Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyoto and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Kyoto: $1,229 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Kyoto
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Kyoto Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Kyoto

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,229

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kyoto and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kyoto and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,229 in Kyoto versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Kyoto $1,229
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,987 in Kyoto versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Kyoto $1,987
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,745 in Kyoto versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Kyoto $2,745
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Kyoto costs roughly 54% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kyoto is 9% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.52 ¥1,504

$20.77 $20.77

-54.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.84 ¥5,031

$84.6 $84.6

-62.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 ¥791

$12.32 $12.32

-59.42%

Cappuccino

$3.35 ¥529

$5.63 $5.63

-40.50%

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

$0.83 ¥132

$3.72 $3.72

-77.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ¥115

$2.50 $2.50

-70.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 ¥503

$8.05 $8.05

-60.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.51 ¥870

$9.01 $9.01

-38.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥244

$1.12 $1.12

38.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥258

$3.75 $3.75

-56.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.74 ¥907

$3.26 $3.26

76.07%

Eggs

$2.12 ¥335

$4.17 $4.17

-49.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 ¥1,353

$12.90 $12.90

-33.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.58 ¥1,197

$14.16 $14.16

-46.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.70 ¥1,690

$16.22 $16.22

-34.03%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 ¥815

$4.33 $4.33

19.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 ¥359

$1.46 $1.46

55.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.94 ¥781

$4.51 $4.51

9.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 ¥555

$4.34 $4.34

-19.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 ¥307

$2.58 $2.58

-24.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ¥262

$2.35 $2.35

-29.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ¥187

$1.78 $1.78

-33.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ¥156

$2.22 $2.22

-55.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.86 ¥610

$9.88 $9.88

-60.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.52 ¥1,189

$15.08 $15.08

-50.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 ¥247

$2.92 $2.92

-46.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 ¥517

$3.46 $3.46

-5.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 ¥234

$1.49 $1.49

-0.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.5 ¥10.0K

$41.72 $41.72

52.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 ¥513

$2.73 $2.73

19.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.77 ¥596

$1.66 $1.66

127.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.62 ¥4,521

$35.30 $35.30

-18.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥167

$0.95 $0.95

11.58%

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

$21.8K ¥3.4M

$36.0K $36.0K

-39.58%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$27.1K $27.1K

-44.15%

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

$102 ¥16.1K

$229 $229

-55.61%

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

$23.50 ¥3,712

$59.4 $59.4

-60.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.15 ¥4,921

$69.9 $69.9

-55.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ¥8,265

$57.2 $57.2

-8.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 ¥3,001

$16.33 $16.33

16.35%

Cinema Ticket

$12.06 ¥1,905

$14.28 $14.28

-15.55%

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

$642 ¥101.5K

$1,506 $1,506

-57.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,412 ¥1.0M

$21.5K $21.5K

-70.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 ¥8,980

$52.8 $52.8

7.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.66 ¥7,214

$43.82 $43.82

4.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.4 ¥11.0K

$84.8 $84.8

-18.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 ¥16.5K

$103 $103

1.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$552 ¥87.1K

$1,907 $1,907

-71.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 ¥51.4K

$1,274 $1,274

-74.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,743 ¥275.4K

$3,664 $3,664

-52.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$766 ¥121.0K

$2,538 $2,538

-69.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,241 ¥354.0K

$7,614 $7,614

-70.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,270 ¥200.7K

$3,157 $3,157

-59.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,889 ¥298.5K

$5,121 $5,121

-63.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.23

6.79

-67.16%

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

Last update for Kyoto: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Kyoto

$325 26.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 292% $949

Groceries & Markets

Kyoto

$291 23.7%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 39.1% $114

Eating Out

Kyoto

$165 13.4%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 115% $189

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kyoto

$156 12.7%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 129% $202

Clothing & Footwear

Kyoto

$124 10.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 2.9% $3.5

Getting Around

Kyoto

$91 7.4%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 35.8% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Kyoto

$76 6.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 12.2% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $552 in Kyoto and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 171% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Kyoto vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $405 per month, with Kyoto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Kyoto

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

12:39 12:39 PM

22:39 10:39 PM

14 h behind Kyoto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,183

974,447

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

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Between locations

Kyoto Austin, TX 10,850 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Kyoto
Austin, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Kyoto vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kyoto wins on cost – living expenses run 117% lower than in Austin, TX. 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 171% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $552 in Kyoto versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,229 per month in Kyoto versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 117% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kyoto runs roughly 52% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,229 in Kyoto versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kyoto but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. 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 $1,229 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 117% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.