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: $1,280 in Kyoto versus $1,454 in Kingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Kyoto versus $2,432 in Kingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,081 in Kyoto versus $3,409 in Kingston.

Living in Kyoto costs roughly 12% less than in Kingston, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kyoto is 5% below, Kingston is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.54 ¥1,685

$7.54 JMD 1,186

39.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.94 ¥5,589

$63.3 JMD 9,962

-44.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 ¥871

$8.76 JMD 1,378

-37.79%

Cappuccino

$3.40 ¥544

$4.44 JMD 699

-23.42%

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

$0.86 ¥137

$1.31 JMD 206

-34.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥127

$0.69 JMD 109

14.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 ¥543

$2.57 JMD 404

31.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 ¥1,047

$3.08 JMD 485

112.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ¥259

$4.32 JMD 680

-62.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 ¥277

$3.54 JMD 557

-51.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 ¥509

$1.61 JMD 253

97.52%

Eggs

$2.33 ¥372

$3.50 JMD 550

-33.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 ¥1,508

$11.10 JMD 1,745

-15.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.84 ¥1,254

$6.50 JMD 1,022

20.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 ¥2,458

$7.79 JMD 1,225

97.30%

Apples (1kg)

$5.47 ¥875

$6.15 JMD 967

-11.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 ¥402

$3.06 JMD 481

-17.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.53 ¥1,045

$4.33 JMD 681

50.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 ¥611

$3.00 JMD 472

27.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 ¥263

$2.05 JMD 322

-20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 ¥366

$1.91 JMD 301

19.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 ¥201

$3.13 JMD 492

-60.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥150

$1.45 JMD 228

-35.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 ¥646

$9.00 JMD 1,416

-55.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 ¥1,214

$11.59 JMD 1,823

-34.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ¥284

$2.86 JMD 449

-38.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ¥582

$3.08 JMD 485

18.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 ¥265

$0.89 JMD 140

85.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.0 ¥11.2K

$49.88 JMD 7,844

40.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 ¥567

$1.08 JMD 170

228.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.88 ¥461

$3.16 JMD 497

-8.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.89 ¥2,862

$6.17 JMD 971

189.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥197

$1.24 JMD 195

-0.81%

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

$23.4K ¥3.7M

$42.8K JMD 6.7M

-45.40%

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

$17.3K ¥2.8M

$33.5K JMD 5.3M

-48.54%

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

$111 ¥17.8K

$165 JMD 25.9K

-32.48%

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

$26.44 ¥4,229

$21.76 JMD 3,422

21.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.33 ¥5,491

$51.9 JMD 8,162

-33.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.5 ¥9,359

$69.4 JMD 10.9K

-15.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.85 ¥3,335

$15.47 JMD 2,433

34.78%

Cinema Ticket

$13.11 ¥2,097

$13.21 JMD 2,078

-0.76%

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

$369 ¥59.0K

$228 JMD 35.9K

61.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,257 ¥1.2M

$2,456 JMD 386.2K

195.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.88 ¥7,497

$26.42 JMD 4,156

77.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.55 ¥5,047

$25.61 JMD 4,028

23.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.2 ¥11.7K

$69.9 JMD 11.0K

4.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 ¥14.9K

$77.6 JMD 12.2K

20.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$588 ¥94.1K

$886 JMD 139.4K

-33.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 ¥55.5K

$446 JMD 70.2K

-22.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 ¥261.2K

$1,996 JMD 313.9K

-18.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$939 ¥150.2K

$1,214 JMD 190.8K

-22.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,824 JMD 444.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,167 JMD 340.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,848 ¥295.6K

$754 JMD 118.6K

145.14%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Kingston: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $588 in Kyoto and $886 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kyoto pays 145% 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 $314 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 14% 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 145% 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: $588 in Kyoto versus $886 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $369 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 12% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,280 in Kyoto versus $1,454 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 $1,280 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 14% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.