Kyoto vs Yokohama
The short answer
They cost about the same day to day — Kyoto $85–140, Yokohama $85–145 mid-range per person. Both are at their best in Mar–May, Oct–Nov, so one trip can take in both.
Side by side
Mid-range, per person, in US dollars. Both guides were costed the same way — see how we work these out.
| 🇯🇵 Kyoto | 🇯🇵 Yokohama | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily budgetmid-range, per person | $85–140 | $85–145 |
| Cheap meallocal staple | $4–8cheaper | $5–8 |
| Mid-range hotelper night | $100–190 | $95–190 |
| Transit ridesingle trip | $1.50 | $1.40–2.30 |
| Avg. monthly salarylocal, for context | ≈ $1,900 | ≈ $2,150 |
When to go
Filled months are the ones each guide recommends; hollow ones it warns off.
What you'd actually do
A few of each guide's picks, one per category before seconds — the full lists are on the guides themselves.
🇯🇵 Kyoto
Japan's thousand-year capital: seventeen World Heritage sites, lantern-lit lanes, and temples that are all yours if you wake up before the tour buses do.
- Pontocho Alley$$Nightlife
- Nishiki Market$Restaurants
- Gion Corner$$Theater & shows
- Kiyamachi-dori$Nightlife
- Omen$$Restaurants
🇯🇵 Yokohama
Tokyo's polished port-city twin: a futuristic bayfront skyline, Japan's largest Chinatown, and just enough breathing room to feel like its own destination, not a suburb.
- Noge$Nightlife
- Manchinro Honten$$$Restaurants
- Motion Blue Yokohama$$$Live music
- Bashamichi Taproom$$Nightlife
- Yokohama Chinatown street stalls$Restaurants
Practicalities
| Kyoto | Yokohama | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Japanese. Tourist-facing signage is bilingual; spoken English is limited — translation apps work fine. | Japanese. English signage is strong around the bayfront and stations, being part of Greater Tokyo; spoken English is still limited outside hotels. |
The same in both:
- Currency
- Japanese yen (¥). US$1 ≈ ¥150
- Time zone
- JST (UTC+9), no daylight saving
- Power
- Type A/B plugs, 100V (US plugs fit)
- Tap water
- Safe to drink everywhere
- Emergency
- 110 police · 119 fire/ambulance