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: $1,459 in Kingston versus $1,295 in Kyoto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,444 in Kingston versus $2,158 in Kyoto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,429 in Kingston versus $3,021 in Kyoto.

Living in Kingston is roughly 13% more expensive than in 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

$7.57 JMD 1,191

$10.46 ¥1,708

-27.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 JMD 9,935

$34.88 ¥5,696

81.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 JMD 1,408

$5.58 ¥911

60.39%

Cappuccino

$4.46 JMD 702

$3.56 ¥582

25.28%

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

$1.37 JMD 215

$0.91 ¥149

50.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 JMD 118

$0.75 ¥123

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 JMD 383

$3.45 ¥563

-29.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 JMD 494

$6.74 ¥1,100

-53.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.18 JMD 658

$1.66 ¥271

151.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 JMD 557

$1.78 ¥291

98.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 JMD 243

$3.11 ¥508

-50.48%

Eggs

$3.52 JMD 554

$2.23 ¥364

57.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.04 JMD 1,736

$9.27 ¥1,513

19.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 JMD 1,019

$7.46 ¥1,218

-13.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 JMD 1,228

$15.46 ¥2,525

-49.48%

Apples (1kg)

$5.95 JMD 936

$5.53 ¥903

7.59%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 JMD 494

$2.48 ¥406

26.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 JMD 681

$6.44 ¥1,052

-32.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 JMD 459

$3.85 ¥629

-24.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 JMD 328

$1.65 ¥269

26.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 JMD 318

$2.29 ¥373

-11.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 JMD 467

$1.24 ¥202

139.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 JMD 227

$0.96 ¥157

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.72 JMD 1,371

$4.22 ¥689

106.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.29 JMD 1,776

$7.39 ¥1,206

52.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 JMD 438

$1.71 ¥280

62.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 JMD 496

$3.72 ¥608

-15.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 JMD 129

$1.65 ¥270

-50.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.33 JMD 7,760

$68.1 ¥11.1K

-27.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 JMD 168

$3.39 ¥553

-68.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.20 JMD 503

$2.88 ¥471

11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.39 JMD 1,005

$18.05 ¥2,948

-64.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 JMD 194

$1.22 ¥200

0.82%

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

$42.7K JMD 6.7M

$23.3K ¥3.8M

82.87%

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

$34.0K JMD 5.4M

$16.7K ¥2.7M

104.23%

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

$164 JMD 25.8K

$114 ¥18.6K

43.42%

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

$21.77 JMD 3,424

$26.49 ¥4,325

-17.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 JMD 8,132

$33.95 ¥5,543

52.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.6 JMD 10.9K

$57.0 ¥9,300

22.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.93 JMD 2,506

$21.03 ¥3,434

-24.25%

Cinema Ticket

$13.03 JMD 2,049

$12.94 ¥2,114

0.70%

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

$223 JMD 35.0K

$374 ¥61.0K

-40.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,512 JMD 395.1K

$7,364 ¥1.2M

-65.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.87 JMD 4,069

$46.64 ¥7,616

-44.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.40 JMD 3,996

$31.57 ¥5,155

-19.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.9 JMD 11.0K

$73.4 ¥12.0K

-4.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.3 JMD 12.0K

$90.8 ¥14.8K

-15.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$909 JMD 143.0K

$591 ¥96.5K

53.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 JMD 72.8K

$341 ¥55.7K

35.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 JMD 319.0K

$1,675 ¥273.5K

21.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 JMD 184.6K

$922 ¥150.6K

27.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 JMD 437.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,164 JMD 340.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$733 JMD 115.3K

$1,852 ¥302.4K

-60.42%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Kyoto: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $909 in Kingston and $591 in Kyoto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kyoto pays 153% 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 $349 vs $312 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, salaries run 153% 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: $909 in Kingston versus $591 in Kyoto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $223 in Kingston versus $374 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 $1,295 in Kyoto versus $1,459 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 $1,295 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.