Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Sapporo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sapporo: $1,404 a month against $1,675 in Kingston, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Kingston
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Kingston Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Sapporo
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Sapporo Living Index

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Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,675

/mo nomad

Sapporo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,404

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,675 in Kingston versus $1,404 in Sapporo.

Kingston $1,675
Sapporo $1,404

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,816 in Kingston versus $2,097 in Sapporo.

Kingston $2,816
Sapporo $2,097

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,956 in Kingston versus $2,791 in Sapporo.

Kingston $3,956
Sapporo $2,791

Living in Kingston is roughly 19% more expensive than in Sapporo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kingston 24% above, Sapporo 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.56 JMD 2,143

$6.20 ¥980

118.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.3 JMD 11.9K

$28.04 ¥4,430

168.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.97 JMD 1,260

$5.30 ¥837

50.38%

Cappuccino

$5.40 JMD 853

$4.85 ¥767

11.34%

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

$1.19 JMD 188

$1.65 ¥261

-27.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 JMD 112

$0.88 ¥139

-19.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 JMD 357

$4.38 ¥693

-48.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 JMD 503

$5.62 ¥889

-43.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.12 JMD 651

$1.55 ¥244

165.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 JMD 607

$1.35 ¥213

184.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 JMD 258

$3.91 ¥618

-58.31%

Eggs

$3.50 JMD 553

$1.76 ¥279

98.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.63 JMD 1,838

$9.42 ¥1,489

23.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.24 JMD 985

$6.76 ¥1,068

-7.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 JMD 1,615

$25.61 ¥4,046

-60.09%

Apples (1kg)

$6.23 JMD 984

$3.19 ¥504

95.30%

Banana (1kg)

$3.83 JMD 606

$3.12 ¥494

22.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.37 JMD 1,165

$3.20 ¥506

130.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 JMD 485

$4.19 ¥663

-26.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 JMD 525

$2.09 ¥331

58.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 JMD 415

$1.74 ¥275

50.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.05 JMD 483

$1.49 ¥235

104.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 JMD 238

$0.45 ¥70.8

235.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.48 JMD 1,498

$4.00 ¥633

137.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.33 JMD 1,789

$8.19 ¥1,293

38.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 JMD 443

$1.92 ¥303

45.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 JMD 637

$3.17 ¥501

27.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 JMD 121

$1.60 ¥253

-52.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.89 JMD 5,986

$48.16 ¥7,609

-21.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 JMD 186

$4.02 ¥635

-70.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 JMD 508

$1.63 ¥257

96.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.23 JMD 984

$16.05 ¥2,536

-61.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 JMD 221

$1.11 ¥175

26.13%

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

$43.5K JMD 6.9M

$21.8K ¥3.4M

99.90%

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

$32.5K JMD 5.1M

$14.5K ¥2.3M

124.70%

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

$167 JMD 26.4K

$336 ¥53.0K

-50.29%

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

$29.14 JMD 4,604

$25.59 ¥4,042

13.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 JMD 8,221

$47.75 ¥7,544

8.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.5 JMD 9,874

$48.58 ¥7,674

28.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 JMD 2,862

$3.22 ¥509

462.42%

Cinema Ticket

$13.20 JMD 2,085

$12.12 ¥1,915

8.91%

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

$358 JMD 56.6K

$319 ¥50.4K

12.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,078 JMD 1.3M

$9,987 ¥1.6M

-19.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.49 JMD 3,711

$37.38 ¥5,905

-37.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.98 JMD 5,052

$25.18 ¥3,978

27.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 JMD 12.4K

$47.33 ¥7,478

66.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 JMD 16.5K

$114 ¥18.0K

-8.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 JMD 151.1K

$453 ¥71.6K

111.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 JMD 89.1K

$275 ¥43.4K

105.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,125 JMD 335.7K

$824 ¥130.2K

157.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,399 JMD 221.0K

$641 ¥101.3K

118.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,909 JMD 459.6K

$2,168 ¥342.5K

34.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,099 JMD 331.6K

$1,559 ¥246.4K

34.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$729 JMD 115.1K

$2,233 ¥352.9K

-67.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

2.57

267.70%

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

Last update for Kingston: 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

Kingston

$564 33.7%

Sapporo

$275 19.6% 51.3% $289

Groceries & Markets

Kingston

$386 23.1%

Sapporo

$312 22.3% 19.1% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kingston

$248 14.8%

Sapporo

$409 29.2% 64.9% $161

Eating Out

Kingston

$223 13.3%

Sapporo

$167 11.9% 24.9% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Kingston

$107 6.4%

Sapporo

$101 7.2% 6.2% $6.7

Sport & Entertainment

Kingston

$89 5.3%

Sapporo

$73 5.2% 18.1% $16

Getting Around

Kingston

$58 3.5%

Sapporo

$67 4.8% 14.7% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $957 in Kingston and $453 in Sapporo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sapporo pays 207% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $75.0 in Kingston vs $28.00 in Sapporo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $312 per month, with Sapporo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Kingston

🇯🇵 Sapporo

🕒 Local time

12:49 12:49 PM

02:49 2:49 AM

14 h ahead of Kingston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

660,000 Capital

1,973,395

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 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 JMD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kingston Sapporo 12,190 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Kingston
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

Kingston vs Sapporo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sapporo wins on cost – living expenses run 19% 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, salaries run 207% 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: $957 in Kingston versus $453 in Sapporo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $358 in Kingston versus $319 in Sapporo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,404 in Sapporo versus $1,675 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 $1,404 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 19% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.