Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyoto and Kingston Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyoto and Kingston

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,295 in Kyoto versus $1,459 in Kingston.

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

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

Living in Kyoto costs roughly 11% less than in Kingston, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.46 ¥1,708

$7.57 JMD 1,191

38.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 ¥5,696

$63.2 JMD 9,935

-44.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.58 ¥911

$8.95 JMD 1,408

-37.65%

Cappuccino

$3.56 ¥582

$4.46 JMD 702

-20.18%

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

$0.91 ¥149

$1.37 JMD 215

-33.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥123

$0.75 JMD 118

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 ¥563

$2.43 JMD 383

41.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.74 ¥1,100

$3.14 JMD 494

114.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ¥271

$4.18 JMD 658

-60.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 ¥291

$3.54 JMD 557

-49.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 ¥508

$1.54 JMD 243

101.95%

Eggs

$2.23 ¥364

$3.52 JMD 554

-36.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 ¥1,513

$11.04 JMD 1,736

-16.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.46 ¥1,218

$6.48 JMD 1,019

15.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.46 ¥2,525

$7.81 JMD 1,228

97.95%

Apples (1kg)

$5.53 ¥903

$5.95 JMD 936

-7.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 ¥406

$3.14 JMD 494

-21.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.44 ¥1,052

$4.33 JMD 681

48.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 ¥629

$2.92 JMD 459

31.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 ¥269

$2.09 JMD 328

-21.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 ¥373

$2.02 JMD 318

13.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ¥202

$2.97 JMD 467

-58.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ¥157

$1.44 JMD 227

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 ¥689

$8.72 JMD 1,371

-51.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.39 ¥1,206

$11.29 JMD 1,776

-34.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥280

$2.78 JMD 438

-38.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ¥608

$3.15 JMD 496

18.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 ¥270

$0.82 JMD 129

101.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.1 ¥11.1K

$49.33 JMD 7,760

38.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.39 ¥553

$1.07 JMD 168

216.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.88 ¥471

$3.20 JMD 503

-10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.05 ¥2,948

$6.39 JMD 1,005

182.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥200

$1.23 JMD 194

-0.81%

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

$23.3K ¥3.8M

$42.7K JMD 6.7M

-45.32%

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

$16.7K ¥2.7M

$34.0K JMD 5.4M

-51.03%

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

$114 ¥18.6K

$164 JMD 25.8K

-30.28%

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

$26.49 ¥4,325

$21.77 JMD 3,424

21.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.95 ¥5,543

$51.7 JMD 8,132

-34.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 ¥9,300

$69.6 JMD 10.9K

-18.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.03 ¥3,434

$15.93 JMD 2,506

32.02%

Cinema Ticket

$12.94 ¥2,114

$13.03 JMD 2,049

-0.69%

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

$374 ¥61.0K

$223 JMD 35.0K

67.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,364 ¥1.2M

$2,512 JMD 395.1K

193.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.64 ¥7,616

$25.87 JMD 4,069

80.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.57 ¥5,155

$25.40 JMD 3,996

24.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.4 ¥12.0K

$69.9 JMD 11.0K

5.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 ¥14.8K

$76.3 JMD 12.0K

18.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$591 ¥96.5K

$909 JMD 143.0K

-34.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 ¥55.7K

$463 JMD 72.8K

-26.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,675 ¥273.5K

$2,028 JMD 319.0K

-17.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$922 ¥150.6K

$1,174 JMD 184.6K

-21.45%

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)

$1,852 ¥302.4K

$733 JMD 115.3K

152.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.78

9.15

-80.55%

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

Last update for Kyoto: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kingston: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $591 in Kyoto and $909 in Kingston. 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: $35.00 in Kyoto vs $63.0 in Kingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $349 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

Kyoto vs Kingston: 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.

Average pay runs 153% higher in Kyoto, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $591 in Kyoto versus $909 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $374 in Kyoto versus $223 in Kingston. 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.