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Living in Kyoto

Kyoto is a city in Japan. 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.

Higher unemployment than 79% of Japanese cities that publish it and dirtier air than 65% 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.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in JapanNational rates and thresholds that apply in Kyoto.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

No city-level rent figure is published for Kyoto. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month4 published recurring costs, € per month
Kyoto recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Utilities, 85 m² flat€87
Transport pass€54
Internet, 60 Mbps€26
Mobile plan, 10 GB€20

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Net rent across major citiesKyoto highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Kyoto highlighted

net rent, € / m² / month

川崎市€15.18
Yokohama€13.60
大阪市€12.11
京都市€11.89
広島市€9.52
札幌市€8.59
Show the other 6 cities
さいたま市€11.78
千葉市€10.32
福岡市€10.23
神戸市€10.08
仙台市€10.06
名古屋市€10.01
MetricValuePeriodSource
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited26.34 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/jp/kyoto/10Community estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB20.4 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/jp/kyoto/10Community estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass54.02 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/jp/kyoto/10Community estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home87.28 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/jp/kyoto/10Community estimate · Supplemental context
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)397.8 EUR/month31 Oct 2023Housing and Land Survey 2023, Table 112-3-2: Monthly Rent of Dwelling by Type of Dwelling — Japan, prefecture, shi, ku, machi and mura1Official

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)7
Unemployment across cities in JapanUnemployment in Kyoto is 4.5%. Of 2,536 cities with data, 1,168 have unemployment of 3 to under 4%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in Japan per band1 city: 0% to under 1%10–126 cities: 1% to under 2%261–2316 cities: 2% to under 3%3162–31168 cities: 3% to under 4%11683–4776 cities: 4% to under 5%7764–5Kyoto 4.5%171 cities: 5% to under 6%1715–651 cities: 6% to under 7%516–715 cities: 7% to under 8%157–85 cities: 8% to under 9%58–97 cities: 9% to under 10%79–10

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Salary Net Avg Eur Month1,621 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/jp/kyoto/10Community estimate · Supplemental context
Unemployment rate4.47 %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)7Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Kyoto. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Hello Work — Public employment service

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan

Job Search
Search jobs
Open the Japan service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Kyoto. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Mobility and administration

Kyoto's nearest airport was ITM, 39 km away and offered 22 direct destinations.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Airport Direct Destinations Count22 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights2Official
Nearest Major Airport Distance Km39 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports3Official
Nearest Major Airport IataITM3 Aug 2026OurAirports3Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Kyoto. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Japanese Language Education Program for Foreigners Living in Japan — State Language Course

Agency for Cultural Affairs

For foreigners living in Japan.

JapaneseIn Person, Online
Open official information
Open the full Japan section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Kyoto.

Climate 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.jp5

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Kyoto annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5259.0PM2.5µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in JapanAnnual PM2.5 in Kyoto is 9.0 µg/m³. Of 811 cities with data, 216 have annual PM2.5 of 8 to under 9 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in Japan per band9 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³94–526 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³265–690 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³906–7183 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³1837–8216 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³2168–9169 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³1699–10Kyoto 9.076 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³7610–1130 cities: 11 µg/m³ to under 12 µg/m³3011–129 cities: 12 µg/m³ to under 13 µg/m³912–133 cities: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³313–14

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean9 µg/m³country median 8.431 Dec 2023tenbou.nies.go.jp5Official

Cities of a similar size in Japan

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All Japan cities
Saitama1,355,984 residentsさいたま市1,324,025 residents京都市1,463,723 residents神戸市1,525,152 residents川崎市1,538,262 residentsKawasaki1,542,534 residents

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 20264

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Kyoto residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport95%Foreign residents 5%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
City area827.8 km²3 Aug 2026国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan)6Official
Foreign-resident share4.95 %3 Aug 2026総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民 ÷ 総計)9Official
Foreign residents67,811 people3 Aug 2026総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民)9Official
Population density1,768 people/km²31 Dec 2020総務省統計局 (e-Stat, 国勢調査2020 第1-1表)8Official
Population1,369,750 people1 Jan 2026Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey — Total, 1 January 20264Official

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.

Try your profile
Remote worker49%strong on work, weak on safety · range 40–58%
Skilled employee58%strong on work, weak on safety · range 49–67%
Student46%strong on cost, weak on safety · range 35–57%
Family50%strong on family, weak on safety · range 39–61%
Retirement45%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 34–56%
Foreign residents67,811 people3 Aug 2026Official source · 総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民)
Population1,369,750 people1 Jan 2026Official source · Resident Register Population, Population Movement and Number of Households Survey — Total, 1 January 2026
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)397.8 EUR/month31 Oct 2023Official source · Housing and Land Survey 2023, Table 112-3-2: Monthly Rent of Dwelling by Type of Dwelling — Japan, prefecture, shi, ku, machi and mura
Unemployment rate4.47 %31 Dec 2020Official 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)
PM2.5 — annual mean9 µg/m³31 Dec 2023Official source · tenbou.nies.go.jp
City area827.8 km²3 Aug 2026Official source · 国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan)
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-09-14

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 guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

How does Kyoto compare?

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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.

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.

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).

How many foreign residents live in Kyoto?

67,811 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: 総務省自治行政局 (住民基本台帳, 外国人住民).

How much is public transport in Kyoto?

A monthly transport pass is 54.02 EUR/month. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/jp/kyoto/.

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.

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, September 14). Kyoto, Japan: rent, salary, cost of living, jobs, transport [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; version approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/kyoto/ Retrieved 2026-09-14. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_kyoto-japan-rent-salary-cost-of-living-jobs-transport_71bad87f62ae,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Kyoto, Japan: rent, salary, cost of living, jobs, transport},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-14},
  version = {approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62},
  snapshot = {approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/kyoto/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-14. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Kyoto, Japan: rent, salary, cost of living, jobs, transport](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/jp/kyoto/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; version approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; retrieved 2026-09-14; built 2026-09-14.

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

JSON Markdown
  1. 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
  2. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  3. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  4. 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
  5. tenbou.nies.go.jp tenbou.nies.go.jp · checked 2026-08-26
  6. 国土地理院 (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan) gsi.go.jp · checked 2026-08-03
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/jp/kyoto/ Numbeo city cost-of-living page · de.numbeo.com · checked 2026-09-05

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