PLANNING BASICS
Kyoto Trip Cost: A Realistic Daily Budget for 2026–27
Kyoto is cheaper than most visitors expect for food, transport and temples, and more expensive than they expect for hotels in peak season. Here is what a day costs, using fees checked in November 2026.
The Short Version
- Mid-range: ¥12,000–¥18,000 per person per day, sharing a hotel room.
- Budget: ¥7,000–¥9,000 with a hostel bed and cheap meals.
- The hotel decides the total. Rooms cost far more in early April and late November than in January.
- Sightseeing is cheap. Most temples are ¥500–¥1,000, and Fushimi Inari, Yasaka Shrine and Gion are free.
- Several charges changed in 2026: the accommodation tax, the departure tax, tax-free shopping and a few entry fees.
A Day at Three Levels
Per person, with two people sharing a room.
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed | Hostel bed, ¥3,000–¥5,000 | Half a hotel room, ¥4,000–¥10,000 | Ryokan with dinner and breakfast, ¥15,000–¥50,000 |
| Food | Ramen, rice bowls, market snacks: ¥2,500–¥3,500 | Obanzai lunch and an izakaya dinner: ¥4,500–¥7,500 | Kaiseki lunch ¥3,500–¥7,000. Dinner is included at the ryokan |
| Transport | ¥500–¥1,000 | ¥900–¥1,400 | ¥2,000–¥4,000 with taxis |
| Entry fees | One or two temples, ¥500–¥1,500 | Three temples, ¥1,500–¥3,000 | ¥2,000–¥4,000 |
| Per day | ¥7,000–¥9,000 | ¥12,000–¥18,000 | Often past ¥30,000 |
Where to Sleep, and What It Costs
| Type | Typical price per night |
|---|---|
| Hostel bed | ¥3,000–¥5,000 per person |
| Business hotel near Kyoto Station | From ¥6,000 per room |
| Downtown hotel | ¥8,000–¥20,000 per room |
| Machiya townhouse, whole house | ¥20,000–¥60,000 |
| Ryokan in Gion, with two meals | ¥15,000–¥50,000 per person |
- Cheapest: January, February, and December after the 20th.
- Most expensive: late March to early April and all of November. Book three to six months ahead.
- Ryokan prices are per person, not per room.
More in Where to Stay in Kyoto and When to Visit.
Food
| Meal | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Nishiki Market snacks | ¥200–¥600 each |
| Bowl of ramen | ¥850–¥1,200 |
| Obanzai (home-style) lunch | ¥1,200–¥2,500 |
| Temple matcha with a sweet | ¥600–¥1,000 |
| Evening at a casual izakaya | ¥3,000–¥5,000 |
| Kaiseki lunch | ¥3,500–¥7,000 |
| Kaiseki dinner | ¥8,000–¥50,000 and up |
- Want kaiseki on a budget? Book it for lunch. It is the same seasonal format at a fraction of the dinner price.
- No tipping, so the menu price is close to what you pay. Izakayas add a small seating charge. See how izakayas work.
More in What to Eat in Kyoto.
Getting Around
| Ride | Cost |
|---|---|
| City bus | ¥230 flat fare |
| Subway | From ¥220 |
| Subway & Bus 1-Day Pass | ¥1,100. Pays off from about five rides |
| JR, Kyoto Station to Fushimi Inari | ¥150 |
| Taxi across town, about 5 km | About ¥2,500 |
| Coin locker | ¥400–¥700 per day |
Most days cost ¥900–¥1,400 in transit. A taxi across town split four ways is about ¥600 each, and much faster than the bus. Details in How to Get Around Kyoto.
Sights and Experiences
| Place | Entry |
|---|---|
| Fushimi Inari, Yasaka Shrine, Gion, Arashiyama bamboo grove | Free |
| Kiyomizu-dera | ¥500 |
| Kinkaku-ji | ¥500 |
| Tenryu-ji garden | ¥500 |
| Kodai-ji | ¥800 |
| Ginkaku-ji | ¥1,000 |
| Kyoto Tower | ¥1,000 |
| Nijo Castle, palace included | ¥1,300 |
| Tea ceremony | ¥3,000–¥5,000 |
| Kimono rental | From about ¥3,000 |
Temple gates are often cash only. A day of five or six small entries adds up, so carry ¥10,000–¥20,000. See Cash, ATMs, SIM & Wi-Fi.
Taxes and Extras
Kyoto accommodation tax, per person per night, added to your hotel bill:
| Room price per person per night | Tax |
|---|---|
| Under ¥6,000 | ¥200 |
| ¥6,000–¥19,999 | ¥400 |
| ¥20,000–¥49,999 | ¥1,000 |
| ¥50,000–¥99,999 | ¥4,000 |
| ¥100,000 and up | ¥10,000 |
- Departure tax: ¥3,000 per person since 1 July 2026. It is included in your air ticket.
- Tax-free shopping: you pay the full price in the shop and claim the tax back when you leave Japan. The minimum is ¥5,000 before tax per shop per day.
Older guides and blog posts are out of date on all of these.
Accommodation tax (1 March): the top rate rose from ¥1,000 to ¥10,000 a night, and most mid-range rooms now pay ¥400.
Departure tax (1 July): ¥3,000, up from ¥1,000.
Tax-free shopping (1 November): no more discount at the till. Keep every item with you until customs has checked it at the airport, and do not put the goods in checked luggage first. One missing item cancels the refund for the whole receipt.
Kyoto Tower (1 October): ¥1,000, up from ¥900.
Five Ways to Spend Less
- Come in January or February. Hotel rates are the lowest of the year. See Kyoto in Winter.
- Stay near Kyoto Station. It has the widest choice of cheap rooms.
- Walk Higashiyama and Gion. The best lanes have no bus and no entry fee.
- Skip the day pass unless you will ride five or more times.
- Pay for one or two great temples, not six average ones. The free sights are among the best in the city.
Our Gion Night Walk is 90 minutes through Pontocho, Hanamikoji and the Yasaka Pagoda with a local guide, for ¥6,000 per person. Book 14 or more days ahead on this site and it is 15% off (¥5,100).
Read next: Kyoto First-Timer Guide · Where to Stay in Kyoto · Cash, ATMs, SIM & Wi-Fi
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