Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Okinawa and Sapporo

For one person, living costs are similar in Okinawa and in Sapporo: $1,388 and $1,422 a month, rent and utilities included.

66

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
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Okinawa Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Sapporo
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Sapporo Living Index

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Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,388

/mo nomad

Sapporo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,422

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,388 per month in Okinawa vs $1,422 in Sapporo, rent included.

Okinawa $1,388
Sapporo $1,422

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Okinawa vs $2,123 in Sapporo, rent included.

Okinawa $2,184
Sapporo $2,123

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Okinawa vs $2,823 in Sapporo, rent included.

Okinawa $2,980
Sapporo $2,823

Okinawa and Sapporo have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Okinawa and Sapporo sit above the global median – Okinawa by 2%, Sapporo by 4%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.12 ¥1,596

$6.33 ¥997

59.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.24 ¥6,345

$28.34 ¥4,469

41.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 ¥1,110

$5.51 ¥869

27.77%

Cappuccino

$4.11 ¥648

$4.92 ¥776

-16.46%

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

$1.40 ¥221

$1.74 ¥274

-19.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥145

$0.88 ¥138

4.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ¥396

$4.37 ¥689

-42.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 ¥831

$5.70 ¥898

-7.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥248

$1.54 ¥243

2.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 ¥324

$1.36 ¥214

50.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 ¥593

$3.97 ¥626

-5.29%

Eggs

$1.84 ¥289

$1.78 ¥281

3.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.99 ¥2,837

$9.44 ¥1,488

90.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.79 ¥756

$6.77 ¥1,068

-29.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.45 ¥3,541

$25.65 ¥4,044

-12.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 ¥601

$3.25 ¥512

17.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 ¥412

$3.03 ¥477

-13.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 ¥347

$3.15 ¥497

-30.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 ¥830

$4.35 ¥686

20.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 ¥376

$2.14 ¥338

11.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ¥404

$1.66 ¥262

54.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ¥201

$1.50 ¥236

-14.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥122

$0.49 ¥77.2

57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 ¥616

$3.96 ¥625

-1.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.40 ¥1,009

$8.19 ¥1,292

-21.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 ¥308

$1.86 ¥293

4.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 ¥527

$3.24 ¥511

3.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 ¥227

$1.56 ¥246

-7.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 ¥10.3K

$48.41 ¥7,633

34.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ¥602

$4.12 ¥650

-7.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.54 ¥558

$1.63 ¥257

117.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.23 ¥1,770

$16.09 ¥2,538

-30.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥174

$1.11 ¥175

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

$20.9K ¥3.3M

$21.9K ¥3.5M

-4.61%

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

$15.5K ¥2.5M

$14.4K ¥2.3M

7.98%

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

$163 ¥25.7K

$344 ¥54.2K

-52.62%

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

$25.35 ¥3,998

$25.82 ¥4,071

-1.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 ¥8,369

$47.90 ¥7,553

10.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.0 ¥11.5K

$50.4 ¥7,954

44.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.9 ¥8,659

$3.20 ¥504

1616.25%

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 ¥1,890

$12.08 ¥1,904

-0.83%

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

$327 ¥51.6K

$312 ¥49.2K

4.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,668 ¥893.7K

$10.1K ¥1.6M

-44.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.88 ¥7,708

$38.49 ¥6,069

26.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.35 ¥3,682

$25.24 ¥3,979

-7.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 ¥12.8K

$48.43 ¥7,636

67.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 ¥15.1K

$119 ¥18.7K

-19.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 ¥64.8K

$463 ¥73.0K

-11.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ¥52.3K

$276 ¥43.5K

20.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 ¥134.4K

$831 ¥131.1K

2.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 ¥106.9K

$644 ¥101.5K

5.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,422 ¥1.3M

$2,259 ¥356.2K

272.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,185 ¥186.8K

$1,608 ¥253.5K

-26.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,798 ¥283.4K

$2,281 ¥359.6K

-21.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.23

2.57

-13.23%

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

Last update for Okinawa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sapporo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Okinawa

$332 23.9%

Sapporo

$276 19.4% 16.8% $56

Groceries & Markets

Okinawa

$330 23.8%

Sapporo

$314 22.1% 4.9% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Okinawa

$241 17.4%

Sapporo

$417 29.3% 73% $176

Eating Out

Okinawa

$184 13.2%

Sapporo

$170 11.9% 7.6% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Okinawa

$112 8.1%

Sapporo

$104 7.3% 7.4% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Okinawa

$97 7%

Sapporo

$75 5.3% 23.1% $22

Getting Around

Okinawa

$92 6.7%

Sapporo

$67 4.7% 27.5% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $411 in Okinawa versus $463 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 27% higher in Sapporo. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Okinawa versus $28 in Sapporo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $314 – making Sapporo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🇯🇵 Sapporo

🕒 Local time

15:42 3:42 PM

Same time as Okinawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,752

1,973,395

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Okinawa Sapporo 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Okinawa
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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

Okinawa vs Sapporo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,082 per month in Okinawa and $2,133 in Sapporo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Okinawa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $411 there versus $463 in Sapporo.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Okinawa and $28 in Sapporo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 26% less in Sapporo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

It depends on your priorities. Okinawa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,388 in Okinawa to $1,422 in Sapporo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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