Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyoto and Bali

For one person, living costs are similar in Kyoto and in Bali: $1,229 and $1,236 a month, rent and utilities included.

Kyoto
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,229
/mo nomad
Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,236
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kyoto and in Bali

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 Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,229 per month in Kyoto vs $1,236 in Bali, rent included.

  • Kyoto $1,229
  • Bali $1,236

A couple spends around $1,987 per month in Kyoto vs $2,086 in Bali, rent included.

  • Kyoto $1,987
  • Bali $2,086

A family of three spends $2,745 per month in Kyoto vs $2,937 in Bali, rent included.

  • Kyoto $2,745
  • Bali $2,937

Kyoto is about 1% cheaper than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Kyoto and Bali are more affordable than the global median – Kyoto 9% lower, Bali 8% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kyoto
Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.52 ¥1,504
$2.76 Rp 49.7K
244.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.84 ¥5,031
$29.80 Rp 536.4K
6.85%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.00 ¥791
$4.63 Rp 83.3K
7.99%
Cappuccino
$3.35 ¥529
$2.32 Rp 41.7K
44.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 ¥132
$1.40 Rp 25.1K
-40.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 ¥115
$0.64 Rp 11.5K
14.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 ¥503
$2.19 Rp 39.4K
45.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.51 ¥870
$3.58 Rp 64.5K
53.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kyoto
Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.55 ¥244
$1.49 Rp 26.7K
4.03%
White Bread (500g)
$1.63 ¥258
$2.21 Rp 39.8K
-26.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.74 ¥907
$1.17 Rp 21.1K
390.60%
Eggs
$2.12 ¥335
$2.02 Rp 36.4K
4.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.57 ¥1,353
$16.52 Rp 297.4K
-48.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.58 ¥1,197
$3.68 Rp 66.2K
105.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.70 ¥1,690
$11.67 Rp 210.0K
-8.31%
Apples (1kg)
$5.16 ¥815
$3.44 Rp 62.0K
50.00%
Banana (1kg)
$2.27 ¥359
$1.46 Rp 26.2K
55.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.94 ¥781
$2.24 Rp 40.3K
120.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.51 ¥555
$1.82 Rp 32.8K
92.86%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 ¥307
$1.79 Rp 32.2K
8.38%
Onion (1kg)
$1.66 ¥262
$2.27 Rp 40.9K
-26.87%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 ¥187
$0.99 Rp 17.8K
19.19%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.99 ¥156
$0.51 Rp 9,186
94.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.86 ¥610
$2.15 Rp 38.7K
79.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.52 ¥1,189
$21.44 Rp 386.0K
-64.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.56 ¥247
$2.29 Rp 41.1K
-31.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27 ¥517
$2.86 Rp 51.5K
14.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Kyoto
Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.48 ¥234
$0.26 Rp 4,713
469.23%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$63.5 ¥10.0K
$7.97 Rp 143.5K
696.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.25 ¥513
$0.48 Rp 8,646
577.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.77 ¥596
$0.43 Rp 7,705
776.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.62 ¥4,521
$5.64 Rp 101.6K
407.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.06 ¥167
$0.82 Rp 14.8K
29.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K ¥3.4M
$23.7K Rp 426.6M
-8.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.1K ¥2.4M
$31.7K Rp 571.3M
-52.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kyoto
Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$102 ¥16.1K
$81.3 Rp 1.5M
25.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.50 ¥3,712
$6.53 Rp 117.6K
259.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.15 ¥4,921
$18.31 Rp 329.7K
70.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kyoto
Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.3 ¥8,265
$46.85 Rp 843.4K
11.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.00 ¥3,001
$15.05 Rp 270.8K
26.25%
Cinema Ticket
$12.06 ¥1,905
$3.69 Rp 66.5K
226.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kyoto
Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$642 ¥101.5K
$445 Rp 8.0M
44.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,412 ¥1.0M
$5,218 Rp 93.9M
22.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kyoto
Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.8 ¥8,980
$42.66 Rp 767.8K
33.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.66 ¥7,214
$33.40 Rp 601.2K
36.71%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$69.4 ¥11.0K
$75.0 Rp 1.4M
-7.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 ¥16.5K
$73.7 Rp 1.3M
41.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kyoto
Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$552 ¥87.1K
$996 Rp 17.9M
-44.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$325 ¥51.4K
$596 Rp 10.7M
-45.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,743 ¥275.4K
$3,054 Rp 55.0M
-42.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$766 ¥121.0K
$1,511 Rp 27.2M
-49.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,241 ¥354.0K
$2,430 Rp 43.7M
-7.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,270 ¥200.7K
$1,963 Rp 35.3M
-35.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kyoto
Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,889 ¥298.5K
$220 Rp 4.0M
757.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.23
13.78
-83.82%

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

Last update for Kyoto: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bali: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kyoto
$325
Bali
$596 83.2% $271
Groceries & Markets
Kyoto
$291
Bali
$277 4.9% $14
Eating Out
Kyoto
$165
Bali
$90 45.3% $75
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kyoto
$156
Bali
$106 32.1% $50
Clothing & Footwear
Kyoto
$124
Bali
$101 18.7% $23
Getting Around
Kyoto
$91
Bali
$12 87.3% $80
Sport & Entertainment
Kyoto
$76
Bali
$54 29% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $552 in Kyoto versus $996 in Bali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 758% higher in Kyoto, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Kyoto versus $30.00 in Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $277 – making Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Kyoto
🇮🇩 Bali
🕒 Local time
15:43 3:43 PM
14:43 2:43 PM
1 h behind Kyoto
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,475,183
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

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).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kyoto Bali 5,290 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kyoto
  • Bali

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 Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kyoto or Bali?
Bali costs about 1% more than Kyoto, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Kyoto and in Bali?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,844 per month in Kyoto and $1,854 in Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Kyoto or Bali?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kyoto, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Kyoto and in Bali?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Kyoto and $30.00 in Bali. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Kyoto compared to Bali?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,229 in Kyoto and $1,236 in Bali. That's a gap of about 1%.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Kyoto or in Bali?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kyoto, where all-in costs run around $1,229, than in Bali at $1,236. In Kyoto it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Kyoto or Bali?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kyoto costs $1,229 versus $1,236 in Bali. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Kyoto compared to Bali?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Kyoto or to Bali?
If budget matters most, go with Kyoto. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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