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: $1,454 in Kingston versus $1,280 in Kyoto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,432 in Kingston versus $2,181 in Kyoto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,409 in Kingston versus $3,081 in Kyoto.

Living in Kingston is roughly 14% more expensive than Kyoto, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kingston is 8% above, Kyoto is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.54 JMD 1,186

$10.54 ¥1,685

-28.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 JMD 9,962

$34.94 ¥5,589

81.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 JMD 1,378

$5.45 ¥871

60.73%

Cappuccino

$4.44 JMD 699

$3.40 ¥544

30.59%

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

$1.31 JMD 206

$0.86 ¥137

52.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 JMD 109

$0.79 ¥127

-12.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 JMD 404

$3.39 ¥543

-24.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 JMD 485

$6.54 ¥1,047

-52.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.32 JMD 680

$1.62 ¥259

166.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 JMD 557

$1.73 ¥277

104.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 JMD 253

$3.18 ¥509

-49.37%

Eggs

$3.50 JMD 550

$2.33 ¥372

50.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 JMD 1,745

$9.43 ¥1,508

17.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.50 JMD 1,022

$7.84 ¥1,254

-17.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.79 JMD 1,225

$15.37 ¥2,458

-49.32%

Apples (1kg)

$6.15 JMD 967

$5.47 ¥875

12.43%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 JMD 481

$2.51 ¥402

21.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 JMD 681

$6.53 ¥1,045

-33.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 JMD 472

$3.82 ¥611

-21.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 JMD 322

$1.64 ¥263

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 JMD 301

$2.29 ¥366

-16.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.13 JMD 492

$1.25 ¥201

150.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 JMD 228

$0.94 ¥150

54.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.00 JMD 1,416

$4.04 ¥646

122.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.59 JMD 1,823

$7.59 ¥1,214

52.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 JMD 449

$1.77 ¥284

61.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 JMD 485

$3.64 ¥582

-15.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 JMD 140

$1.65 ¥265

-46.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.88 JMD 7,844

$70.0 ¥11.2K

-28.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 JMD 170

$3.55 ¥567

-69.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.16 JMD 497

$2.88 ¥461

9.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 JMD 971

$17.89 ¥2,862

-65.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 JMD 195

$1.23 ¥197

0.81%

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

$42.8K JMD 6.7M

$23.4K ¥3.7M

83.15%

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

$33.5K JMD 5.3M

$17.3K ¥2.8M

94.33%

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

$165 JMD 25.9K

$111 ¥17.8K

48.11%

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

$21.76 JMD 3,422

$26.44 ¥4,229

-17.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.9 JMD 8,162

$34.33 ¥5,491

51.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 JMD 10.9K

$58.5 ¥9,359

18.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.47 JMD 2,433

$20.85 ¥3,335

-25.80%

Cinema Ticket

$13.21 JMD 2,078

$13.11 ¥2,097

0.76%

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

$228 JMD 35.9K

$369 ¥59.0K

-38.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,456 JMD 386.2K

$7,257 ¥1.2M

-66.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.42 JMD 4,156

$46.88 ¥7,497

-43.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.61 JMD 4,028

$31.55 ¥5,047

-18.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.9 JMD 11.0K

$73.2 ¥11.7K

-4.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.6 JMD 12.2K

$93.5 ¥14.9K

-16.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$886 JMD 139.4K

$588 ¥94.1K

50.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 JMD 70.2K

$347 ¥55.5K

28.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,996 JMD 313.9K

$1,633 ¥261.2K

22.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 JMD 190.8K

$939 ¥150.2K

29.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,824 JMD 444.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,167 JMD 340.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 JMD 118.6K

$1,848 ¥295.6K

-59.21%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kyoto: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $886 in Kingston and $588 in Kyoto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kyoto pays 145% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Kingston vs $35.00 in Kyoto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $314 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 14% 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 145% 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: $886 in Kingston versus $588 in Kyoto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $228 in Kingston versus $369 in Kyoto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,280 in Kyoto versus $1,454 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 $1,280 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 14% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.