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: $1,471 in Kingston versus $1,304 in Kyoto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,446 in Kingston versus $2,171 in Kyoto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,420 in Kingston versus $3,039 in Kyoto.

Living in Kingston is roughly 13% more expensive than Kyoto, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kingston is 10% above, Kyoto is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.30 JMD 1,149

$10.47 ¥1,668

-30.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.8 JMD 9,878

$35.21 ¥5,610

78.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.99 JMD 1,414

$5.63 ¥898

59.68%

Cappuccino

$4.36 JMD 685

$3.39 ¥541

28.61%

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

$1.36 JMD 214

$0.91 ¥146

49.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 JMD 118

$0.80 ¥127

-6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 JMD 388

$3.40 ¥541

-27.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 JMD 503

$6.54 ¥1,043

-51.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.41 JMD 694

$1.68 ¥268

162.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 JMD 564

$1.70 ¥271

110.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 JMD 254

$3.21 ¥512

-49.84%

Eggs

$3.55 JMD 559

$2.35 ¥374

51.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 JMD 1,752

$9.72 ¥1,549

14.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 JMD 1,015

$7.49 ¥1,193

-13.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.54 JMD 1,187

$15.74 ¥2,507

-52.10%

Apples (1kg)

$6.15 JMD 967

$5.64 ¥899

9.04%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 JMD 477

$2.50 ¥398

21.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 JMD 651

$6.41 ¥1,022

-35.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 JMD 465

$3.97 ¥632

-25.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 JMD 331

$1.57 ¥250

33.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 JMD 301

$2.28 ¥364

-16.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.07 JMD 484

$1.29 ¥206

137.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 JMD 228

$1.01 ¥161

43.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.70 JMD 1,369

$4.07 ¥649

113.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.41 JMD 1,794

$7.49 ¥1,193

52.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 JMD 457

$1.80 ¥287

61.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 JMD 482

$3.56 ¥568

-13.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 JMD 138

$1.64 ¥262

-46.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.34 JMD 7,762

$69.8 ¥11.1K

-29.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 JMD 177

$3.55 ¥566

-68.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 JMD 511

$3.02 ¥480

7.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.08 JMD 956

$17.89 ¥2,851

-66.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 JMD 201

$1.24 ¥197

3.23%

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

$43.4K JMD 6.8M

$23.2K ¥3.7M

87.29%

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

$33.2K JMD 5.2M

$17.2K ¥2.7M

92.99%

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

$163 JMD 25.6K

$111 ¥17.7K

46.47%

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

$22.50 JMD 3,539

$26.83 ¥4,276

-16.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 JMD 8,042

$33.16 ¥5,284

54.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.8 JMD 11.0K

$56.9 ¥9,063

22.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.48 JMD 2,435

$20.95 ¥3,337

-26.11%

Cinema Ticket

$13.13 JMD 2,066

$13.35 ¥2,127

-1.65%

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

$228 JMD 35.9K

$367 ¥58.5K

-37.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,527 JMD 397.5K

$7,478 ¥1.2M

-66.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.50 JMD 4,169

$46.39 ¥7,392

-42.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.86 JMD 4,068

$31.67 ¥5,046

-18.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 JMD 11.3K

$72.8 ¥11.6K

-1.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.6 JMD 12.2K

$90.2 ¥14.4K

-13.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$877 JMD 137.9K

$575 ¥91.6K

52.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$449 JMD 70.6K

$344 ¥54.8K

30.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 JMD 317.4K

$1,650 ¥262.9K

22.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 JMD 190.8K

$942 ¥150.1K

28.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,865 JMD 450.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,208 JMD 347.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$734 JMD 115.4K

$1,882 ¥299.9K

-61.02%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Kyoto: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $877 in Kingston and $575 in Kyoto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kyoto pays 157% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63 in Kingston vs $35 in Kyoto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $316 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 13% 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, Kyoto earns 157% less. 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: $877 in Kingston versus $575 in Kyoto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $228 in Kingston versus $367 in Kyoto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,304 in Kyoto versus $1,471 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 $1,304 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 13% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.