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: $1,304 in Kyoto versus $1,471 in Kingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,171 in Kyoto versus $2,446 in Kingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,039 in Kyoto versus $3,420 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

$10.47 ¥1,668

$7.30 JMD 1,149

43.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.21 ¥5,610

$62.8 JMD 9,878

-43.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 ¥898

$8.99 JMD 1,414

-37.37%

Cappuccino

$3.39 ¥541

$4.36 JMD 685

-22.25%

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

$0.91 ¥146

$1.36 JMD 214

-33.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥127

$0.75 JMD 118

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 ¥541

$2.47 JMD 388

37.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 ¥1,043

$3.20 JMD 503

104.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 ¥268

$4.41 JMD 694

-61.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥271

$3.58 JMD 564

-52.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 ¥512

$1.61 JMD 254

99.38%

Eggs

$2.35 ¥374

$3.55 JMD 559

-33.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.72 ¥1,549

$11.14 JMD 1,752

-12.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.49 ¥1,193

$6.45 JMD 1,015

16.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.74 ¥2,507

$7.54 JMD 1,187

108.75%

Apples (1kg)

$5.64 ¥899

$6.15 JMD 967

-8.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 ¥398

$3.03 JMD 477

-17.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 ¥1,022

$4.14 JMD 651

54.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 ¥632

$2.96 JMD 465

34.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 ¥250

$2.10 JMD 331

-25.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 ¥364

$1.91 JMD 301

19.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 ¥206

$3.07 JMD 484

-57.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ¥161

$1.45 JMD 228

-30.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 ¥649

$8.70 JMD 1,369

-53.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.49 ¥1,193

$11.41 JMD 1,794

-34.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥287

$2.91 JMD 457

-38.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 ¥568

$3.07 JMD 482

15.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 ¥262

$0.88 JMD 138

86.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.8 ¥11.1K

$49.34 JMD 7,762

41.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ¥566

$1.13 JMD 177

214.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.02 ¥480

$3.25 JMD 511

-7.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.89 ¥2,851

$6.08 JMD 956

194.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥197

$1.28 JMD 201

-3.13%

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

$23.2K ¥3.7M

$43.4K JMD 6.8M

-46.61%

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

$17.2K ¥2.7M

$33.2K JMD 5.2M

-48.18%

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

$111 ¥17.7K

$163 JMD 25.6K

-31.73%

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

$26.83 ¥4,276

$22.50 JMD 3,539

19.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.16 ¥5,284

$51.1 JMD 8,042

-35.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 ¥9,063

$69.8 JMD 11.0K

-18.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.95 ¥3,337

$15.48 JMD 2,435

35.34%

Cinema Ticket

$13.35 ¥2,127

$13.13 JMD 2,066

1.68%

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

$367 ¥58.5K

$228 JMD 35.9K

60.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,478 ¥1.2M

$2,527 JMD 397.5K

195.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.39 ¥7,392

$26.50 JMD 4,169

75.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.67 ¥5,046

$25.86 JMD 4,068

22.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 ¥11.6K

$71.8 JMD 11.3K

1.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.2 ¥14.4K

$77.6 JMD 12.2K

16.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$575 ¥91.6K

$877 JMD 137.9K

-34.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 ¥54.8K

$449 JMD 70.6K

-23.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,650 ¥262.9K

$2,018 JMD 317.4K

-18.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 ¥150.1K

$1,213 JMD 190.8K

-22.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,865 JMD 450.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,208 JMD 347.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,882 ¥299.9K

$734 JMD 115.4K

156.53%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Kingston: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $575 in Kyoto and $877 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kyoto pays 157% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35 in Kyoto vs $63 in Kingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $353 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.

Kyoto pays 157% more on average, 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: $575 in Kyoto versus $877 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $367 in Kyoto versus $228 in Kingston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,304 in Kyoto versus $1,471 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 $1,304 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.