Living in Kyoto
In Kyoto, rents across existing tenancies average €10.46 per m² a month (2023).
Kyoto registered an unemployment rate of 4.47% at the end of 2020. The population density of Kyoto stood at 1,768.1 people per km² at the end of 2020.
Pricier rent than 92% of Japanese cities that publish it, higher unemployment than 79% of Japanese cities that publish it and dirtier air than 64% of Japanese cities that publish it.
Which Japan-wide rules apply when you move to Kyoto?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
Japan's Housing and Land Survey monthly-rent measure excludes security deposits, key money/right money and common-area charges. The Ministry of Land says deposit terms vary by regional custom; these sources provide context, not a comparable city-level distribution. Statistics Bureau glossary (2018) · MLIT rental-housing Q&A.
How much does it cost to rent in Kyoto?
Average net cold rent is about 10.46 EUR/m² per month (2023 Housing and Land Survey), excluding heating and operating charges.
Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.
- Average net rent (nettokalt): 10.46 EUR/m²/month · www.e-stat.go.jp14
Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness club membership, monthly | 55.11 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v223Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 26.34 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/jp/kyoto/24Community estimate · Supplemental context |
| Private kindergarten, monthly | 335.7 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v223Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | 5.98 EUR | 31 Dec 2022 | Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v223Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 20.4 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/jp/kyoto/24Community estimate · Supplemental context |
| Monthly transport pass | 54.02 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/jp/kyoto/24Community estimate · Supplemental context |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² home | 87.28 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/jp/kyoto/24Community estimate · Supplemental context |
| Housing vacancy rate | 12.5 % | 31 Oct 2023 | 2023 Housing and Land Survey, Table 1-2: Housing by occupancy status1Official |
| Average net rent (nettokalt) | 10.46 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €6.27 | 31 Dec 2023 | www.e-stat.go.jp14Official |
| Average monthly rent (whole dwelling) | 397.8 EUR/month | 31 Oct 2023 | Housing and Land Survey 2023, Table 112-3-2: Monthly Rent of Dwelling by Type of Dwelling — Japan, prefecture, shi, ku, machi and mura4Official |
Is Kyoto a good place to live?
There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.
Worked out from these numbers
What does a 60 m² flat cost?
About 628 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of about 10.46 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.
Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.
Work and income
What is the unemployment rate in Kyoto?
The unemployment rate is about 4.5 % (October 2020).
- Unemployment rate: 4.47 % · 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 就業状態等基本集計 第1-2表)18
Kyoto 4.5%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public employment offices | 3 count | 15 Sept 2026 | MHLW — Hello Work nationwide location list7Official |
| Median gross salary (regional) | 351.8 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | www.e-stat.go.jp15Official |
| Average net monthly salary | 1,621 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/jp/kyoto/24Community estimate · Supplemental context |
| Unemployment rate | 4.47 %country median 3.8% | 31 Dec 2020 | 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 就業状態等基本集計 第1-2表)18Official |
What does a salary buy in Kyoto?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentUtilitiesTransportInternetMobile
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
| Each month | € |
|---|---|
| Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08. | outside the model's range |
| Rent, 60 m²€10.46/m² · official · e-stat.go.jp · 2023-12-31 | − €628 |
| Public transport pass€54 · market price · Numbeo city cost-of-living page · 2026-09-30 | − €54 |
| Utilities, 85 m²€87 · market price · Numbeo city cost-of-living page · 2026-09-30 | − €87 |
| Internet€26 · market price · Numbeo city cost-of-living page · 2026-09-30 | − €26 |
| Mobile plan€20 · market price · Numbeo city cost-of-living page · 2026-09-30 | − €20 |
| Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish | — |
Public employment offices in Kyoto
MHLW lists 3 public employment offices in Kyoto (checked 2026-09-16). Use the official office finder for addresses and appointments; registration and job search are also available online through the national service below.
Hello Work — Public employment service
The office count comes from the service's own directory. Individual addresses and opening hours are not listed here yet. Sources checked through 16 Sept 2026.
Family and education
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public language course providers | 1 count | 31 Aug 2026 | Official public language-service provider/location register8Official |
Healthcare
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians per 100,000 residents | 399.7 per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2024 | 令和6年医師・歯科医師・薬剤師統計 医師 第22表16Official |
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Kyoto when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.
Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.
Open the official coverage guideSafety
How safe is Kyoto?
Police recorded about 571 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.
- Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 570.7 incidents per 100,000 · JP-26-Kyoto-20256
Mobility and administration
Kyoto's nearest airport was ITM, 39 km away and offered 22 direct destinations.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct destinations from the nearest major airport | 22 count | 3 Aug 2026 | OpenFlights9Official |
| Destinations from nearest airport | 34 count | 2024 | Unique direct scheduled destination endpoints for the nearest scheduled-service airport in the complete 97-airport MLIT universe; domestic endpoints come from the official 2024 annual route table and international endpoints from the official 2024 summer and winter direct scheduled-flight tables.13Official |
| Distance to the nearest major airport | 39 km | 3 Aug 2026 | OurAirports10Official |
| Nearest major airport (IATA code) | ITM | 3 Aug 2026 | OurAirports10Official |
Language courses and integration in Kyoto
1 exact course-location record is linked to this city. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.
