Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yokohama and Kyoto

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

65

Cost of Living Index in Yokohama
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Yokohama Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Kyoto
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Kyoto Living Index

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Yokohama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,340

/mo nomad

Kyoto

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,290

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Yokohama 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 Yokohama and in Kyoto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Yokohama $1,340
Kyoto $1,290

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

Yokohama $2,054
Kyoto $1,932

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

Yokohama $2,768
Kyoto $2,574

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.45 ¥1,019

$9.77 ¥1,542

-33.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.72 ¥6,429

$32.34 ¥5,106

25.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 ¥820

$5.11 ¥807

1.57%

Cappuccino

$3.41 ¥538

$3.22 ¥508

5.90%

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

$1.06 ¥167

$0.89 ¥141

19.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥116

$0.71 ¥112

4.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 ¥410

$3.22 ¥509

-19.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 ¥489

$5.85 ¥924

-47.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥231

$1.55 ¥245

-5.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 ¥277

$1.61 ¥254

8.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 ¥567

$5.84 ¥923

-38.53%

Eggs

$2.03 ¥320

$2.11 ¥333

-3.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.26 ¥1,620

$8.84 ¥1,395

16.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.14 ¥970

$7.92 ¥1,251

-22.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.66 ¥2,314

$10.70 ¥1,690

37.01%

Apples (1kg)

$5.54 ¥875

$5.19 ¥819

6.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 ¥436

$2.37 ¥374

16.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 ¥467

$5.15 ¥813

-42.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.10 ¥647

$3.69 ¥582

11.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 ¥398

$1.87 ¥295

34.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 ¥407

$1.66 ¥262

55.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ¥205

$1.14 ¥180

14.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥121

$0.94 ¥148

-18.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 ¥616

$4.04 ¥639

-3.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.30 ¥995

$7.73 ¥1,221

-18.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ¥288

$1.61 ¥255

13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 ¥331

$3.37 ¥531

-37.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ¥217

$1.42 ¥225

-3.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 ¥9,856

$62.1 ¥9,804

0.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ¥491

$3.30 ¥520

-5.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 ¥420

$3.88 ¥612

-31.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.61 ¥3,254

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ¥169

$1.10 ¥174

-2.73%

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

$21.6K ¥3.4M

$22.7K ¥3.6M

-4.95%

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

$16.1K ¥2.5M

$15.5K ¥2.4M

4.00%

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

$130 ¥20.6K

$101 ¥16.0K

28.85%

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

$24.74 ¥3,906

$23.51 ¥3,712

5.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.65 ¥5,155

$30.41 ¥4,801

7.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.93 ¥7,725

$51.6 ¥8,145

-5.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.78 ¥1,860

$18.87 ¥2,980

-37.57%

Cinema Ticket

$13.09 ¥2,067

$13.72 ¥2,166

-4.59%

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

$805 ¥127.1K

$718 ¥113.4K

12.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K ¥2.4M

$6,490 ¥1.0M

130.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ¥9,733

$56.7 ¥8,956

8.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.72 ¥5,956

$45.07 ¥7,116

-16.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.6 ¥9,887

$70.3 ¥11.1K

-10.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ¥16.1K

-0.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,097 ¥173.1K

$638 ¥100.7K

71.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$450 ¥71.0K

$379 ¥59.9K

18.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,796 ¥283.6K

$1,176 ¥185.6K

52.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$805 ¥127.0K

$577 ¥91.1K

39.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,778 ¥912.2K

$4,226 ¥667.2K

36.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,066 ¥641.9K

$2,921 ¥461.2K

39.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,669 ¥421.4K

$1,873 ¥295.6K

42.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.64

2.23

18.39%

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

Last update for Yokohama: October 27, 2026

Last update for Kyoto: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Yokohama

$450 33.6%

Kyoto

$379 29.4% 15.6% $70

Groceries & Markets

Yokohama

$290 21.6%

Kyoto

$296 22.9% 2.1% $6.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yokohama

$188 14%

Kyoto

$155 12% 17.4% $33

Eating Out

Yokohama

$134 10%

Kyoto

$166 12.9% 23.7% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Yokohama

$119 8.9%

Kyoto

$123 9.6% 4% $4.7

Getting Around

Yokohama

$84 6.3%

Kyoto

$90 7% 7.3% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Yokohama

$75 5.6%

Kyoto

$79 6.1% 5.2% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

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

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

Good to know

🇯🇵 Yokohama

🇯🇵 Kyoto

🕒 Local time

03:49 3:49 AM

Same time as Yokohama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,777,491

1,475,183

💱 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)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Yokohama vs Kyoto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

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

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

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,340 in Yokohama and $1,290 in Kyoto, 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.