Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Sapporo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sapporo: $1,404 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Sapporo
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Sapporo Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Sapporo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,404

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Sapporo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Sapporo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $1,404 in Sapporo.

Austin, TX $2,698
Sapporo $1,404

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $2,097 in Sapporo.

Austin, TX $4,160
Sapporo $2,097

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $2,791 in Sapporo.

Austin, TX $5,622
Sapporo $2,791

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 92% more expensive than in Sapporo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Sapporo 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$6.20 ¥980

232.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$28.04 ¥4,430

201.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$5.30 ¥837

127.74%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.85 ¥767

12.99%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 $3.80

$1.65 ¥261

130.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.88 ¥139

180.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.38 ¥693

83.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$5.62 ¥889

58.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.55 ¥244

-28.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.35 ¥213

175.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.91 ¥618

-13.81%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$1.76 ¥279

145.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$9.42 ¥1,489

39.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$6.76 ¥1,068

109.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$25.61 ¥4,046

-36.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.19 ¥504

42.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.12 ¥494

-53.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.20 ¥506

47.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.19 ¥663

-0.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.09 ¥331

23.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.74 ¥275

35.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.49 ¥235

18.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.45 ¥70.8

375.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$4.00 ¥633

152.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$8.19 ¥1,293

85.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.92 ¥303

46.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.17 ¥501

8.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.60 ¥253

-3.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$48.16 ¥7,609

-14.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.02 ¥635

-30.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.63 ¥257

-1.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$16.05 ¥2,536

113.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.11 ¥175

-15.32%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.0K $34.0K

$21.8K ¥3.4M

56.13%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.8K $26.8K

$14.5K ¥2.3M

84.85%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$223 $223

$336 ¥53.0K

-33.69%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$58.9 $58.9

$25.59 ¥4,042

130.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$47.75 ¥7,544

47.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$48.58 ¥7,674

18.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$3.22 ¥509

413.35%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$12.12 ¥1,915

17.66%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,511 $1,511

$319 ¥50.4K

373.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$9,987 ¥1.6M

109.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$37.38 ¥5,905

37.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$25.18 ¥3,978

75.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$47.33 ¥7,478

83.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$114 ¥18.0K

-8.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$453 ¥71.6K

328.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$275 ¥43.4K

379.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$824 ¥130.2K

344.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$641 ¥101.3K

300.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,168 ¥342.5K

239.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,559 ¥246.4K

100.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$2,233 ¥352.9K

136.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.57

164.20%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sapporo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Sapporo

$275 19.6% 79.1% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Sapporo

$312 22.3% 23% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Sapporo

$409 29.2% 16.2% $57

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Sapporo

$167 11.9% 52.3% $183

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Sapporo

$101 7.2% 21.9% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Sapporo

$73 5.2% 15.5% $13

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Sapporo

$67 4.8% 15.2% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $453 in Sapporo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 137% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $28.00 in Sapporo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $312 per month, with Sapporo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇯🇵 Sapporo

🕒 Local time

13:27 1:27 PM

03:27 3:27 AM

14 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,973,395

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

JPY to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Sapporo 9,880 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Sapporo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs Sapporo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sapporo wins on cost – living expenses run 92% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sapporo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 137% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $453 in Sapporo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,404 in Sapporo – a 92% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sapporo runs roughly 17% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,404 in Sapporo versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sapporo but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Sapporo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sapporo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,404 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sapporo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Sapporo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sapporo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.