Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sapporo and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,422 in Sapporo, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Sapporo
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Sapporo Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
Learn more

Chiang Mai Living Index

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Sapporo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,422

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sapporo and in Chiang Mai

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

A single person spends $1,422 per month in Sapporo vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sapporo $1,422
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $2,123 per month in Sapporo vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sapporo $2,123
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,823 per month in Sapporo vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Sapporo $2,823
Chiang Mai $1,979

Sapporo costs about 52% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sapporo sits 4% above the global median, while Chiang Mai is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.33 ¥997

$2.24 ฿75.6

182.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.34 ¥4,469

$19.00 ฿641

49.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.51 ¥869

$5.55 ฿187

-0.72%

Cappuccino

$4.92 ¥776

$1.67 ฿56.5

194.61%

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

$1.74 ¥274

$0.64 ฿21.55

171.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥138

$0.31 ฿10.31

183.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.37 ¥689

$2.36 ฿79.6

85.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 ¥898

$3.66 ฿124

55.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥243

$1.95 ฿65.8

-21.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ¥214

$1.44 ฿48.48

-5.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.97 ¥626

$1.33 ฿45.04

198.50%

Eggs

$1.78 ¥281

$2.28 ฿77.1

-21.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.44 ¥1,488

$16.45 ฿555

-42.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.77 ¥1,068

$2.78 ฿93.9

143.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.65 ¥4,044

$9.31 ฿314

175.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 ¥512

$2.35 ฿79.4

38.30%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 ¥477

$0.97 ฿32.80

212.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 ¥497

$1.60 ฿53.9

96.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 ¥686

$1.50 ฿50.6

190.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 ¥338

$1.28 ฿43.12

67.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ¥262

$1.10 ฿37.19

50.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 ¥236

$0.71 ฿23.82

111.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ¥77.2

$0.49 ฿16.37

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 ¥625

$4.14 ฿140

-4.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.19 ¥1,292

$17.52 ฿591

-53.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ¥293

$1.61 ฿54.5

15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ¥511

$2.78 ฿94.0

16.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.56 ¥246

$0.87 ฿29.31

79.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.41 ¥7,633

$54.1 ฿1,826

-10.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 ¥650

$1.16 ฿39.06

255.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ¥257

$0.53 ฿17.80

207.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.09 ¥2,538

$2.42 ฿81.8

564.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.45 ฿48.90

-23.45%

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

$21.9K ¥3.5M

$21.1K ฿710.7K

4.13%

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

$14.4K ¥2.3M

$26.9K ฿909.3K

-46.57%

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

$344 ¥54.2K

$62.2 ฿2,098

452.53%

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

$25.82 ¥4,071

$12.17 ฿411

112.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.90 ¥7,553

$20.12 ฿679

138.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 ¥7,954

$37.31 ฿1,259

35.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.20 ¥504

$3.77 ฿127

-15.12%

Cinema Ticket

$12.08 ¥1,904

$6.49 ฿219

86.13%

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

$312 ¥49.2K

$736 ฿24.8K

-57.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K ¥1.6M

$14.8K ฿498.3K

-31.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.49 ¥6,069

$53.4 ฿1,801

-27.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ¥3,979

$24.64 ฿831

2.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.43 ¥7,636

$91.5 ฿3,087

-47.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 ¥18.7K

$71.9 ฿2,428

64.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$463 ¥73.0K

$482 ฿16.3K

-4.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 ¥43.5K

$309 ฿10.4K

-10.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 ¥131.1K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-17.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$644 ¥101.5K

$633 ฿21.4K

1.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,259 ¥356.2K

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-4.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,608 ¥253.5K

$1,589 ฿53.6K

1.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,281 ¥359.6K

$590 ฿19.9K

286.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.57

5.57

-53.86%

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

Last update for Sapporo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sapporo

$417 29.3%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 77.4% $323

Groceries & Markets

Sapporo

$314 22.1%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 25.3% $79

Accommodation & Living

Sapporo

$276 19.4%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 11.9% $33

Eating Out

Sapporo

$170 11.9%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 54.3% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Sapporo

$104 7.3%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 4.6% $4.8

Sport & Entertainment

Sapporo

$75 5.3%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 32.6% $24

Getting Around

Sapporo

$67 4.7%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 8.3% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $463 in Sapporo versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sapporo are about 3.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in Sapporo versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $314 vs $234 – making Chiang Mai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Sapporo

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

11:35 11:35 AM

09:35 9:35 AM

2 h behind Sapporo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,973,395

127,240

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sapporo Chiang Mai 4,790 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sapporo
Chiang Mai

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 Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sapporo costs about 52% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,133 per month in Sapporo and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $463 in Sapporo and $482 in Chiang Mai. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $312 per month in Sapporo and $736 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% more in Sapporo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,422 in Sapporo and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chiang Mai costs $936 versus $1,422 in Sapporo. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sapporo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.