Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Kyoto Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Kyoto

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,702 in Kingston versus $1,279 in Kyoto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,853 in Kingston versus $2,052 in Kyoto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,004 in Kingston versus $2,826 in Kyoto.

Living in Kingston is roughly 33% more expensive than in Kyoto, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kingston is 23% above, Kyoto is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.79 JMD 2,481

$9.48 ¥1,455

66.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 JMD 11.9K

$32.66 ¥5,015

132.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.56 JMD 1,345

$5.33 ¥819

60.60%

Cappuccino

$5.40 JMD 848

$3.40 ¥522

58.82%

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

$1.24 JMD 195

$0.90 ¥137

37.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 JMD 109

$0.76 ¥116

-7.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 JMD 348

$3.30 ¥507

-33.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 JMD 500

$5.69 ¥874

-44.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.25 JMD 667

$1.60 ¥246

165.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 JMD 578

$1.68 ¥258

119.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 JMD 255

$6.04 ¥927

-73.18%

Eggs

$3.44 JMD 540

$2.13 ¥328

61.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.60 JMD 1,822

$8.73 ¥1,341

32.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 JMD 1,007

$6.45 ¥991

-0.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.16 JMD 1,596

$11.65 ¥1,790

-12.79%

Apples (1kg)

$6.16 JMD 967

$5.08 ¥780

21.26%

Banana (1kg)

$4.00 JMD 629

$2.32 ¥356

72.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.30 JMD 1,147

$5.15 ¥790

41.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 JMD 467

$3.76 ¥578

-21.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 JMD 511

$1.98 ¥305

64.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 JMD 424

$1.76 ¥271

53.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.15 JMD 495

$1.21 ¥185

160.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 JMD 233

$0.95 ¥146

56.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.17 JMD 1,440

$3.96 ¥608

131.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.16 JMD 1,754

$7.60 ¥1,167

46.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 JMD 442

$1.61 ¥248

74.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 JMD 621

$3.49 ¥536

13.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 JMD 127

$1.46 ¥224

-44.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.86 JMD 5,946

$64.4 ¥9,888

-41.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 JMD 193

$3.47 ¥534

-64.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.10 JMD 486

$3.78 ¥580

-17.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.23 JMD 979

$29.10 ¥4,468

-78.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 JMD 218

$1.08 ¥165

28.70%

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

$44.5K JMD 7.0M

$21.9K ¥3.4M

103.05%

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

$32.9K JMD 5.2M

$15.8K ¥2.4M

108.64%

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

$178 JMD 28.0K

$104 ¥16.0K

70.48%

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

$29.81 JMD 4,682

$24.66 ¥3,786

20.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 JMD 8,241

$31.80 ¥4,882

65.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 JMD 9,598

$54.7 ¥8,394

11.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.79 JMD 2,794

$19.22 ¥2,951

-7.44%

Cinema Ticket

$13.15 JMD 2,065

$12.45 ¥1,912

5.62%

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

$357 JMD 56.1K

$667 ¥102.5K

-46.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,159 JMD 1.3M

$6,681 ¥1.0M

22.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.41 JMD 3,678

$58.5 ¥8,984

-59.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 JMD 4,919

$46.00 ¥7,064

-31.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 JMD 12.0K

$71.8 ¥11.0K

6.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 JMD 16.0K

$105 ¥16.1K

-3.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$955 JMD 150.1K

$577 ¥88.6K

65.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 JMD 88.4K

$334 ¥51.3K

68.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 JMD 337.4K

$1,803 ¥276.8K

19.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 JMD 224.6K

$789 ¥121.2K

81.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,887 JMD 453.5K

$2,267 ¥348.1K

27.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 JMD 328.4K

$1,296 ¥199.0K

61.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$744 JMD 116.9K

$1,981 ¥304.2K

-62.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

2.23

323.77%

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

Last update for Kingston: September 5, 2026

Last update for Kyoto: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $955 in Kingston and $577 in Kyoto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kyoto pays 166% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $76.0 in Kingston vs $33.00 in Kyoto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $294 per month, with Kyoto 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 Kyoto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kyoto wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Kingston. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kyoto the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 166% lower in Kyoto. 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: $955 in Kingston versus $577 in Kyoto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $357 in Kingston versus $667 in Kyoto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,279 in Kyoto versus $1,702 in Kingston, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kyoto but tight or insufficient in Kingston. 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 $1,279 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 33% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.