Kyoto vs Seoul - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Kyoto Seoul
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1026
$1444
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$2835
$4192
🏠 One person rent
$385
$683
🏘️ Family rent
$914
$1882
🍽️ Food expenses
$359
$510
🚐 Transport expenses
$198
$154
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1593
$3018
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
39 km
18 km
🎓 Higher education
95
100
😀 Quality of life
90
95
🏙️ Population
1.46M
9.67M

The cost of living in Kyoto is 29% less expensive than in Seoul. Cities ranked 5138th and 3641st ($1026 vs $1444) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 285th and 1st in Japan and South Korea, respectively. Check Japan vs South Korea comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.6 months in Kyoto compared to 2.1 months in Seoul. Kyoto ranked 8th best city to live in Japan vs Seoul ranked 1st in South Korea, while ranked 118th and 23rd among best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Kyoto vs Seoul infographic

Share this infographic!

Prices in Kyoto vs Seoul

Prices for goods and services in Kyoto and Seoul are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Kyoto Seoul
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$6.61
$6.81
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$32.9
$40.4
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$4.65
$6.01
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.67
$3.8
☕ Cappuccino
$2.87
$4.06
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$1
$1.59
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$402
$758
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$256
$492
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1108
$2529
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$691
$1473
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$74.1
$115
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$115
$174
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$25.1
$23.4
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
1.63%
4.76%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$5276
$19740
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$5307
$10956
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1.65
$1.08
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$61.4
$44.4
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$27.3
$9.8
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.14
$1.24
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.44
$2.18
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.41
$3.07
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.21
$3.34
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.17
$3.82
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.1
$11.7
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$6.46
$9.89
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$15
$40
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.59
$6.59
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.88
$3.64
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.29
$6.04
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.89
$6.05
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.51
$3.94
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.73
$3.25
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.52
$0.75
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.89
$2.39
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$6.71
$17.9
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.68
$2.44
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.75
$3.37
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$9.33
$4.99
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$4.14
$5.98
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$0.71
$2.34
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.84
$3.07
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$52.8
$49.1
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$11.9
$11
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$13.1
$24.8
💇 Haircut, simple
$17
$9.53
👖 Brand Jeans
$26.3
$61.1
👟 Brand Sneakers
$58.4
$81.9
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$354
$368
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$8938
$19966

Cost of living in other countries

Cost of living

More cities to compare

Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Kyoto

Distance City Cost of living
7.5 km or 4.6 mi Otsu
$924
9.5 km or 5.9 mi Muko
$939
12 km or 7.2 mi Nagaokakyo
$950
15 km or 9.1 mi Uji
$959
16 km or 10 mi Yawata
$966
17 km or 11 mi Shimamoto
$982
18 km or 11 mi Joyo
$949
18 km or 11 mi Kameoka
$963
18 km or 11 mi Kusatsu
$921
21 km or 13 mi Ritto
$920
21 km or 13 mi Moriyama
$921
22 km or 14 mi Kyotanabe
$960
23 km or 14 mi Takatsuki
$1069
24 km or 15 mi Hirakata
$1075
24 km or 15 mi Yasu
$924
26 km or 16 mi Katano
$1002
28 km or 17 mi Seika
$935
28 km or 18 mi Ibaraki
$1103
29 km or 18 mi Konan
$935
29 km or 18 mi Nantan
$967
30 km or 19 mi Neyagawa
$1055
31 km or 19 mi Kizugawa
$921
32 km or 20 mi Settsu
$1105
32 km or 20 mi Shijonawate
$1009
33 km or 20 mi Omihachiman
$935
34 km or 21 mi Minoh
$997
35 km or 22 mi Kadoma
$1048
36 km or 22 mi Suita
$1284
36 km or 22 mi Daito
$1007
36 km or 22 mi Moriguchi
$1069
36 km or 22 mi Ikoma
$945
37 km or 23 mi Nara
$933
37 km or 23 mi Koka
$940
37 km or 23 mi Toyonaka
$972
37 km or 23 mi Ikeda
$977
38 km or 24 mi Kawanishi
$995
38 km or 24 mi Inagawa
$996
40 km or 25 mi Higashiosaka
$1041
40 km or 25 mi Yamatokoriyama
$909
41 km or 26 mi Itami
$1006

Cities near Seoul

Distance City Cost of living
13 km or 7.9 mi Guri
$1101
17 km or 10 mi Goyang
$1144
17 km or 10 mi Gwangmyeong
$1087
17 km or 11 mi Gwacheon
$1056
19 km or 12 mi Uijeongbu
$986
20 km or 12 mi Hanam
$1069
20 km or 12 mi Namyangju
$1106
20 km or 13 mi Seongnam
$1121
21 km or 13 mi Siheung
$1081
21 km or 13 mi Bucheon
$1152
22 km or 14 mi Anyang
$1097
23 km or 14 mi Yangju
$983
24 km or 15 mi Gunpo
$1120
26 km or 16 mi Gimpo
$1124
27 km or 17 mi Uiwang
$1054
30 km or 19 mi Gwangju
$1063
32 km or 20 mi Paju
$1072
33 km or 20 mi Ansan
$1127
33 km or 21 mi Suwon
$987
34 km or 21 mi Incheon
$1020
37 km or 23 mi Dongducheon
$1077
39 km or 24 mi Pocheon
$1041
42 km or 26 mi Yongin
$1256
47 km or 29 mi Hwaseong
$1088
49 km or 31 mi Osan
$1024
52 km or 32 mi Icheon
$949
58 km or 36 mi Kaesong
$1542
65 km or 40 mi Yeoju
$973
66 km or 41 mi Pyeongtaek
$924
69 km or 43 mi Anseong
$986
72 km or 45 mi Chuncheon
$911
83 km or 52 mi Dangjin
$1002
86 km or 53 mi Wonju
$880
87 km or 54 mi Cheonan
$940
101 km or 63 mi Seosan
$1005
107 km or 66 mi Chungju
$1009
114 km or 71 mi Cheongju
$903
118 km or 73 mi Jecheon
$967
123 km or 77 mi Haeju
$1560
124 km or 77 mi Sejong
$963