🇯🇵Cost of Living in Kyoto

Japan · Population: 1,460,000 · Cost Index: 72/100

Cost of Living in Kyoto

Japan · Asia

Kyoto is Japan's ancient imperial capital, renowned for its classical Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines, and traditional wooden houses. It offers a slower pace of life than Tokyo with lower living costs while maintaining excellent infrastructure and cultural richness.

1,460,000

Population

Cost Index

Safety Index

Quality of Life

Average Monthly Cost: $2,600 (single person, excluding rent)

Estimated monthly budget in Kyoto

Typical total monthly cost by household type.

Single person

$2,600

per month

Couple

$3,900

per month

Family of 4

$5,460

per month

Student

$1,950

per month

Estimates based on the average cost of living in Kyoto, scaled by household size. Actual costs vary with lifestyle, neighbourhood and housing.

Cost Breakdown

Housing

Avg: $970.00

1-Bedroom Apartment (City Center)(per month)

$750.00

1-Bedroom Apartment (Outside Center)(per month)

$480.00

3-Bedroom Apartment (City Center)(per month)

$1,600.00

3-Bedroom Apartment (Outside Center)(per month)

$1,050.00

Food & Groceries

Avg: $8.04

Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant(per meal)

$6.50

Meal for 2 at Mid-Range Restaurant(per meal)

$40.00

McMeal at McDonald's(per meal)

$6.00

Milk (1 liter)(per liter)

$2.00

Bread (500g loaf)(per loaf)

$2.00

Rice (1 kg)(per kg)

$4.20

Eggs (12)(per dozen)

$2.60

Chicken Breast (1 kg)(per kg)

$7.80

Apples (1 kg)(per kg)

$5.80

Banana (1 kg)(per kg)

$3.50

Transportation

Avg: $19.03

Monthly Public Transit Pass(per month)

$85.00

One-Way Ticket (Local Transport)(per trip)

$1.60

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)(base fare)

$4.20

Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff)(per km)

$3.00

Gasoline (1 liter)(per liter)

$1.35

Utilities

Avg: $81.67

Basic Utilities (85m² Apt)(per month)

$175.00

Mobile Phone Plan(per month)

$32.00

Internet (60 Mbps+)(per month)

$38.00

Healthcare

Avg: $31.33

Doctor Visit(per visit)

$30.00

Dentist Visit(per visit)

$50.00

Prescription Medicine (avg)(per prescription)

$14.00

Entertainment

Avg: $21.50

Fitness Club Monthly(per month)

$65.00

Cinema Ticket(per ticket)

$12.50

Cappuccino(per cup)

$4.00

Beer (0.5l) at Restaurant(per glass)

$4.50

Clothing

Avg: $59.00

Pair of Jeans (Levi's)(per pair)

$62.00

Summer Dress (Chain Store)(per item)

$35.00

Running Shoes (Nike, Adidas)(per pair)

$80.00

Popular Kyoto comparisons

Kyoto vs Tokyo Kyoto vs Yokohama Kyoto vs Osaka Kyoto vs Fukuoka Kyoto vs New York Kyoto vs London Kyoto vs Singapore Kyoto vs Dubai

Frequently asked questions about Kyoto

Is Kyoto expensive to live in?

Kyoto has a cost of living index of 72 out of 100, where New York City scores 100. This makes it relatively expensive compared with most cities we track.

How much money do you need to live in Kyoto?

A single person needs an estimated $2,600 per month to live in Kyoto, covering rent, food, transport and other essentials. A family or a more comfortable lifestyle will cost more.

What is the cost of living index in Kyoto?

Kyoto's cost of living index is 72 out of 100. The index is relative to New York City (100), so a score of 50 means overall costs are roughly half those of New York.

What is quality of life like in Kyoto?

Kyoto scores 82 out of 100 for quality of life and 88 out of 100 for safety in our index.