Kyoto City Board of Education
View official recordClimate and air quality
Is the air quality good in Kyoto?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 9 µg/m³ (2023) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: tenbou.nies.go.jp12
Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.
Night-time low to daytime high
mm
hours
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Kyoto 9.0
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 9 µg/m³country median 8.4 | 31 Dec 2023 | tenbou.nies.go.jp12Official |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan 9.1 · Feb 10 · Mar 14.1 · Apr 20.1 · May 25.1 · Jun 28.1 · Jul 32 · Aug 33.7 · Sep 29.2 · Oct 23.4 · Nov 17.3 · Dec 11.6 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | JMA 1991-2020 surface climate normals — 京都5Official |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan 1.5 · Feb 1.6 · Mar 4.3 · Apr 9.2 · May 14.5 · Jun 19.2 · Jul 23.6 · Aug 24.7 · Sep 20.7 · Oct 14.4 · Nov 8.4 · Dec 3.5 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | JMA 1991-2020 surface climate normals — 京都5Official |
| Average temperature by month | Jan 4.8 · Feb 5.4 · Mar 8.8 · Apr 14.4 · May 19.5 · Jun 23.3 · Jul 27.3 · Aug 28.5 · Sep 24.4 · Oct 18.4 · Nov 12.5 · Dec 7.2 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | JMA 1991-2020 surface climate normals — 京都5Official |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 53.3 · Feb 65.1 · Mar 106.2 · Apr 117 · May 151.4 · Jun 199.7 · Jul 223.6 · Aug 153.8 · Sep 178.5 · Oct 143.2 · Nov 73.9 · Dec 57.3 mm | 31 Dec 2020 | JMA 1991-2020 surface climate normals — 京都5Official |
| Average sunshine by month | Jan 123.5 · Feb 122.2 · Mar 155.4 · Apr 177.3 · May 182.4 · Jun 133.1 · Jul 142.7 · Aug 182.7 · Sep 142.7 · Oct 156 · Nov 140.7 · Dec 134.4 hours | 31 Dec 2020 | JMA 1991-2020 surface climate normals — 京都5Official |
Population and city profile
How many people live in Kyoto?
The published population was 1,369,750 people in January 2026. Source: Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey — Total, 1 January 202611
By nationality
National passport95%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| City area | 827.8 km² | 3 Aug 2026 | 国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan)17Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 4.95 % | 3 Aug 2026 | 総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民 ÷ 総計)20Official |
| Foreign residents | 67,811 people | 3 Aug 2026 | 総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民)20Official |
| Population density | 1,768 people/km² | 31 Dec 2020 | 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 第1-1表)19Official |
| Population | 1,369,750 people | 1 Jan 2026 | Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey — Total, 1 January 202611Official |
International community in Kyoto
Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.
Citizenship
Persons in the official 2020 Population Census Basic Complete Tabulation on Population and Households; sex-total population by source-native nationality category. · 2020
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 1,463,723 | 100.0% |
| Japanese | 1,369,358 | 93.6% |
| Nationality not reported | 54,979 | 3.8% |
| Foreigner | 39,386 | 2.7% |
| Republic of Korea | 16,984 | 1.2% |
| People's Republic of China | 11,700 | 0.8% |
| Others | 3,900 | 0.3% |
| Socialist Republic of Viet Nam | 2,418 | 0.2% |
| Republic of the Philippines | 1,030 | 0.1% |
| United States of America | 962 | 0.1% |
| Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal | 654 | 0.0% |
Show 6 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Republic of Indonesia | 612 | 0.0% |
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 335 | 0.0% |
| Kingdom of Thailand | 301 | 0.0% |
| India | 251 | 0.0% |
| Federative Republic of Brazil | 158 | 0.0% |
| Republic of Peru | 81 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source3
Additional context
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 50.1 years | 31 Dec 2026 | 2026 Resident Basic Register, population by age group by municipality (total residents)2Official |
Alternatives for people set on Kyoto
Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.
Iga as a Kyoto alternative in the same region
45 km away, better on 3 of 4 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.
- Rent: €5.94/m² Iga vs €10.46/m² Kyoto−43%
- Unemployment: 2.9% Iga vs 4.5% Kyoto−34%
- Median gross pay, region: €270 Iga vs €352 Kyoto−23%
- Foreign residents: 7.6% Iga vs 5.0% Kyoto+54%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 625 Iga vs 571 Kyotono percentage
Hamamatsu as a Kyoto alternative in the same country
A move, not a commute, at 182 km, better on 3 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.
