Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hong Kong and Kyoto

For one person, living is cheaper in Kyoto: $1,229 a month against $2,984 in Hong Kong, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Kyoto
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Kyoto Living Index

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Hong Kong

🇭🇰 Hong Kong (China)

$2,984

/mo nomad

Kyoto

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,229

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hong Kong 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 Hong Kong and in Kyoto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,984 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,229 in Kyoto, rent included.

Hong Kong $2,984
Kyoto $1,229

A couple spends around $4,584 per month in Hong Kong vs $1,987 in Kyoto, rent included.

Hong Kong $4,584
Kyoto $1,987

A family of three spends $6,183 per month in Hong Kong vs $2,745 in Kyoto, rent included.

Hong Kong $6,183
Kyoto $2,745

Hong Kong costs about 143% more than Kyoto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hong Kong sits 121% above the global median, while Kyoto is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.75 HK$60.8

$9.52 ¥1,504

-18.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 HK$508

$31.84 ¥5,031

103.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 HK$48.51

$5.00 ¥791

23.60%

Cappuccino

$5.08 HK$39.85

$3.35 ¥529

51.64%

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

$1.31 HK$10.31

$0.83 ¥132

57.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HK$8.56

$0.73 ¥115

49.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 HK$58.6

$3.18 ¥503

134.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 HK$51.0

$5.51 ¥870

17.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 HK$22.71

$1.55 ¥244

86.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 HK$18.14

$1.63 ¥258

41.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 HK$16.71

$5.74 ¥907

-62.89%

Eggs

$3.52 HK$27.65

$2.12 ¥335

66.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.72 HK$194

$8.57 ¥1,353

188.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 HK$66.9

$7.58 ¥1,197

12.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.00 HK$141

$10.70 ¥1,690

68.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 HK$32.79

$5.16 ¥815

-18.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 HK$21.07

$2.27 ¥359

18.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 HK$35.22

$4.94 ¥781

-9.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 HK$31.66

$3.51 ¥555

14.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 HK$24.51

$1.94 ¥307

60.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 HK$24.72

$1.66 ¥262

89.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 HK$12.75

$1.18 ¥187

37.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 HK$13.66

$0.99 ¥156

75.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.50 HK$106

$3.86 ¥610

249.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.54 HK$130

$7.52 ¥1,189

119.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 HK$15.19

$1.56 ¥247

24.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 HK$17.11

$3.27 ¥517

-33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 HK$11.04

$1.48 ¥234

-4.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 HK$696

$63.5 ¥10.0K

39.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 HK$28.94

$3.25 ¥513

13.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 HK$10.36

$3.77 ¥596

-64.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.77 HK$124

$28.62 ¥4,521

-44.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$4.03 HK$31.65

$1.06 ¥167

280.19%

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

$44.7K HK$350.5K

$21.8K ¥3.4M

105.05%

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

$37.8K HK$296.6K

$15.1K ¥2.4M

149.89%

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

$250 HK$1,959

$102 ¥16.1K

145.51%

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

$15.60 HK$122

$23.50 ¥3,712

-33.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.77 HK$171

$31.15 ¥4,921

-30.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.2 HK$739

$52.3 ¥8,265

80.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.29 HK$72.9

$19.00 ¥3,001

-51.11%

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 HK$109

$12.06 ¥1,905

15.34%

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

$1,162 HK$9,122

$642 ¥101.5K

81.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K HK$171.6K

$6,412 ¥1.0M

241.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 HK$534

$56.8 ¥8,980

19.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 HK$329

$45.66 ¥7,214

-8.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 HK$626

$69.4 ¥11.0K

14.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 HK$956

$105 ¥16.5K

16.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 HK$17.6K

$552 ¥87.1K

306.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 HK$13.5K

$325 ¥51.4K

428.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,041 HK$39.6K

$1,743 ¥275.4K

189.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 HK$27.0K

$766 ¥121.0K

348.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.2K HK$229.0K

$2,241 ¥354.0K

1202.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.6K HK$137.9K

$1,270 ¥200.7K

1283.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,271 HK$25.7K

$1,889 ¥298.5K

73.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

2.23

75.34%

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

Last update for Hong Kong: October 10, 2026

Last update for Kyoto: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hong Kong

$1.7K 57.6%

Kyoto

$325 26.5% 81.1% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Hong Kong

$411 13.8%

Kyoto

$291 23.7% 29.2% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hong Kong

$287 9.6%

Kyoto

$156 12.7% 45.5% $131

Eating Out

Hong Kong

$201 6.8%

Kyoto

$165 13.4% 18.3% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Hong Kong

$140 4.7%

Kyoto

$124 10.1% 11.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Hong Kong

$122 4.1%

Kyoto

$76 6.2% 37.3% $46

Getting Around

Hong Kong

$105 3.5%

Kyoto

$91 7.4% 12.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,241 in Hong Kong versus $552 in Kyoto. 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 73% higher in Hong Kong, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Hong Kong versus $32.00 in Kyoto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $411 vs $291 – making Kyoto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇰 Hong Kong

🇯🇵 Kyoto

🕒 Local time

22:05 10:05 PM

23:05 11:05 PM

1 h ahead of Hong Kong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,367,900 Capital

1,475,183

💱 Currency

Hong Kong Dollar HKD $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 HKD = 0.127 USD

1 HKD = 0.113 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to HKD – Hong Kong Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇰 Hong Kong Dollar ($)

Hong Kong Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 7.85 HKD (1 HKD = 0.127 USD). 1 EUR = 8.82 HKD (1 HKD = 0.113 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).

USD to HKD in detail →

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Hong Kong Kyoto 2,530 km ≈ 3 h 45 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

Hong Kong vs Kyoto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,984 in Hong Kong, $1,229 in Kyoto – roughly 143% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,476 per month in Hong Kong and $1,844 in Kyoto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kyoto, 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 $65.0 in Hong Kong and $32.00 in Kyoto. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,984 in Hong Kong and $1,229 in Kyoto. That's a gap of about 143%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kyoto, where all-in costs run around $1,229, than in Hong Kong at $2,984. In Kyoto it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hong Kong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Hong Kong has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,229 in Kyoto to $2,984 in Hong Kong. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Kyoto. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hong Kong makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.