Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sapporo and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Sapporo: $1,404 a month against $1,641 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 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
80

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
Learn more

Budapest Living Index

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Sapporo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,404

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sapporo and in Budapest

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 Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,404 per month in Sapporo vs $1,641 in Budapest, rent included.

Sapporo $1,404
Budapest $1,641

A couple spends around $2,097 per month in Sapporo vs $2,562 in Budapest, rent included.

Sapporo $2,097
Budapest $2,562

A family of three spends $2,791 per month in Sapporo vs $3,483 in Budapest, rent included.

Sapporo $2,791
Budapest $3,483

Sapporo is about 14% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Sapporo and Budapest sit above the global median – Sapporo by 4%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.20 ¥980

$14.04 Ft 4,536

-55.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.04 ¥4,430

$60.9 Ft 19.7K

-53.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.30 ¥837

$10.37 Ft 3,351

-48.89%

Cappuccino

$4.85 ¥767

$3.46 Ft 1,117

40.17%

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

$1.65 ¥261

$2.07 Ft 669

-20.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥139

$1.77 Ft 572

-50.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.38 ¥693

$3.69 Ft 1,191

18.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 ¥889

$3.80 Ft 1,229

47.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥244

$1.16 Ft 374

33.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 ¥213

$1.85 Ft 598

-27.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.91 ¥618

$2.40 Ft 776

62.92%

Eggs

$1.76 ¥279

$3.99 Ft 1,289

-55.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.42 ¥1,489

$11.40 Ft 3,683

-17.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 ¥1,068

$6.87 Ft 2,221

-1.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.61 ¥4,046

$14.49 Ft 4,682

76.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 ¥504

$1.88 Ft 607

69.68%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 ¥494

$2.14 Ft 693

45.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 ¥506

$2.30 Ft 744

39.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 ¥663

$4.04 Ft 1,304

3.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 ¥331

$1.02 Ft 329

104.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 ¥275

$0.99 Ft 320

75.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 ¥235

$1.58 Ft 510

-5.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ¥70.8

$0.70 Ft 225

-35.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 ¥633

$8.03 Ft 2,594

-50.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.19 ¥1,293

$6.18 Ft 1,997

32.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 ¥303

$1.24 Ft 401

54.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ¥501

$2.06 Ft 666

53.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 ¥253

$1.59 Ft 513

0.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.16 ¥7,609

$27.52 Ft 8,893

75.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 ¥635

$3.43 Ft 1,110

17.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ¥257

$1.33 Ft 431

22.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.05 ¥2,536

$20.45 Ft 6,607

-21.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.93 Ft 624

-42.49%

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

$21.8K ¥3.4M

$29.1K Ft 9.4M

-25.31%

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

$14.5K ¥2.3M

$34.7K Ft 11.2M

-58.31%

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

$336 ¥53.0K

$175 Ft 56.4K

92.32%

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

$25.59 ¥4,042

$23.62 Ft 7,631

8.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.75 ¥7,544

$23.60 Ft 7,625

102.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.58 ¥7,674

$68.8 Ft 22.2K

-29.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.22 ¥509

$19.26 Ft 6,224

-83.28%

Cinema Ticket

$12.12 ¥1,915

$10.31 Ft 3,333

17.56%

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

$319 ¥50.4K

$535 Ft 172.9K

-40.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,987 ¥1.6M

$16.8K Ft 5.4M

-40.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.38 ¥5,905

$99.9 Ft 32.3K

-62.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.18 ¥3,978

$43.27 Ft 14.0K

-41.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.33 ¥7,478

$112 Ft 36.1K

-57.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ¥18.0K

$119 Ft 38.4K

-4.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥71.6K

$832 Ft 268.8K

-45.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 ¥43.4K

$629 Ft 203.3K

-56.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$824 ¥130.2K

$1,586 Ft 512.4K

-48.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 ¥101.3K

$1,197 Ft 386.6K

-46.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,168 ¥342.5K

$5,718 Ft 1.8M

-62.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ¥246.4K

$3,947 Ft 1.3M

-60.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,233 ¥352.9K

$1,712 Ft 553.1K

30.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.57

6.45

-60.16%

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

Last update for Sapporo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sapporo

$409 29.2%

Budapest

$222 13.5% 45.8% $187

Groceries & Markets

Sapporo

$312 22.3%

Budapest

$262 16% 16.2% $51

Accommodation & Living

Sapporo

$275 19.6%

Budapest

$629 38.4% 129% $355

Eating Out

Sapporo

$167 11.9%

Budapest

$226 13.8% 35.5% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Sapporo

$101 7.2%

Budapest

$168 10.3% 66.9% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Sapporo

$73 5.2%

Budapest

$89 5.5% 22.9% $17

Getting Around

Sapporo

$67 4.8%

Budapest

$44 2.7% 34.1% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $453 in Sapporo versus $832 in Budapest. 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 30% higher in Sapporo, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Sapporo versus $61.0 in Budapest. Groceries tell a different story – $312 in Sapporo vs $262 in Budapest – so Budapest wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Sapporo

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

22:15 10:15 PM

15:15 3:15 PM

7 h behind Sapporo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,973,395

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, 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).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sapporo Budapest 8,470 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Sapporo
Budapest

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 Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,105 per month in Sapporo and $2,461 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sapporo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 75% less in Sapporo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $319 per month in Sapporo and $535 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sapporo, where all-in costs run around $1,404, than in Budapest at $1,641. In Sapporo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sapporo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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