Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyoto and Shanghai

For one person, living costs are similar in Kyoto and in Shanghai: $1,240 and $1,250 a month, rent and utilities included.

60

Cost of Living Index in Kyoto
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Kyoto Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Kyoto

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,240

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kyoto and in Shanghai

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

A single person spends $1,240 per month in Kyoto vs $1,250 in Shanghai, rent included.

Kyoto $1,240
Shanghai $1,250

A couple spends around $1,978 per month in Kyoto vs $2,019 in Shanghai, rent included.

Kyoto $1,978
Shanghai $2,019

A family of three spends $2,715 per month in Kyoto vs $2,789 in Shanghai, rent included.

Kyoto $2,715
Shanghai $2,789

Kyoto is about 1% cheaper than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kyoto and Shanghai are more affordable than the global median – Kyoto 7% lower, Shanghai 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.59 ¥1,517

$4.55 ¥30.40

110.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.03 ¥5,069

$29.52 ¥197

8.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.06 ¥800

$5.10 ¥34.08

-0.78%

Cappuccino

$3.35 ¥530

$3.42 ¥22.88

-2.05%

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

$0.81 ¥128

$0.61 ¥4.11

32.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥116

$0.36 ¥2.40

105.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.08 ¥488

$1.21 ¥8.07

154.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 ¥929

$2.29 ¥15.31

156.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ¥239

$1.86 ¥12.46

-18.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥258

$2.01 ¥13.45

-18.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.65 ¥894

$1.02 ¥6.83

453.92%

Eggs

$2.09 ¥331

$1.72 ¥11.46

21.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 ¥1,336

$17.19 ¥115

-50.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 ¥1,268

$3.35 ¥22.39

139.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ¥1,725

$12.80 ¥85.5

-14.84%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 ¥796

$2.17 ¥14.51

131.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 ¥370

$1.74 ¥11.65

34.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.97 ¥787

$1.94 ¥12.96

156.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 ¥565

$1.68 ¥11.23

112.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 ¥310

$0.77 ¥5.17

154.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 ¥261

$0.93 ¥6.21

77.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 ¥185

$0.62 ¥4.16

88.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ¥159

$0.58 ¥3.88

72.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 ¥628

$3.83 ¥25.60

3.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.69 ¥1,217

$10.94 ¥73.1

-29.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 ¥247

$0.84 ¥5.59

85.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ¥522

$1.60 ¥10.71

106.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ¥227

$0.59 ¥3.92

142.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.8 ¥9,931

$30.27 ¥202

107.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 ¥541

$2.06 ¥13.77

66.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.71 ¥588

$0.47 ¥3.13

689.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.89 ¥4,572

$8.80 ¥58.8

228.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥168

$1.27 ¥8.51

-16.54%

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

$21.3K ¥3.4M

$19.6K ¥131.0K

8.87%

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

$15.0K ¥2.4M

$18.6K ¥124.2K

-19.27%

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

$103 ¥16.2K

$57.2 ¥382

79.21%

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

$23.50 ¥3,718

$8.06 ¥53.8

191.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.21 ¥4,939

$10.52 ¥70.3

196.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ¥8,236

$64.6 ¥432

-19.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.02 ¥3,010

$17.63 ¥118

7.88%

Cinema Ticket

$12.44 ¥1,968

$8.84 ¥59.1

40.72%

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

$644 ¥101.9K

$1,437 ¥9,605

-55.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,611 ¥1.0M

$28.1K ¥187.5K

-76.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.2 ¥8,727

$54.7 ¥365

0.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.47 ¥7,354

$36.43 ¥243

27.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.5 ¥10.8K

$75.4 ¥504

-9.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 ¥16.7K

$104 ¥695

1.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$565 ¥89.5K

$1,039 ¥6,945

-45.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ¥50.9K

$589 ¥3,933

-45.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,798 ¥284.5K

$2,487 ¥16.6K

-27.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$776 ¥122.8K

$1,237 ¥8,268

-37.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,243 ¥354.9K

$13.6K ¥90.8K

-83.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,253 ¥198.3K

$6,191 ¥41.4K

-79.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,908 ¥302.0K

$1,715 ¥11.5K

11.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.23

3.36

-33.63%

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

Last update for Kyoto: October 3, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Kyoto

$322 26.2%

Shanghai

$589 47.1% 82.9% $267

Groceries & Markets

Kyoto

$293 23.9%

Shanghai

$237 19% 19.2% $56

Eating Out

Kyoto

$165 13.5%

Shanghai

$107 8.6% 35.1% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kyoto

$157 12.8%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 51.8% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Kyoto

$124 10.1%

Shanghai

$122 9.7% 1.8% $2.3

Getting Around

Kyoto

$90 7.4%

Shanghai

$37 3% 59.1% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Kyoto

$77 6.3%

Shanghai

$82 6.6% 7% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $565 in Kyoto versus $1,039 in Shanghai. 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 11% 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 Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $237 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Kyoto

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

11:04 11:04 AM

10:04 10:04 AM

1 h behind Kyoto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,183

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.32 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kyoto Shanghai 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Kyoto
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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 Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,240 in Kyoto, $1,250 in Shanghai – roughly 1% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,859 per month in Kyoto and $1,874 in Shanghai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 24% cheaper in Shanghai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Kyoto and $30.00 in Shanghai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kyoto, where all-in costs run around $1,240, than in Shanghai at $1,250. In Kyoto it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Kyoto has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,240 in Kyoto to $1,250 in Shanghai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Kyoto. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shanghai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.