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Jeju vs Kyoto cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฐ๐ท Jeju
๐ฏ๐ต Kyoto
At a glance
- Where Kyoto is clearly cheaper: Massage (33%โ), Cocktail & wine (28%โ), Laundry (27%โ)
- Where Jeju is clearly cheaper: Taxi (63%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (52%โ), Transit (44%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Jeju 2 vs Kyoto 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Jeju | Kyoto | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฉ 10,000$7.25 | ยฅ 1,100$7.43 | similar |
| Street food1 item | โฉ 5,000$3.62 | ยฅ 500$3.38 | Kyoto โ7% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฉ 30,000$21.7 | ยฅ 3,500$23.6 | Jeju โ8% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฉ 5,500$3.99 | ยฅ 600$4.05 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | โฉ 5,500$3.99 | ยฅ 600$4.05 | similar |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฉ 13,000$9.42 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Kyoto โ28% |
| Bottled water | โฉ 1,000$0.72 | ยฅ 130$0.88 | Jeju โ18% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฉ 2,000$1.45 | ยฅ 180$1.22 | Kyoto โ16% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฉ 7,500$5.43 | ยฅ 2,200$14.9 | Jeju โ63% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฉ 4,500$3.26 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Jeju โ52% |
| Transitone ride | โฉ 1,200$0.87 | ยฅ 230$1.55 | Jeju โ44% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฉ 30,000$21.7 | ยฅ 2,600$17.6 | Kyoto โ19% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฉ 90,000$65.2 | ยฅ 13,000$87.8 | Jeju โ26% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฉ 550,000$399 | ยฅ 85,000$574 | Jeju โ31% |
| Laundry | โฉ 9,000$6.52 | ยฅ 700$4.73 | Kyoto โ27% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฉ 30,000$21.7 | ยฅ 2,800$18.9 | Kyoto โ13% |
| Haircutcut | โฉ 18,000$13 | ยฅ 3,000$20.3 | Jeju โ36% |
| Massage1 hour | โฉ 70,000$50.7 | ยฅ 5,000$33.8 | Kyoto โ33% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฉ 50,000$36.2 | ยฅ 8,000$54.1 | Jeju โ33% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฉ 5,000$3.62 | ยฅ 600$4.05 | Jeju โ11% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Jeju or Kyoto?
Jeju is 23% cheaper than Kyoto. Daily budget $133 vs $184; a month $2,168 vs $2,665.
Which is easier to travel, Jeju or Kyoto?
About the same: Jeju 2.0/5, Kyoto 1.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Jeju and Kyoto?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Jeju is about $2,168 and Kyoto about $2,665 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.