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: $1,684 in Kingston versus $1,327 in Kobe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,889 in Kingston versus $2,001 in Kobe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,093 in Kingston versus $2,675 in Kobe.

Living in Kingston is roughly 27% more expensive than in Kobe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kingston is 23% above, Kobe is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.95 JMD 2,508

$7.59 ¥1,186

110.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 JMD 11.7K

$31.22 ¥4,877

138.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 JMD 1,385

$4.92 ¥768

79.07%

Cappuccino

$5.22 JMD 822

$2.39 ¥373

118.41%

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

$1.19 JMD 187

$1.18 ¥184

0.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 JMD 108

$0.61 ¥95.2

13.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 JMD 344

$1.99 ¥311

10.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 JMD 485

$2.26 ¥354

36.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.06 JMD 638

$1.50 ¥234

170.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 JMD 588

$1.25 ¥196

199.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 JMD 260

$4.21 ¥657

-60.57%

Eggs

$3.61 JMD 569

$2.00 ¥313

80.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.58 JMD 1,822

$12.31 ¥1,923

-5.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 JMD 973

$6.71 ¥1,048

-7.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.12 JMD 1,592

$16.76 ¥2,618

-39.62%

Apples (1kg)

$6.12 JMD 962

$7.88 ¥1,231

-22.34%

Banana (1kg)

$3.99 JMD 627

$3.06 ¥478

30.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.48 JMD 1,177

$4.84 ¥756

54.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 JMD 490

$7.57 ¥1,183

-58.92%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 JMD 509

$3.64 ¥569

-11.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 JMD 416

$3.41 ¥532

-22.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 JMD 473

$1.16 ¥181

159.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 JMD 230

$0.94 ¥147

55.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.74 JMD 1,531

$3.45 ¥539

182.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 JMD 1,781

$8.22 ¥1,284

37.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 JMD 438

$1.99 ¥311

39.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 JMD 623

$1.49 ¥233

165.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 JMD 128

$1.47 ¥229

-44.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.60 JMD 6,070

$62.1 ¥9,705

-37.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 JMD 193

$3.20 ¥499

-61.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 JMD 495

$3.10 ¥484

1.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.15 JMD 968

$26.70 ¥4,171

-76.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 JMD 214

$1.05 ¥164

29.52%

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

$43.7K JMD 6.9M

$20.0K ¥3.1M

118.68%

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

$32.4K JMD 5.1M

$15.2K ¥2.4M

113.56%

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

$172 JMD 27.0K

$117 ¥18.2K

47.35%

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

$29.66 JMD 4,665

$22.98 ¥3,589

29.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 JMD 8,261

$31.37 ¥4,901

67.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.6 JMD 9,842

$46.74 ¥7,302

33.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.94 JMD 2,822

$11.48 ¥1,793

56.27%

Cinema Ticket

$13.35 JMD 2,099

$11.27 ¥1,761

18.46%

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

$367 JMD 57.7K

$319 ¥49.8K

15.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,302 JMD 1.3M

$6,068 ¥947.9K

36.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.88 JMD 3,756

$48.89 ¥7,638

-51.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.86 JMD 5,010

$25.13 ¥3,925

26.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 JMD 12.5K

$46.37 ¥7,244

70.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 JMD 16.0K

$65.3 ¥10.2K

56.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$972 JMD 152.9K

$693 ¥108.3K

40.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 JMD 88.6K

$460 ¥71.8K

22.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,117 JMD 332.9K

$1,054 ¥164.6K

100.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 JMD 225.6K

$732 ¥114.3K

96.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,902 JMD 456.5K

$4,301 ¥672.0K

-32.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,054 JMD 323.0K

$2,859 ¥446.6K

-28.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 JMD 119.1K

$1,736 ¥271.3K

-56.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

1.66

469.28%

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

Last update for Kingston: August 29, 2026

Last update for Kobe: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $972 in Kingston and $693 in Kobe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kobe pays 129% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 in Kingston vs $31.00 in Kobe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $351 per month, with Kobe cheaper across the board.

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 27% 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 129% 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: $972 in Kingston versus $693 in Kobe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $367 in Kingston versus $319 in Kobe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,327 in Kobe versus $1,684 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 $1,327 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 27% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.