Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Sapporo Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Sapporo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,451 in Kingston versus $1,442 in Sapporo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,475 in Kingston versus $2,118 in Sapporo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,498 in Kingston versus $2,794 in Sapporo.

Living in Kingston is roughly 1% more expensive than Sapporo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kingston 8% above, Sapporo 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.61 JMD 1,196

$9.84 ¥1,574

-22.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.0 JMD 9,741

$27.21 ¥4,352

127.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 JMD 1,384

$5.18 ¥829

69.88%

Cappuccino

$4.36 JMD 685

$3.85 ¥616

13.25%

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

$1.32 JMD 207

$0.97 ¥155

36.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 117

$0.83 ¥133

-10.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 JMD 404

$3.39 ¥542

-24.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 JMD 502

$6.06 ¥970

-47.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.36 JMD 686

$1.58 ¥253

175.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 JMD 575

$1.28 ¥205

185.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 JMD 247

$7.24 ¥1,157

-78.31%

Eggs

$3.47 JMD 545

$1.93 ¥308

79.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 JMD 1,760

$8.72 ¥1,395

28.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.42 JMD 1,010

$7.21 ¥1,153

-10.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 JMD 1,229

$20.88 ¥3,340

-62.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.96 JMD 937

$3.42 ¥547

74.27%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 JMD 492

$2.99 ¥479

4.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 JMD 676

$4.24 ¥679

1.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 JMD 465

$3.83 ¥613

-22.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 JMD 319

$2.76 ¥442

-26.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 JMD 316

$2.26 ¥362

-11.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.12 JMD 490

$1.52 ¥243

105.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 JMD 228

$0.83 ¥133

74.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.89 JMD 1,398

$3.09 ¥494

187.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.29 JMD 1,775

$8.07 ¥1,291

39.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 JMD 455

$2.09 ¥335

38.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 JMD 504

$3.41 ¥546

-6.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 JMD 140

$1.68 ¥268

-47.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.53 JMD 7,630

$52.3 ¥8,370

-7.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 JMD 177

$4.69 ¥750

-76.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 JMD 496

$1.73 ¥276

82.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 JMD 974

$20.91 ¥3,345

-70.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 JMD 202

$1.24 ¥199

3.23%

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

$43.2K JMD 6.8M

$35.3K ¥5.6M

22.27%

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

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

$17.0K ¥2.7M

98.91%

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

$163 JMD 25.6K

$322 ¥51.5K

-49.45%

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

$22.49 JMD 3,536

$28.55 ¥4,566

-21.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 JMD 7,970

$42.56 ¥6,807

19.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 JMD 10.9K

$55.1 ¥8,816

25.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.50 JMD 2,437

$11.36 ¥1,817

36.44%

Cinema Ticket

$12.92 JMD 2,031

$13.16 ¥2,104

-1.82%

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

$222 JMD 34.9K

$281 ¥44.9K

-20.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,451 JMD 385.4K

$10.9K ¥1.7M

-77.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.73 JMD 4,046

$41.04 ¥6,564

-37.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 JMD 3,969

$27.62 ¥4,419

-8.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 JMD 11.4K

$51.4 ¥8,217

40.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.6 JMD 11.9K

$126 ¥20.2K

-40.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 JMD 138.4K

$515 ¥82.3K

70.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 JMD 70.9K

$307 ¥49.0K

47.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 JMD 317.8K

$758 ¥121.3K

166.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 JMD 189.4K

$548 ¥87.7K

119.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,863 JMD 450.1K

$2,188 ¥350.0K

30.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,192 JMD 344.7K

$1,580 ¥252.8K

38.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$732 JMD 115.1K

$1,749 ¥279.8K

-58.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

1.83

400.00%

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

Last update for Kingston: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sapporo: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $880 in Kingston and $515 in Sapporo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sapporo pays 139% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in Kingston vs $27.00 in Sapporo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $324 per month, with Sapporo cheaper across the board.

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

Kingston vs Sapporo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sapporo wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Kingston. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sapporo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Sapporo earns 139% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $880 in Kingston versus $515 in Sapporo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $222 in Kingston versus $281 in Sapporo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,442 in Sapporo versus $1,451 in Kingston, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sapporo but tight or insufficient in Kingston. 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 $1,442 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sapporo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kingston 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 1% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.