Kyoto at a glance
- Kyoto is the cheapest of Japan's 9 priced cities: $879 a month in essentials, 33% below Tokyo at $1,306.
- The average net salary of $1,903 covers that 2.2×.
- 96.1 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at city level.
- PM2.5 averages 12.1 µg/m³ a year, 2× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 9 Japan cities we track, so every row says whether Kyoto is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $879 | $968 | $89 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $329 | $354 | $25 |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $565 | $571 | $6 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $164 | $164 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $190 | $162 | $28 |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $133 | $173 | 1.30× as much |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $63 | $57 | $6 |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $1,903 | $1,876 | $26 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $782 | $742 | $40 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,784 | $1,213 | 1.47× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Kyoto, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $9.51 | $6.77 | 1.40× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $31.71 | $31.71 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $5.07 | $5.07 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $3.31 | $3.31 | same |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $3.17 | $3.17 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $5.71 | $3.17 | 1.80× as much |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $0.86 | $1.25 | 1.45× as much |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.71 | $0.77 | $0.06 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.54 | $1.52 | $0.02 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.62 | $1.48 | $0.14 |
| White rice, 1 kg | $5.81 | $5.54 | $0.27 |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.14 | $2.08 | $0.06 |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $8.67 | $10.78 | $2.11 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $6.34 | $6.77 | $0.43 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $5.07 | $4.90 | $0.17 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $2.33 | $2.57 | $0.24 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $3.59 | $4.20 | $0.61 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.90 | $2.54 | 1.34× as much |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.69 | $2.53 | 1.50× as much |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.97 | $0.89 | $0.08 |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $1.46 | $1.46 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $63.41 | $51.46 | $11.95 |
| Taxi start | $3.33 | $3.33 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $3.80 | $2.70 | 1.41× as much |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.09 | $1.09 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $102.45 | $137.92 | 1.35× as much |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $30.91 | $31.23 | $0.32 |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $23.94 | $23.94 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $52.88 | $51.15 | $1.73 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $12.37 | $11.70 | $0.67 |
Dating-age sex ratio
Kyoto has 96.1 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (city level). That is the 6th-highest of 10 Japan cities we track. Japan's national figure is 104.2, so Kyoto runs 8 below the country as a whole.
Every Japan region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Kyoto ranks against every city we track
Kyoto sits ahead of 97% of the 562 cities we track on safety. On salary against local costs it is ahead of 93% of 534. Its weakest measure is clean air, ahead of only 40% of 898.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Kyoto sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Nina R from Africa, CC BY 2.0.