- Rent: €7.41/m² Hamamatsu vs €10.46/m² Kyoto−29%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 471 Hamamatsu vs 571 Kyotono percentage
- Median gross pay, region: €311 Hamamatsu vs €352 Kyoto−12%
- Unemployment: 3.8% Hamamatsu vs 4.5% Kyoto−14%
- Residents: 778,346 Hamamatsu vs 1,369,750 Kyoto−43%
- Annual PM2.5: 7.3 µg/m³ Hamamatsu vs 9.0 µg/m³ Kyoto−19%
- Foreign residents: 4.0% Hamamatsu vs 5.0% Kyoto−19%
Cities near Kyoto
Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.
- Rent
- 7.2 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 8.87 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 9.61 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 7.43 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 7.15 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 6.43 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 6.95 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
- Rent
- 8.99 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2023-12-31
Alternative cities in Japan
Other cities in Japan to compare with Kyoto, nearest in population first.
How does Kyoto compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Kyoto's.
Kyoto in rankings
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Kyoto?
The published population was 1,369,750 people in January 2026. Source: Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey — Total, 1 January 2026.
How much does it cost to rent in Kyoto?
Average net cold rent is about 10.46 EUR/m² per month (2023 Housing and Land Survey), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 732 EUR a month before utilities. Source: www.e-stat.go.jp.
Is the air quality good in Kyoto?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 9 µg/m³ (2023) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: tenbou.nies.go.jp.
How safe is Kyoto?
Police recorded about 571 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: JP-26-Kyoto-2025.
What is the unemployment rate in Kyoto?
The unemployment rate is about 4.5 % (October 2020). Source: 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 就業状態等基本集計 第1-2表).
What is the typical salary around Kyoto?
The median gross salary is 351.8 EUR/month. Source: www.e-stat.go.jp.
Is Kyoto a good place to live?
Kyoto may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.
Which cities are near Kyoto?
Ōtsu, Mukō, Nagaokakyo, Uji, Yawata are near Kyoto. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.
How many people are in the Japanese citizenship group in Kyoto?
The official citizenship distribution records 1,369,358 people (93.6%) in the source-defined population for 2020. This is a citizenship measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.
Cite this page
Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.
APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Kyoto, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version fe90353345483774368b68d774fe03fa]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/kyoto/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_kyoto-japan-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living-jobs_35ac74d25f3e,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Kyoto, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living, jobs},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {fe90353345483774368b68d774fe03fa},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/kyoto/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Kyoto, Japan: population, rent, salary, cost of living, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/kyoto/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version fe90353345483774368b68d774fe03fa; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.
Sources
- 2023 Housing and Land Survey, Table 1-2: Housing by occupancy status e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-17
- 2026 Resident Basic Register, population by age group by municipality (total residents) e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-24
- e-Stat / Statistics Bureau of Japan 2020 Population Census table 44-1 nationality e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-01
- Housing and Land Survey 2023, Table 112-3-2: Monthly Rent of Dwelling by Type of Dwelling — Japan, prefecture, shi, ku, machi and mura Housing and Land Survey 2023, Table 112-3-2: Monthly Rent of Dwelling by Type of Dwelling · e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-12
- JMA 1991-2020 surface climate normals — 京都 JMA 1991-2020 surface climate normals · data.jma.go.jp · checked 2026-07-26
- JP-26-Kyoto-2025 pref.kyoto.jp · checked 2026-09-15
- MHLW — Hello Work nationwide location list MHLW · mhlw.go.jp · checked 2026-09-15
- Official public language-service provider/location register city.kyoto.lg.jp · checked 2026-09-15
- OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
- OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
Show 21 more sources
- Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey — Total, 1 January 2026 Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey · e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-10
- tenbou.nies.go.jp tenbou.nies.go.jp · checked 2026-08-26
- Unique direct scheduled destination endpoints for the nearest scheduled-service airport in the complete 97-airport MLIT universe; domestic endpoints come from the official 2024 annual route table and international endpoints from the official 2024 summer and winter direct scheduled-flight tables. mlit.go.jp · checked 2026-07-15
- www.e-stat.go.jp e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-27
- www.e-stat.go.jp e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-27
- 令和6年医師・歯科医師・薬剤師統計 医師 第22表 e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-09-16
- 国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan) gsi.go.jp · checked 2026-08-03
- 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 就業状態等基本集計 第1-2表) e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-03
- 総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 第1-1表) e-stat.go.jp · checked 2026-08-03
- 総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民) soumu.go.jp · checked 2026-08-03
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27
- Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/jp/kyoto/ Numbeo city cost-of-living page · de.numbeo.com · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q1347149 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q202907 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q260923 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q34600 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q386677 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q850640 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q861246 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.