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: $1,279 in Kyoto versus $1,702 in Kingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,052 in Kyoto versus $2,853 in Kingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,826 in Kyoto versus $4,004 in Kingston.

Living in Kyoto costs roughly 25% less than in Kingston, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kyoto is 7% below, Kingston is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.48 ¥1,455

$15.79 JMD 2,481

-39.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.66 ¥5,015

$75.8 JMD 11.9K

-56.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 ¥819

$8.56 JMD 1,345

-37.73%

Cappuccino

$3.40 ¥522

$5.40 JMD 848

-37.04%

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

$0.90 ¥137

$1.24 JMD 195

-27.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥116

$0.70 JMD 109

8.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 ¥507

$2.21 JMD 348

49.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 ¥874

$3.18 JMD 500

78.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ¥246

$4.25 JMD 667

-62.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥258

$3.68 JMD 578

-54.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.04 ¥927

$1.62 JMD 255

272.84%

Eggs

$2.13 ¥328

$3.44 JMD 540

-38.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 ¥1,341

$11.60 JMD 1,822

-24.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 ¥991

$6.41 JMD 1,007

0.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.65 ¥1,790

$10.16 JMD 1,596

14.67%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 ¥780

$6.16 JMD 967

-17.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 ¥356

$4.00 JMD 629

-42.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.15 ¥790

$7.30 JMD 1,147

-29.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.76 ¥578

$2.97 JMD 467

26.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 ¥305

$3.25 JMD 511

-39.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 ¥271

$2.70 JMD 424

-34.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 ¥185

$3.15 JMD 495

-61.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ¥146

$1.49 JMD 233

-36.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 ¥608

$9.17 JMD 1,440

-56.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.60 ¥1,167

$11.16 JMD 1,754

-31.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥248

$2.81 JMD 442

-42.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 ¥536

$3.95 JMD 621

-11.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 ¥224

$0.81 JMD 127

80.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 ¥9,888

$37.86 JMD 5,946

70.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 ¥534

$1.23 JMD 193

182.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.78 ¥580

$3.10 JMD 486

21.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.10 ¥4,468

$6.23 JMD 979

367.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ¥165

$1.39 JMD 218

-22.30%

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

$21.9K ¥3.4M

$44.5K JMD 7.0M

-50.75%

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

$15.8K ¥2.4M

$32.9K JMD 5.2M

-52.07%

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

$104 ¥16.0K

$178 JMD 28.0K

-41.34%

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

$24.66 ¥3,786

$29.81 JMD 4,682

-17.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.80 ¥4,882

$52.5 JMD 8,241

-39.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 ¥8,394

$61.1 JMD 9,598

-10.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.22 ¥2,951

$17.79 JMD 2,794

8.04%

Cinema Ticket

$12.45 ¥1,912

$13.15 JMD 2,065

-5.32%

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

$667 ¥102.5K

$357 JMD 56.1K

86.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,681 ¥1.0M

$8,159 JMD 1.3M

-18.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 ¥8,984

$23.41 JMD 3,678

149.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.00 ¥7,064

$31.32 JMD 4,919

46.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 ¥11.0K

$76.5 JMD 12.0K

-6.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 ¥16.1K

$102 JMD 16.0K

3.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$577 ¥88.6K

$955 JMD 150.1K

-39.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 ¥51.3K

$563 JMD 88.4K

-40.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,803 ¥276.8K

$2,148 JMD 337.4K

-16.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$789 ¥121.2K

$1,430 JMD 224.6K

-44.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,267 ¥348.1K

$2,887 JMD 453.5K

-21.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,296 ¥199.0K

$2,090 JMD 328.4K

-38.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,981 ¥304.2K

$744 JMD 116.9K

166.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.23

9.45

-76.40%

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

Last update for Kyoto: September 5, 2026

Last update for Kingston: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $577 in Kyoto and $955 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kyoto pays 166% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Kyoto vs $76.0 in Kingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $386 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 33% 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 166% 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: $577 in Kyoto versus $955 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $667 in Kyoto versus $357 in Kingston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,279 in Kyoto versus $1,702 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 $1,279 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 33% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.