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: $1,684 in Kingston versus $1,413 in Sapporo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,889 in Kingston versus $2,073 in Sapporo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,093 in Kingston versus $2,734 in Sapporo.

Living in Kingston is roughly 19% more expensive than in Sapporo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kingston 23% above, Sapporo 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.95 JMD 2,513

$6.09 ¥948

161.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 JMD 11.7K

$31.40 ¥4,887

136.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 JMD 1,388

$6.35 ¥988

38.74%

Cappuccino

$5.22 JMD 823

$4.70 ¥732

11.06%

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

$1.19 JMD 188

$1.66 ¥259

-28.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 JMD 109

$0.89 ¥138

-22.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 JMD 345

$4.10 ¥638

-46.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 JMD 486

$5.76 ¥897

-46.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.06 JMD 639

$1.60 ¥249

153.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 JMD 589

$1.34 ¥209

179.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 JMD 261

$3.94 ¥613

-57.87%

Eggs

$3.61 JMD 570

$1.77 ¥276

103.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.58 JMD 1,826

$9.18 ¥1,429

26.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 JMD 975

$6.79 ¥1,056

-8.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.12 JMD 1,595

$25.23 ¥3,927

-59.89%

Apples (1kg)

$6.12 JMD 964

$3.11 ¥484

96.78%

Banana (1kg)

$3.99 JMD 629

$3.13 ¥487

27.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.48 JMD 1,179

$3.12 ¥485

139.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 JMD 491

$4.42 ¥688

-29.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 JMD 510

$2.12 ¥331

52.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 JMD 416

$1.66 ¥259

59.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 JMD 474

$1.56 ¥244

92.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 JMD 231

$0.44 ¥69.2

231.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.74 JMD 1,534

$3.98 ¥619

144.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 JMD 1,785

$8.31 ¥1,294

36.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 JMD 439

$1.86 ¥289

49.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 JMD 625

$3.12 ¥485

26.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 JMD 128

$1.60 ¥249

-49.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.60 JMD 6,082

$46.54 ¥7,243

-17.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 JMD 193

$4.13 ¥643

-70.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 JMD 496

$1.67 ¥259

88.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.15 JMD 970

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 JMD 215

$1.04 ¥162

30.77%

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

$43.7K JMD 6.9M

$21.8K ¥3.4M

99.94%

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

$32.4K JMD 5.1M

$14.0K ¥2.2M

131.43%

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

$172 JMD 27.1K

$335 ¥52.2K

-48.70%

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

$29.66 JMD 4,675

$25.06 ¥3,900

18.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 JMD 8,278

$46.40 ¥7,222

13.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.6 JMD 9,862

$49.59 ¥7,719

26.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.94 JMD 2,827

$3.14 ¥489

471.34%

Cinema Ticket

$13.35 JMD 2,103

$11.96 ¥1,862

11.62%

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

$367 JMD 57.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,302 JMD 1.3M

$10.1K ¥1.6M

-18.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.88 JMD 3,764

$36.98 ¥5,755

-35.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.86 JMD 5,020

$24.78 ¥3,857

28.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 JMD 12.5K

$46.81 ¥7,286

69.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 JMD 16.1K

$114 ¥17.8K

-10.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$972 JMD 153.2K

$443 ¥69.0K

119.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 JMD 88.7K

$276 ¥42.9K

104.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,117 JMD 333.5K

$827 ¥128.8K

155.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 JMD 226.0K

$637 ¥99.1K

125.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,902 JMD 457.4K

$2,169 ¥337.6K

33.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,054 JMD 323.7K

$1,583 ¥246.3K

29.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 JMD 119.3K

$1,721 ¥267.8K

-56.01%

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: August 29, 2026

Last update for Sapporo: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $972 in Kingston and $443 in Sapporo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sapporo pays 127% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 in Kingston vs $31.00 in Sapporo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $312 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 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 127% 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: $972 in Kingston versus $443 in Sapporo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,684 per month in Kingston versus $1,413 in Sapporo – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,413 in Sapporo versus $1,684 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 $1,413 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.