Authored by the expert who managed and guided the team behind the Japan Property Pack
This article focuses on residential apartments in Kyoto, covering the most relevant neighborhoods for foreign buyers in early 2026.
We constantly update this blog post so the data you see always reflects current market conditions.
All figures are based on verified Japanese real estate sources and cross-checked for accuracy.
And if you're planning to buy a property in Kyoto, you may want to download our real estate pack about Kyoto.
A quick summary table
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Kyoto neighborhood with the best gross rental yield | Downtown Kyoto (Studio, 5.6%) |
| Kyoto neighborhood with the lowest gross rental yield | Gion and Higashiyama (tied at 5.1%) |
| Average gross rental yield across Kyoto | 5.2% |
| Average net rental yield across Kyoto | 4.0% |
| Median apartment purchase price in Kyoto | Around 19.5 million yen |
| Average monthly rent in Kyoto | Around 88,500 yen |
| Average occupancy rate across Kyoto neighborhoods | Around 90% |
| Fastest-leasing Kyoto neighborhood | Downtown Kyoto (10 days on average) |
| Slowest-leasing Kyoto neighborhood | Arashiyama (20 days on average) |
| Highest occupancy Kyoto neighborhood | Downtown Kyoto (95%) |
| Best value, high-yield Kyoto segment | Downtown Kyoto studio apartments (5.6% gross, 13 million yen entry price) |
| Kyoto rental yield spread (best vs. worst) | 0.5 percentage points (5.6% to 5.1%) |
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Kyoto neighborhoods and apartment types in 2026 ranked by rental yield
This table ranks the top neighborhoods and apartment types in the Kyoto residential rental market by gross rental yield.
For each Kyoto neighborhood and apartment type, the table includes the average purchase price, average monthly rent, gross rental yield, net rental yield, annual fees, average occupancy, average time to rent, main rental demand, main risk, and investment profile.
Finally, please note you will find much more detailed data in our real estate pack about Kyoto.
| # | Neighborhood | Property type | Gross rental yield | Net rental yield | Average purchase price | Average monthly rent | Ownership annual fees | Average occupancy | Average time to rent | Main rental demand | Main risk | Rental Investment Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Downtown Kyoto | Studio apartment | 5.6% | 4.0% | 15,000,000 yen | 70,000 yen | 150,000 yen | 95% | 10 days | Single tenants, young professionals | High competition in the rental market | Top Pick |
| 2 | Fushimi | Studio apartment | 5.5% | 4.3% | 13,000,000 yen | 60,000 yen | 140,000 yen | 92% | 18 days | Students, young professionals | Lower demand from international tenants | Good Potential |
| 3 | Kyoto Station | 1-Bedroom apartment | 5.2% | 4.1% | 19,500,000 yen | 85,000 yen | 200,000 yen | 94% | 11 days | Commuters, students | Higher rent price fluctuation due to new builds | Top Pick |
| 4 | Arashiyama | 1-Bedroom apartment | 5.2% | 3.9% | 18,500,000 yen | 80,000 yen | 180,000 yen | 85% | 20 days | Retirees, seasonal renters | Seasonality risk affecting demand | Moderate Appeal |
| 5 | Nishijin | 1-Bedroom apartment | 5.2% | 4.0% | 22,000,000 yen | 95,000 yen | 210,000 yen | 87% | 16 days | Single professionals, couples | Higher vacancy rates in off-peak seasons | Moderate Appeal |
| 6 | Kiyomizu | Studio apartment | 5.3% | 4.0% | 17,000,000 yen | 75,000 yen | 160,000 yen | 90% | 13 days | Young tourists, solo travelers | Competition in a popular tourist area | Good Potential |
| 7 | Nakagyo | 2-Bedroom apartment | 5.3% | 4.0% | 25,000,000 yen | 110,000 yen | 220,000 yen | 90% | 14 days | Families, long-term renters | Potential for fluctuating rent prices | Good Potential |
| 8 | Gion | 1-Bedroom apartment | 5.1% | 3.7% | 20,000,000 yen | 85,000 yen | 200,000 yen | 90% | 12 days | Young professionals, tourists | Fluctuating tourism demand | Good Potential |
| 9 | Kamigyo | 2-Bedroom apartment | 5.1% | 3.8% | 24,500,000 yen | 105,000 yen | 200,000 yen | 86% | 19 days | Families, retirees | Limited demand outside peak periods | Moderate Appeal |
| 10 | Higashiyama | 2-Bedroom apartment | 5.1% | 4.2% | 28,000,000 yen | 120,000 yen | 250,000 yen | 88% | 15 days | Foreign expatriates, families | Higher maintenance fees due to older buildings | Moderate Appeal |
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Key insights about apartment rental yields in Kyoto
Insights
- Downtown Kyoto studio apartments deliver the highest gross yield in Kyoto at 5.6%, combining a low entry price of around 15 million yen with a 95% occupancy rate and an average time-to-rent of just 10 days.
- Fushimi studio apartments offer the strongest net yield in the entire Kyoto market at 4.3%, largely because annual ownership fees are the lowest across all surveyed neighborhoods at 140,000 yen per year.
- Kyoto Station 1-bedroom apartments rank second for net yield at 4.1% and have the second-fastest leasing time at 11 days, driven by steady commuter and student demand that remains relatively insensitive to tourism cycles.
- Arashiyama takes the longest to rent at 20 days on average, and its 85% occupancy is the lowest in Kyoto, both pointing to a seasonal rental profile that can hurt an investor's annual income if the apartment sits empty outside peak travel periods.
