Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Osaka and Sapporo

For one person, living costs are similar in Osaka and in Sapporo: $1,409 and $1,415 a month, rent and utilities included.

68

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Sapporo
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Sapporo Living Index

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Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,409

/mo nomad

Sapporo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,415

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,409 in Osaka versus $1,415 in Sapporo.

Osaka $1,409
Sapporo $1,415

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,057 in Osaka versus $2,106 in Sapporo.

Osaka $2,057
Sapporo $2,106

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,706 in Osaka versus $2,797 in Sapporo.

Osaka $2,706
Sapporo $2,797

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Osaka 4% above, Sapporo 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.27 ¥988

$6.50 ¥1,023

-3.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.41 ¥4,947

$29.03 ¥4,572

8.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 ¥770

$5.34 ¥841

-8.43%

Cappuccino

$2.99 ¥472

$4.82 ¥759

-37.97%

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

$1.43 ¥225

$1.75 ¥275

-18.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥118

$0.93 ¥146

-19.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 ¥432

$4.26 ¥670

-35.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 ¥608

$5.53 ¥871

-30.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥229

$1.60 ¥252

-8.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ¥203

$1.41 ¥222

-8.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 ¥849

$4.09 ¥644

31.78%

Eggs

$2.07 ¥327

$1.79 ¥281

15.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.55 ¥1,661

$9.52 ¥1,499

10.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.18 ¥1,603

$6.95 ¥1,095

46.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.32 ¥3,989

$25.17 ¥3,964

0.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ¥525

$3.18 ¥501

4.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 ¥307

$3.08 ¥485

-36.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 ¥321

$3.20 ¥504

-36.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 ¥651

$4.30 ¥677

-3.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ¥240

$2.09 ¥329

-27.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ¥178

$1.69 ¥265

-33.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ¥215

$1.58 ¥249

-13.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥135

$0.45 ¥70.7

91.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥613

$3.83 ¥603

1.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.51 ¥1,970

$8.04 ¥1,266

55.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 ¥306

$1.89 ¥297

2.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 ¥494

$3.13 ¥492

0.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 ¥208

$1.60 ¥252

-17.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.27 ¥5,239

$46.90 ¥7,386

-29.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 ¥585

$4.32 ¥681

-13.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.69 ¥424

$1.86 ¥292

44.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.85 ¥4,229

$15.66 ¥2,466

71.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ¥165

$1.07 ¥168

-1.87%

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

$22.3K ¥3.5M

$21.5K ¥3.4M

3.72%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$14.2K ¥2.2M

7.70%

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

$141 ¥22.1K

$337 ¥53.2K

-58.35%

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

$24.75 ¥3,898

$25.89 ¥4,077

-4.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.11 ¥4,900

$46.64 ¥7,346

-33.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 ¥8,026

$48.99 ¥7,715

4.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.38 ¥2,895

$3.19 ¥502

476.18%

Cinema Ticket

$12.59 ¥1,983

$11.84 ¥1,865

6.33%

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

$685 ¥107.9K

$322 ¥50.7K

112.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ¥2.5M

$10.1K ¥1.6M

56.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.04 ¥7,566

$38.74 ¥6,101

24.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.67 ¥4,830

$25.56 ¥4,026

19.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥11.7K

$47.12 ¥7,421

57.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.1 ¥14.2K

$116 ¥18.3K

-22.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$739 ¥116.4K

$451 ¥71.1K

63.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$504 ¥79.3K

$280 ¥44.0K

80.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 ¥267.8K

$812 ¥127.8K

109.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$761 ¥119.9K

$630 ¥99.2K

20.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,708 ¥1.1M

$2,222 ¥349.9K

201.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,145 ¥495.3K

$1,567 ¥246.9K

100.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,295 ¥361.5K

$2,280 ¥359.1K

0.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

2.57

-14.01%

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

Last update for Osaka: October 31, 2026

Last update for Sapporo: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Osaka

$504 35.8%

Sapporo

$280 19.8% 44.5% $224

Groceries & Markets

Osaka

$337 23.9%

Sapporo

$314 22.2% 6.6% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Osaka

$196 13.9%

Sapporo

$410 29% 109% $214

Eating Out

Osaka

$131 9.3%

Sapporo

$169 11.9% 29% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Osaka

$109 7.8%

Sapporo

$102 7.2% 6.5% $7.1

Sport & Entertainment

Osaka

$76 5.4%

Sapporo

$73 5.1% 4.6% $3.5

Getting Around

Osaka

$56 4%

Sapporo

$67 4.7% 20.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $739 in Osaka and $451 in Sapporo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $31 in Osaka vs $29 in Sapporo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $314 per month, with Sapporo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Osaka

🇯🇵 Sapporo

🕒 Local time

10:07 10:07 AM

Same time as Osaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,691,185

1,973,395

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.66 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Osaka Sapporo 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Osaka
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

Osaka vs Sapporo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $2,113 in Osaka and $2,122 in Sapporo to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $739 in Osaka versus $451 in Sapporo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $685 in Osaka versus $322 in Sapporo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sapporo – a meal for two runs $29 versus $31 in Osaka. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Osaka gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Osaka and Sapporo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.