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: $1,482 in Kingston versus $1,486 in Sapporo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,489 in Kingston versus $2,150 in Sapporo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,496 in Kingston versus $2,814 in Sapporo.

Monthly costs are close between Kingston and Sapporo; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kingston 11% above, Sapporo 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.46 JMD 1,177

$9.76 ¥1,585

-23.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 JMD 9,732

$28.01 ¥4,551

120.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.58 JMD 1,354

$5.28 ¥858

62.50%

Cappuccino

$4.39 JMD 693

$3.79 ¥617

15.83%

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

$1.33 JMD 209

$0.98 ¥160

35.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 117

$0.84 ¥137

-11.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 JMD 384

$3.38 ¥549

-28.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 JMD 490

$6.17 ¥1,002

-49.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.33 JMD 683

$1.51 ¥246

186.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 JMD 551

$1.33 ¥216

162.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 JMD 258

$7.25 ¥1,178

-77.38%

Eggs

$3.61 JMD 569

$1.84 ¥299

96.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.20 JMD 1,767

$8.81 ¥1,432

27.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 JMD 1,018

$7.10 ¥1,154

-9.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 JMD 1,233

$21.21 ¥3,446

-63.13%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 JMD 946

$3.38 ¥549

77.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 JMD 470

$3.10 ¥504

-3.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 JMD 664

$4.19 ¥680

0.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.90 JMD 457

$3.99 ¥648

-27.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 JMD 319

$2.90 ¥471

-30.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 JMD 316

$2.29 ¥373

-12.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 JMD 476

$1.50 ¥243

100.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 JMD 238

$0.84 ¥136

79.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.61 JMD 1,359

$2.97 ¥482

189.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.47 JMD 1,810

$7.84 ¥1,274

46.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 JMD 438

$2.13 ¥346

30.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 JMD 480

$3.40 ¥552

-10.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 JMD 128

$1.78 ¥289

-54.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.18 JMD 7,760

$51.0 ¥8,290

-3.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 JMD 171

$4.73 ¥768

-76.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 JMD 507

$1.72 ¥280

87.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 JMD 1,000

$21.15 ¥3,437

-70.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 JMD 196

$1.17 ¥191

5.98%

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

$43.4K JMD 6.9M

$34.9K ¥5.7M

24.60%

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

$34.1K JMD 5.4M

$17.0K ¥2.8M

100.69%

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

$161 JMD 25.4K

$314 ¥51.0K

-48.78%

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

$22.24 JMD 3,509

$28.48 ¥4,627

-21.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 JMD 8,202

$43.49 ¥7,065

19.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 JMD 10.9K

$54.1 ¥8,796

27.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.91 JMD 2,511

$11.51 ¥1,870

38.23%

Cinema Ticket

$13.38 JMD 2,111

$13.22 ¥2,147

1.21%

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

$222 JMD 35.1K

$280 ¥45.5K

-20.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,532 JMD 399.6K

$11.0K ¥1.8M

-77.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.81 JMD 4,073

$41.98 ¥6,820

-38.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.49 JMD 4,022

$27.17 ¥4,414

-6.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 JMD 11.2K

$51.7 ¥8,399

36.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.9 JMD 11.8K

$127 ¥20.6K

-40.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 JMD 138.8K

$523 ¥85.0K

68.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 JMD 71.2K

$306 ¥49.7K

47.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,007 JMD 316.6K

$749 ¥121.6K

168.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 JMD 187.5K

$545 ¥88.6K

117.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,866 JMD 452.2K

$2,183 ¥354.6K

31.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,153 JMD 339.8K

$1,521 ¥247.1K

41.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$732 JMD 115.5K

$1,725 ¥280.2K

-57.55%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Sapporo: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $880 in Kingston and $523 in Sapporo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sapporo pays 136% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62.0 in Kingston vs $28.00 in Sapporo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $325 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

On paper, salaries run 136% lower in Sapporo. 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 $523 in Sapporo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kingston runs roughly 4% less than in Sapporo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Sapporo pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,482 in Kingston versus $1,486 in Sapporo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kingston but tight or insufficient in Sapporo. The gap between the two cities makes Kingston the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kingston delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,482 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kingston 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.

It comes down to priorities – Kingston wins on affordability, Sapporo on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.