Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sapporo and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Sapporo: $1,404 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Sapporo
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Sapporo Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Sapporo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,404

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sapporo and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sapporo and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,404 in Sapporo versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Sapporo $1,404
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,097 in Sapporo versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Sapporo $2,097
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,791 in Sapporo versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Sapporo $2,791
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Sapporo costs roughly 48% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sapporo 4% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.20 ¥980

$20.63 $20.63

-69.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.04 ¥4,430

$84.6 $84.6

-66.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.30 ¥837

$12.07 $12.07

-56.09%

Cappuccino

$4.85 ¥767

$5.48 $5.48

-11.50%

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

$1.65 ¥261

$3.80 $3.80

-56.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥139

$2.47 $2.47

-64.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.38 ¥693

$8.05 $8.05

-45.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 ¥889

$8.88 $8.88

-36.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥244

$1.11 $1.11

39.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 ¥213

$3.72 $3.72

-63.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.91 ¥618

$3.37 $3.37

16.02%

Eggs

$1.76 ¥279

$4.32 $4.32

-59.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.42 ¥1,489

$13.13 $13.13

-28.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 ¥1,068

$14.15 $14.15

-52.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.61 ¥4,046

$16.33 $16.33

56.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 ¥504

$4.55 $4.55

-29.89%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 ¥494

$1.46 $1.46

113.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 ¥506

$4.71 $4.71

-32.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 ¥663

$4.15 $4.15

0.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 ¥331

$2.58 $2.58

-18.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 ¥275

$2.35 $2.35

-25.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 ¥235

$1.77 $1.77

-15.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ¥70.8

$2.14 $2.14

-78.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ¥633

$10.10 $10.10

-60.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.19 ¥1,293

$15.19 $15.19

-46.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 ¥303

$2.82 $2.82

-31.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ¥501

$3.44 $3.44

-7.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 ¥253

$1.54 $1.54

3.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.16 ¥7,609

$40.99 $40.99

17.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 ¥635

$2.80 $2.80

43.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ¥257

$1.60 $1.60

1.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.05 ¥2,536

$34.34 $34.34

-53.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$0.94 $0.94

18.09%

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

$21.8K ¥3.4M

$34.0K $34.0K

-35.95%

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

$14.5K ¥2.3M

$26.8K $26.8K

-45.90%

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

$336 ¥53.0K

$223 $223

50.81%

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

$25.59 ¥4,042

$58.9 $58.9

-56.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.75 ¥7,544

$70.6 $70.6

-32.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.58 ¥7,674

$57.7 $57.7

-15.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.22 ¥509

$16.53 $16.53

-80.52%

Cinema Ticket

$12.12 ¥1,915

$14.26 $14.26

-15.01%

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

$319 ¥50.4K

$1,511 $1,511

-78.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,987 ¥1.6M

$20.9K $20.9K

-52.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.38 ¥5,905

$51.3 $51.3

-27.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.18 ¥3,978

$44.17 $44.17

-42.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.33 ¥7,478

$87.0 $87.0

-45.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ¥18.0K

$104 $104

9.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥71.6K

$1,940 $1,940

-76.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 ¥43.4K

$1,316 $1,316

-79.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$824 ¥130.2K

$3,664 $3,664

-77.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 ¥101.3K

$2,565 $2,565

-75.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,168 ¥342.5K

$7,354 $7,354

-70.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ¥246.4K

$3,129 $3,129

-50.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,233 ¥352.9K

$5,286 $5,286

-57.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.57

6.79

-62.15%

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

Last update for Sapporo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sapporo

$409 29.2%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 13.9% $57

Groceries & Markets

Sapporo

$312 22.3%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 29.9% $94

Accommodation & Living

Sapporo

$275 19.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 379% $1K

Eating Out

Sapporo

$167 11.9%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 110% $183

Clothing & Footwear

Sapporo

$101 7.2%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 28.1% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Sapporo

$73 5.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 18.4% $13

Getting Around

Sapporo

$67 4.8%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 13.2% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $453 in Sapporo and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 137% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $28.00 in Sapporo vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $406 per month, with Sapporo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Sapporo

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

00:14 12:14 AM

10:14 10:14 AM

14 h behind Sapporo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,973,395

974,447

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sapporo Austin, TX 9,880 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Sapporo
Austin, TX

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

Sapporo vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sapporo wins on cost – living expenses run 92% lower than in Austin, TX. 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 137% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $453 in Sapporo versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,404 per month in Sapporo versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 92% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sapporo runs roughly 17% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,404 in Sapporo versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sapporo but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. 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, Sapporo and Austin, TX 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 92% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.