Cost of Living Comparison Between Sapporo and Kingston Cost of Living Comparison Between Sapporo and Kingston

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,442 in Sapporo versus $1,451 in Kingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,118 in Sapporo versus $2,475 in Kingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,794 in Sapporo versus $3,498 in Kingston.

Living in Sapporo costs roughly 1% less than in Kingston, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sapporo 8% above, Kingston 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.84 ¥1,574

$7.61 JMD 1,196

29.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.21 ¥4,352

$62.0 JMD 9,741

-56.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.18 ¥829

$8.80 JMD 1,384

-41.14%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ¥616

$4.36 JMD 685

-11.70%

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

$0.97 ¥155

$1.32 JMD 207

-26.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥133

$0.74 JMD 117

12.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 ¥542

$2.57 JMD 404

31.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 ¥970

$3.20 JMD 502

89.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥253

$4.36 JMD 686

-63.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 ¥205

$3.66 JMD 575

-65.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.24 ¥1,157

$1.57 JMD 247

361.15%

Eggs

$1.93 ¥308

$3.47 JMD 545

-44.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 ¥1,395

$11.19 JMD 1,760

-22.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.21 ¥1,153

$6.42 JMD 1,010

12.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.88 ¥3,340

$7.82 JMD 1,229

167.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 ¥547

$5.96 JMD 937

-42.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.99 ¥479

$3.13 JMD 492

-4.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 ¥679

$4.30 JMD 676

-1.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.83 ¥613

$2.96 JMD 465

29.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 ¥442

$2.03 JMD 319

35.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 ¥362

$2.01 JMD 316

12.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 ¥243

$3.12 JMD 490

-51.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥133

$1.45 JMD 228

-42.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.09 ¥494

$8.89 JMD 1,398

-65.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 ¥1,291

$11.29 JMD 1,775

-28.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ¥335

$2.90 JMD 455

-27.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 ¥546

$3.20 JMD 504

6.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.68 ¥268

$0.89 JMD 140

88.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.3 ¥8,370

$48.53 JMD 7,630

7.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.69 ¥750

$1.12 JMD 177

318.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 ¥276

$3.15 JMD 496

-45.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.91 ¥3,345

$6.19 JMD 974

237.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥199

$1.28 JMD 202

-3.13%

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

$35.3K ¥5.6M

$43.2K JMD 6.8M

-18.22%

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

$17.0K ¥2.7M

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

-49.73%

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

$322 ¥51.5K

$163 JMD 25.6K

97.81%

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

$28.55 ¥4,566

$22.49 JMD 3,536

26.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.56 ¥6,807

$50.7 JMD 7,970

-16.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 ¥8,816

$69.4 JMD 10.9K

-20.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.36 ¥1,817

$15.50 JMD 2,437

-26.71%

Cinema Ticket

$13.16 ¥2,104

$12.92 JMD 2,031

1.86%

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

$281 ¥44.9K

$222 JMD 34.9K

26.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K ¥1.7M

$2,451 JMD 385.4K

345.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.04 ¥6,564

$25.73 JMD 4,046

59.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.62 ¥4,419

$25.24 JMD 3,969

9.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ¥8,217

$72.4 JMD 11.4K

-29.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ¥20.2K

$75.6 JMD 11.9K

66.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 ¥82.3K

$880 JMD 138.4K

-41.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$307 ¥49.0K

$451 JMD 70.9K

-32.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$758 ¥121.3K

$2,021 JMD 317.8K

-62.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 ¥87.7K

$1,204 JMD 189.4K

-54.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,188 ¥350.0K

$2,863 JMD 450.1K

-23.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,580 ¥252.8K

$2,192 JMD 344.7K

-27.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,749 ¥279.8K

$732 JMD 115.1K

138.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.83

9.15

-80.00%

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

Last update for Sapporo: June 1, 2026

Last update for Kingston: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $515 in Sapporo and $880 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sapporo pays 139% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $27.00 in Sapporo vs $62.0 in Kingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $353 per month, with Sapporo cheaper across the board.

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 Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sapporo wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Kingston. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sapporo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Sapporo pays 139% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $515 in Sapporo versus $880 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $281 in Sapporo versus $222 in Kingston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,442 in Sapporo versus $1,451 in Kingston, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sapporo but tight or insufficient in Kingston. 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 $1,442 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sapporo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sapporo and Kingston 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 1% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.