyoto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Kyoto is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$9.52 ¥1,504

118.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$31.84 ¥5,031

165.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.00 ¥791

146.40%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.35 ¥529

68.06%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.83 ¥132

348.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.73 ¥115

242.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.18 ¥503

153.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.51 ¥870

63.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.55 ¥244

-27.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.63 ¥258

130.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$5.74 ¥907

-43.21%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.12 ¥335

96.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$8.57 ¥1,353

50.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$7.58 ¥1,197

86.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$10.70 ¥1,690

51.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.16 ¥815

-16.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.27 ¥359

-35.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.94 ¥781

-8.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.51 ¥555

23.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.94 ¥307

32.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.66 ¥262

41.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.18 ¥187

50.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.99 ¥156

124.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.86 ¥610

155.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$7.52 ¥1,189

100.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.56 ¥247

87.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.27 ¥517

5.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.48 ¥234

0.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$63.5 ¥10.0K

-34.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.25 ¥513

-16.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$3.77 ¥596

-55.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$28.62 ¥4,521

23.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.06 ¥167

-10.38%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.8K ¥3.4M

65.51%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$15.1K ¥2.4M

79.04%

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

$229 $229

$102 ¥16.1K

125.25%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$23.50 ¥3,712

152.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$31.15 ¥4,921

124.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$52.3 ¥8,265

9.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$19.00 ¥3,001

-14.05%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$12.06 ¥1,905

18.41%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$642 ¥101.5K

134.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,412 ¥1.0M

234.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$56.8 ¥8,980

-7.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$45.66 ¥7,214

-4.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$69.4 ¥11.0K

22.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$105 ¥16.5K

-1.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$552 ¥87.1K

245.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$325 ¥51.4K

291.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,743 ¥275.4K

110.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$766 ¥121.0K

231.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,241 ¥354.0K

239.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,270 ¥200.7K

148.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,889 ¥298.5K

171.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.23

204.48%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kyoto: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Kyoto

$325 26.5% 74.5% $949

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Kyoto

$291 23.7% 28.1% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Kyoto

$156 12.7% 56.4% $202

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Kyoto

$165 13.4% 53.5% $189

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Kyoto

$124 10.1% 2.8% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Kyoto

$76 6.2% 10.9% $9.4

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Kyoto

$91 7.4% 55.9% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $552 in Kyoto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 171% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $32.00 in Kyoto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $291 per month, with Kyoto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇯🇵 Kyoto

🕒 Local time

01:44 1:44 AM

15:44 3:44 PM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,475,183

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

JPY to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Kyoto 10,850 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kyoto

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

Austin, TX vs Kyoto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kyoto wins on cost – living expenses run 117% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kyoto the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 171% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $552 in Kyoto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,229 in Kyoto – a 117% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kyoto runs roughly 52% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,229 in Kyoto versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kyoto but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kyoto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kyoto delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,229 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kyoto hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Kyoto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.