Is Kyoto expensive? What things really cost in 2026
Short answer
Kyoto costs about the same as Tokyo day to day, around ¥12,000 per person on a budget and ¥22,000 mid-range, and with the weak yen it is cheaper than most Western European cities. Temple fees and food are modest; the expensive parts are hotels and ryokan in cherry-blossom and maple season and kaiseki dinners.
Daily budget: backpacker, mid-range, luxury
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | ¥6,000 | ¥11,000 | ¥35,000 |
| Food & drink | ¥3,500 | ¥7,000 | ¥18,000 |
| Sights & tickets | ¥1,500 | ¥2,500 | ¥4,000 |
| Local transport | ¥800 | ¥1,200 | ¥3,500 |
| Per person, per day | ¥11,800 | ¥21,700 | ¥60,500 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Kyoto day-cost table.
What things cost
| Item | Typical price* |
|---|---|
| Kyoto ramen | about ¥900–1,400 a bowl |
| Obanzai lunch set | about ¥1,200–2,500 |
| Matcha with a sweet | about ¥800–1,500 |
| City bus single ride | about ¥230 |
| Subway-and-bus day pass | about ¥1,100 |
| Kiyomizu-dera / Kinkaku-ji entry | ¥500 each |
| Kaiseki lunch / dinner | ¥5,000–10,000 / ¥15,000–40,000+ |
| Mid-range double room (downtown) | ¥16,000–28,000 a night |
| Traditional ryokan with dinner and breakfast | ¥40,000–120,000 a night |
* Approximate prices, October 2026. They change with season and exchange rates.
Where the money goes
Most of the budget goes on the bed: about ¥6,000 per person sharing a double on a budget and ¥11,000 mid-range, with ryokan pushing the comfort level to around ¥35,000. Food is about ¥3,500 a day on a budget (bakery breakfast, ramen or soba lunch, set dinner) and ¥7,000 mid-range. Temples charge ¥400–1,000 each, so a full sightseeing day costs about ¥1,500–2,500. Transport is cheap at roughly ¥800–1,200 a day by bus, subway and train. Kyoto also charges an accommodation tax per person per night that rises with the room price and has been increased recently, so check the total on your booking.
When it is cheaper
January, February, early June and early December are usually the cheapest; hotel rates can be well below half of their late-March or mid-November peaks, but check actual prices for your dates.
How to spend less
- Have kaiseki at lunch rather than dinner: the same restaurants charge roughly a third to half the price.
- Use trains (JR, Keihan, Kintetsu) for Fushimi Inari, Arashiyama and Nara; they are faster than the crowded buses and cost a few hundred yen.
- Buy the subway-and-bus one-day pass (about ¥1,100) only on days with several bus rides; otherwise pay per ride with an IC card.
- Spend on traditional Nishiki shops (pickles, tofu, yuba) rather than ¥1,500–4,000 photo skewers.
- Stay near Kyoto Station for the cheapest rooms and direct trains to the day-trip sights.
- Eat a few streets away from Kiyomizu-dera and the Arashiyama bamboo grove, where restaurants charge day-tripper prices.
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Common questions
How much does a day in Kyoto cost?
About ¥12,000 per person on a budget, ¥22,000 mid-range and ¥60,000 in comfort, including a shared double room, food, temples and local transport.
Are Kyoto temples expensive to visit?
No. Most charge ¥400–1,000, and some of the best, such as Fushimi Inari and the Arashiyama bamboo grove, are free.
Is a ryokan worth the price?
For one night, many visitors think so: ¥40,000–120,000 for a double usually includes a kaiseki dinner and breakfast, which would cost a lot on their own.