Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kyoto and Yokohama

For one person, living costs are similar in Kyoto and in Yokohama: $1,290 and $1,340 a month, rent and utilities included.

62

Cost of Living Index in Kyoto
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Kyoto Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Yokohama
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Yokohama Living Index

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Kyoto

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,290

/mo nomad

Yokohama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kyoto and in Yokohama

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

A single person spends $1,290 per month in Kyoto vs $1,340 in Yokohama, rent included.

Kyoto $1,290
Yokohama $1,340

A couple spends around $1,932 per month in Kyoto vs $2,054 in Yokohama, rent included.

Kyoto $1,932
Yokohama $2,054

A family of three spends $2,574 per month in Kyoto vs $2,768 in Yokohama, rent included.

Kyoto $2,574
Yokohama $2,768

Kyoto is about 4% cheaper than Yokohama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Kyoto and Yokohama are more affordable than the global median – Kyoto 5% lower, Yokohama 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.77 ¥1,543

$6.45 ¥1,019

51.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 ¥5,109

$40.72 ¥6,433

-20.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥808

$5.19 ¥820

-1.54%

Cappuccino

$3.22 ¥508

$3.41 ¥539

-5.57%

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

$0.89 ¥141

$1.06 ¥167

-16.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥112

$0.74 ¥116

-4.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 ¥509

$2.60 ¥410

23.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 ¥924

$3.09 ¥489

89.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥245

$1.46 ¥231

6.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥254

$1.75 ¥277

-8.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.84 ¥923

$3.59 ¥567

62.67%

Eggs

$2.11 ¥333

$2.03 ¥320

3.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.84 ¥1,396

$10.26 ¥1,621

-13.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.92 ¥1,252

$6.14 ¥970

28.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.70 ¥1,691

$14.66 ¥2,316

-27.01%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 ¥820

$5.54 ¥876

-6.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ¥375

$2.76 ¥437

-14.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.15 ¥814

$2.96 ¥468

73.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.69 ¥583

$4.10 ¥648

-10.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 ¥295

$2.52 ¥398

-25.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ¥262

$2.58 ¥407

-35.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ¥180

$1.30 ¥205

-12.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥148

$0.77 ¥121

22.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 ¥639

$3.90 ¥617

3.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.73 ¥1,222

$6.30 ¥995

22.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥255

$1.82 ¥288

-11.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ¥532

$2.09 ¥331

61.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ¥225

$1.37 ¥217

3.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.1 ¥9,810

$62.4 ¥9,862

-0.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 ¥521

$3.11 ¥491

6.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.88 ¥612

$2.66 ¥421

45.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.61 ¥3,256

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥174

$1.07 ¥169

2.80%

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

$22.7K ¥3.6M

$21.6K ¥3.4M

5.21%

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

$15.5K ¥2.4M

$16.1K ¥2.5M

-3.84%

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

$101 ¥16.0K

$130 ¥20.6K

-22.39%

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

$23.51 ¥3,714

$24.74 ¥3,909

-4.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.41 ¥4,804

$32.65 ¥5,159

-6.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 ¥8,150

$48.93 ¥7,730

5.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.87 ¥2,982

$11.78 ¥1,861

60.19%

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 ¥2,168

$13.09 ¥2,068

4.81%

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

$718 ¥113.4K

$805 ¥127.2K

-10.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,490 ¥1.0M

$15.0K ¥2.4M

-56.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 ¥8,962

$61.7 ¥9,739

-7.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.07 ¥7,121

$37.72 ¥5,960

19.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 ¥11.1K

$62.6 ¥9,893

12.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ¥16.2K

$102 ¥16.1K

0.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 ¥100.7K

$1,097 ¥173.2K

-41.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 ¥59.9K

$450 ¥71.0K

-15.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,176 ¥185.7K

$1,796 ¥283.8K

-34.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$577 ¥91.2K

$805 ¥127.1K

-28.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,226 ¥667.6K

$5,778 ¥912.8K

-26.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,921 ¥461.5K

$4,066 ¥642.3K

-28.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,873 ¥295.8K

$2,669 ¥421.7K

-29.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.23

2.64

-15.53%

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

Last update for Kyoto: October 25, 2026

Last update for Yokohama: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kyoto

$379 29.4%

Yokohama

$450 33.6% 18.5% $70

Groceries & Markets

Kyoto

$296 22.9%

Yokohama

$290 21.6% 2.1% $6.1

Eating Out

Kyoto

$166 12.9%

Yokohama

$134 10% 19.1% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kyoto

$155 12%

Yokohama

$188 14% 21.1% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Kyoto

$123 9.6%

Yokohama

$119 8.9% 3.8% $4.7

Getting Around

Kyoto

$90 7%

Yokohama

$84 6.3% 6.8% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Kyoto

$79 6.1%

Yokohama

$75 5.6% 5% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $638 in Kyoto versus $1,097 in Yokohama. 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 43% higher in Yokohama. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Kyoto versus $41 in Yokohama. Groceries tell a different story – $296 in Kyoto vs $290 in Yokohama – so Yokohama wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Kyoto

🇯🇵 Yokohama

🕒 Local time

02:49 2:49 AM

Same time as Kyoto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,183

3,777,491

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Kyoto vs Yokohama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,290 in Kyoto, $1,340 in Yokohama – roughly 4% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,934 per month in Kyoto and $2,010 in Yokohama. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $638 there versus $1,097 in Yokohama.

Kindergarten costs $718 per month in Kyoto and $805 in Yokohama. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,290 in Kyoto and $1,340 in Yokohama. That’s a gap of about 4%.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,290 in Kyoto and $1,340 in Yokohama, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Yokohama has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,290 in Kyoto to $1,340 in Yokohama. 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, Yokohama makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.