Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Kobe Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Kobe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,482 in Kingston versus $1,223 in Kobe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,489 in Kingston versus $1,896 in Kobe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,496 in Kingston versus $2,570 in Kobe.

Living in Kingston is roughly 21% more expensive than in Kobe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kingston is 11% above, Kobe is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.46 JMD 1,177

$8.47 ¥1,377

-11.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 JMD 9,732

$28.16 ¥4,576

119.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.58 JMD 1,354

$4.95 ¥804

73.33%

Cappuccino

$4.39 JMD 693

$3.03 ¥492

44.88%

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

$1.33 JMD 209

$0.99 ¥162

34.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 117

$0.76 ¥123

-2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 JMD 384

$2.48 ¥403

-2.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 JMD 490

$3.15 ¥512

-1.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.33 JMD 683

$1.62 ¥263

167.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 JMD 551

$1.27 ¥207

174.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 JMD 258

$4.85 ¥788

-66.19%

Eggs

$3.61 JMD 569

$1.61 ¥262

124.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.20 JMD 1,767

$13.71 ¥2,227

-18.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 JMD 1,018

$7.51 ¥1,220

-14.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 JMD 1,233

$15.25 ¥2,478

-48.72%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 JMD 946

$8.97 ¥1,457

-33.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 JMD 470

$2.91 ¥472

2.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 JMD 664

$4.83 ¥785

-12.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.90 JMD 457

$9.53 ¥1,549

-69.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 JMD 319

$3.90 ¥634

-48.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 JMD 316

$2.63 ¥428

-23.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 JMD 476

$1.33 ¥216

126.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 JMD 238

$1.37 ¥223

10.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.61 JMD 1,359

$3.52 ¥571

144.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.47 JMD 1,810

$7.92 ¥1,287

44.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 JMD 438

$2.76 ¥448

0.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 JMD 480

$2.36 ¥384

28.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 JMD 128

$1.48 ¥240

-45.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.18 JMD 7,760

$38.41 ¥6,240

28.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 JMD 171

$3.53 ¥573

-69.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 JMD 507

$1.35 ¥219

138.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 JMD 1,000

$17.46 ¥2,836

-63.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 JMD 196

$1.22 ¥198

1.64%

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

$43.4K JMD 6.9M

$22.3K ¥3.6M

94.89%

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

$34.1K JMD 5.4M

$14.6K ¥2.4M

133.33%

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

$161 JMD 25.4K

$141 ¥23.0K

13.75%

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

$22.24 JMD 3,509

$26.68 ¥4,335

-16.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 JMD 8,202

$34.35 ¥5,581

51.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 JMD 10.9K

$48.51 ¥7,882

42.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.91 JMD 2,511

$20.94 ¥3,403

-24.02%

Cinema Ticket

$13.38 JMD 2,111

$12.50 ¥2,031

7.04%

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

$222 JMD 35.1K

$350 ¥56.9K

-36.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,532 JMD 399.6K

$11.2K ¥1.8M

-77.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.81 JMD 4,073

$46.02 ¥7,477

-43.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.49 JMD 4,022

$32.30 ¥5,248

-21.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 JMD 11.2K

$40.98 ¥6,659

72.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.9 JMD 11.8K

$49.49 ¥8,041

51.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 JMD 138.8K

$486 ¥79.0K

80.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 JMD 71.2K

$316 ¥51.4K

42.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,007 JMD 316.6K

$701 ¥113.9K

186.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 JMD 187.5K

$598 ¥97.1K

98.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,866 JMD 452.2K

$4,228 ¥687.0K

-32.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,153 JMD 339.8K

$2,856 ¥464.1K

-24.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$732 JMD 115.5K

$1,739 ¥282.5K

-57.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

1.78

414.04%

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

Last update for Kingston: July 11, 2026

Last update for Kobe: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $880 in Kingston and $486 in Kobe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kobe pays 138% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in Kingston vs $28.00 in Kobe. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $382, with Kingston cheaper for home cooking.

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

Kingston vs Kobe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kobe wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Kingston. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kobe the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 138% lower in Kobe. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $880 in Kingston versus $486 in Kobe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $222 in Kingston versus $350 in Kobe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Kingston pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,223 in Kobe versus $1,482 in Kingston, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kobe but tight or insufficient in Kingston. The gap between the two cities makes Kobe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kobe delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,223 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kobe hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kingston and Kobe are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kobe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.