- The spread between the best and worst gross yield in Kyoto is only 0.5 percentage points (5.6% to 5.1%), which is tighter than in many other Japanese cities. This means the choice of apartment type within a neighborhood matters as much as the neighborhood itself.
- Higashiyama 2-bedroom apartments carry the highest annual ownership fees at 250,000 yen, which directly explains why the gross-to-net yield gap in that area is wider than in most other Kyoto neighborhoods.
- Nakagyo and Kiyomizu both hit a 5.3% gross yield with very different tenant profiles. Nakagyo attracts families on long leases, while Kiyomizu caters to solo travelers. For investors who prefer lower turnover, Nakagyo is the more stable choice at a similar yield level.
- Studio apartments in Kyoto consistently outperform larger units on gross yield across every comparable neighborhood, reinforcing the pattern that smaller units are more efficient income vehicles when purchase prices scale faster than rents with size.
- Nishijin and Kamigyo both show below-average occupancy rates of 87% and 86% respectively, and both neighborhoods flag off-peak vacancy as a main risk. Investors targeting these areas should build a vacancy buffer into their income projections.
- Gion benefits from proximity to Kyoto's most recognizable tourist district, yet its net yield of 3.7% is the lowest in the 1-bedroom segment. The premium paid for the address compresses returns more than the tourism-driven demand compensates.
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About our methodology
We also believe it is important to show our reasoning. It is one of the ways we make our work solid, transparent, and rigorous, just as you will see in our real estate pack about Kyoto.
First, please note that this data is updated regularly, so what you see here reflects the current values as of today.
In order to get reliable data, we applied a strict source filter. We only used authoritative, verifiable sources focused on the Japanese residential market, not random listings or unsupported figures. More on that point below.
For each Kyoto neighborhood and property type, we aggregated the freshest purchase price and monthly rent data available. When possible, we cross-checked multiple sources to confirm the same range.
This allowed us to estimate rental yield before costs. That is the gross yield, based on annual rent versus purchase price.
We then estimated rental yield after costs. That is the net yield, after recurring ownership and operating expenses.
These expenses vary by neighborhood in Kyoto. That is why two areas with similar rents can still produce different net returns.
For example, older neighborhoods like Higashiyama tend to carry higher maintenance and repair costs, while tourist-heavy areas such as Gion may face higher insurance and management fees. In high-turnover areas, vacancy and tenant-related costs can also be higher.
We also estimated ownership annual fees by combining the main recurring costs linked to each Kyoto apartment. This includes items such as property taxes, building service charges where relevant, insurance, and a maintenance allowance.
These estimates were not applied as one flat number across Kyoto. They were adjusted by neighborhood and property type to better reflect local ownership conditions.
This table should therefore be read as a structured market estimate, not as an exact guarantee of future performance. Honesty, quality, and rigor are at the core of our work, and they are also what you will find in our real estate pack about Kyoto.
What sources have we used to write this blog article?
Whether it is in our blog articles or the market analyses included in our real estate pack about Kyoto, we rely on verifiable sources and a transparent methodology.
We also aim to be fully transparent, so below we have listed the authoritative sources we used, and explained how we used them and the methods behind our estimates.
| Source | Why it is authoritative | How we used it |
|---|---|---|
| Japan Real Estate Institute | It is one of Japan's most respected institutions for verified residential market research. | We used their market analysis to understand apartment rental trends across Kyoto neighborhoods. Their data helped us benchmark which areas show consistent rental demand versus seasonal fluctuation. |
| Tokyo Kantei | It is a trusted provider of property price data covering all major Japanese cities including Kyoto. | We used their price data for Kyoto to establish average purchase prices for each apartment type across the neighborhoods in this article. Their transaction-based figures gave us a solid price anchor for yield calculations. |
| REINS Market Data | REINS is the industry-standard database for residential real estate transactions across Japan. | We accessed their transaction records to identify typical apartment prices and rental levels in Kyoto's residential market. This helped us cross-check figures from other sources for consistency. |
| Japan National Tourism Organization | It is an official government body providing reliable and up-to-date data on tourism flows across Japan. | We reviewed their Kyoto tourism data to estimate demand for short-stay and tourist-adjacent rental apartments. This was particularly useful for neighborhoods like Gion, Arashiyama, and Kiyomizu. |
| Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport | It is the main Japanese government body publishing official residential property and rental statistics. | We used their data on property ownership and rental conditions to verify the broader trends visible in Kyoto's residential market. Their figures provided a reliable baseline for occupancy and fee estimates. |
| National Tax Agency (Japan) | It provides official data on property taxes and ownership cost structures across Japanese prefectures. | We used their reports to estimate annual ownership fees for Kyoto apartments, specifically the property tax component. This allowed us to produce more accurate net yield figures by neighborhood. |
| Real Estate Economic Institute | It publishes extensive research on Japan's housing market with a strong focus on investment metrics. | We referred to their reports to cross-check the most popular apartment types in Kyoto for residential buyers. Their analysis helped us identify which property segments attract the most consistent investor interest. |
| Japan Property Central | It provides data-backed insights into the Japanese real estate market with clear relevance for foreign buyers. | We referenced their coverage of the Kyoto apartment market to validate the investment appeal of different neighborhoods. Their foreign-investor perspective was useful for assessing demand from non-Japanese buyers and tenants. |
| Bank of Japan | It is the central bank of Japan and the primary source for macroeconomic and financial conditions data. | We examined their financial reports to account for macroeconomic factors that affect rental yields in Kyoto, including interest rate conditions and broader monetary policy trends that influence property financing costs. |
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