Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Sapporo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sapporo: $1,404 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Sapporo
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Sapporo Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Sapporo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,404

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Budapest 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 Budapest and in Sapporo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Budapest vs $1,404 in Sapporo, rent included.

Budapest $1,641
Sapporo $1,404

A couple spends around $2,562 per month in Budapest vs $2,097 in Sapporo, rent included.

Budapest $2,562
Sapporo $2,097

A family of three spends $3,483 per month in Budapest vs $2,791 in Sapporo, rent included.

Budapest $3,483
Sapporo $2,791

Budapest costs about 17% more than Sapporo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Budapest and Sapporo sit above the global median – Budapest by 21%, Sapporo by 4%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 Ft 4,536

$6.20 ¥980

126.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

$28.04 ¥4,430

117.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 Ft 3,351

$5.30 ¥837

95.66%

Cappuccino

$3.46 Ft 1,117

$4.85 ¥767

-28.66%

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

$2.07 Ft 669

$1.65 ¥261

25.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 Ft 572

$0.88 ¥139

101.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.69 Ft 1,191

$4.38 ¥693

-15.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 Ft 1,229

$5.62 ¥889

-32.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 Ft 374

$1.55 ¥244

-25.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 Ft 598

$1.35 ¥213

37.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 Ft 776

$3.91 ¥618

-38.62%

Eggs

$3.99 Ft 1,289

$1.76 ¥279

126.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 Ft 3,683

$9.42 ¥1,489

21.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 Ft 2,221

$6.76 ¥1,068

1.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 Ft 4,682

$25.61 ¥4,046

-43.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 Ft 607

$3.19 ¥504

-41.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 Ft 693

$3.12 ¥494

-31.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 Ft 744

$3.20 ¥506

-28.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 Ft 1,304

$4.19 ¥663

-3.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 Ft 329

$2.09 ¥331

-51.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 Ft 320

$1.74 ¥275

-43.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 Ft 510

$1.49 ¥235

6.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 Ft 225

$0.45 ¥70.8

55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.03 Ft 2,594

$4.00 ¥633

100.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 Ft 1,997

$8.19 ¥1,293

-24.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 Ft 401

$1.92 ¥303

-35.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 Ft 666

$3.17 ¥501

-35.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 Ft 513

$1.60 ¥253

-0.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.52 Ft 8,893

$48.16 ¥7,609

-42.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 Ft 1,110

$4.02 ¥635

-14.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 Ft 431

$1.63 ¥257

-18.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.45 Ft 6,607

$16.05 ¥2,536

27.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 624

$1.11 ¥175

73.87%

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

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

$21.8K ¥3.4M

33.88%

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

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

$14.5K ¥2.3M

139.85%

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

$175 Ft 56.4K

$336 ¥53.0K

-48.00%

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

$23.62 Ft 7,631

$25.59 ¥4,042

-7.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.60 Ft 7,625

$47.75 ¥7,544

-50.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

$48.58 ¥7,674

41.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 Ft 6,224

$3.22 ¥509

498.14%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 Ft 3,333

$12.12 ¥1,915

-14.93%

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

$535 Ft 172.9K

$319 ¥50.4K

67.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

$9,987 ¥1.6M

68.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

$37.38 ¥5,905

167.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

$25.18 ¥3,978

71.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 Ft 36.1K

$47.33 ¥7,478

136.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.4K

$114 ¥18.0K

4.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 Ft 268.8K

$453 ¥71.6K

83.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 203.3K

$275 ¥43.4K

129.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

$824 ¥130.2K

92.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

$641 ¥101.3K

86.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

$2,168 ¥342.5K

163.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

$1,559 ¥246.4K

153.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

$2,233 ¥352.9K

-23.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

2.57

150.97%

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

Last update for Budapest: 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

Budapest

$629 38.4%

Sapporo

$275 19.6% 56.3% $355

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$262 16%

Sapporo

$312 22.3% 19.4% $51

Eating Out

Budapest

$226 13.8%

Sapporo

$167 11.9% 26.2% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$222 13.5%

Sapporo

$409 29.2% 84.4% $187

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$168 10.3%

Sapporo

$101 7.2% 40.1% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$89 5.5%

Sapporo

$73 5.2% 18.6% $17

Getting Around

Budapest

$44 2.7%

Sapporo

$67 4.8% 51.7% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $832 in Budapest versus $453 in Sapporo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 30% higher in Sapporo, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Budapest versus $28.00 in Sapporo. Groceries tell a different story – $262 in Budapest vs $312 in Sapporo – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇯🇵 Sapporo

🕒 Local time

19:40 7:40 PM

02:40 2:40 AM

7 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

1,973,395

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 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).

USD to HUF in detail →

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Between locations

Budapest Sapporo 8,470 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
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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

Budapest vs Sapporo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,461 per month in Budapest and $2,105 in Sapporo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sapporo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 75% less in Sapporo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $535 per month in Budapest and $319 in Sapporo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sapporo, where all-in costs run around $1,404, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Sapporo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sapporo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Sapporo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.