Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Kyoto

For one person, living is cheaper in Kyoto: $1,229 a month against $1,663 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Kyoto
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Kyoto Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,663

/mo nomad

Kyoto

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,229

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo and in Kyoto

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tokyo and in Kyoto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,663 per month in Tokyo vs $1,229 in Kyoto, rent included.

Tokyo $1,663
Kyoto $1,229

A couple spends around $2,592 per month in Tokyo vs $1,987 in Kyoto, rent included.

Tokyo $2,592
Kyoto $1,987

A family of three spends $3,521 per month in Tokyo vs $2,745 in Kyoto, rent included.

Tokyo $3,521
Kyoto $2,745

Tokyo costs about 35% more than Kyoto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tokyo sits 23% above the global median, while Kyoto is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.47 ¥1,180

$9.52 ¥1,504

-21.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.48 ¥5,921

$31.84 ¥5,031

17.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 ¥774

$5.00 ¥791

-2.00%

Cappuccino

$3.62 ¥571

$3.35 ¥529

8.06%

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

$1.66 ¥262

$0.83 ¥132

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥133

$0.73 ¥115

15.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 ¥582

$3.18 ¥503

16.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 ¥829

$5.51 ¥870

-4.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥236

$1.55 ¥244

-3.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 ¥276

$1.63 ¥258

7.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.63 ¥889

$5.74 ¥907

-1.92%

Eggs

$2.20 ¥348

$2.12 ¥335

3.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 ¥1,767

$8.57 ¥1,353

30.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 ¥1,081

$7.58 ¥1,197

-9.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.61 ¥2,624

$10.70 ¥1,690

55.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.80 ¥759

$5.16 ¥815

-6.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 ¥354

$2.27 ¥359

-1.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 ¥666

$4.94 ¥781

-14.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.20 ¥821

$3.51 ¥555

48.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 ¥520

$1.94 ¥307

69.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 ¥481

$1.66 ¥262

83.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ¥188

$1.18 ¥187

0.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥129

$0.99 ¥156

-18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.92 ¥619

$3.86 ¥610

1.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.65 ¥1,524

$7.52 ¥1,189

28.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥258

$1.56 ¥247

4.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 ¥426

$3.27 ¥517

-17.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.48 ¥234

-15.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.9 ¥10.1K

$63.5 ¥10.0K

0.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 ¥494

$3.25 ¥513

-3.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 ¥507

$3.77 ¥596

-14.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.55 ¥2,931

$28.62 ¥4,521

-35.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ¥166

$1.06 ¥167

-0.94%

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

$21.5K ¥3.4M

$21.8K ¥3.4M

-1.07%

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

$15.2K ¥2.4M

$15.1K ¥2.4M

0.26%

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

$149 ¥23.5K

$102 ¥16.1K

46.08%

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

$21.59 ¥3,412

$23.50 ¥3,712

-8.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.62 ¥4,837

$31.15 ¥4,921

-1.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.7 ¥10.5K

$52.3 ¥8,265

27.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.58 ¥4,042

$19.00 ¥3,001

34.63%

Cinema Ticket

$12.68 ¥2,004

$12.06 ¥1,905

5.14%

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

$1,350 ¥213.3K

$642 ¥101.5K

110.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K ¥2.8M

$6,412 ¥1.0M

179.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 ¥8,853

$56.8 ¥8,980

-1.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.14 ¥5,236

$45.66 ¥7,214

-27.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.3 ¥10.2K

$69.4 ¥11.0K

-7.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 ¥11.1K

$105 ¥16.5K

-32.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 ¥197.9K

$552 ¥87.1K

127.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$700 ¥110.6K

$325 ¥51.4K

115.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,502 ¥395.3K

$1,743 ¥275.4K

43.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 ¥225.9K

$766 ¥121.0K

86.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,428 ¥1.5M

$2,241 ¥354.0K

320.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,236 ¥669.3K

$1,270 ¥200.7K

233.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,998 ¥473.7K

$1,889 ¥298.5K

58.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

2.23

0.90%

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

Last update for Tokyo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kyoto: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$700 42.1%

Kyoto

$325 26.5% 53.5% $375

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$325 19.5%

Kyoto

$291 23.7% 10.5% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$201 12.1%

Kyoto

$156 12.7% 22.1% $44

Eating Out

Tokyo

$157 9.4%

Kyoto

$165 13.4% 4.9% $7.8

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$101 6.1%

Kyoto

$124 10.1% 23.7% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$92 5.5%

Kyoto

$76 6.2% 17% $16

Getting Around

Tokyo

$88 5.3%

Kyoto

$91 7.4% 3.9% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,253 in Tokyo versus $552 in Kyoto. 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 59% higher in Tokyo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Tokyo versus $32.00 in Kyoto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $291 – making Kyoto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Kyoto

🕒 Local time

00:51 12:51 AM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

1,475,183

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Tokyo vs Kyoto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,663 in Tokyo, $1,229 in Kyoto – roughly 35% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,495 per month in Tokyo and $1,844 in Kyoto. 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.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Tokyo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Tokyo and $32.00 in Kyoto. 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 $1,229, than in Tokyo at $1,663. In Kyoto it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tokyo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Tokyo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,229 in Kyoto to $1,663 in Tokyo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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