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: $1,486 in Sapporo versus $1,482 in Kingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,150 in Sapporo versus $2,489 in Kingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,814 in Sapporo versus $3,496 in Kingston.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sapporo 11% above, Kingston 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.76 ¥1,585

$7.46 JMD 1,177

30.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.01 ¥4,551

$61.7 JMD 9,732

-54.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥858

$8.58 JMD 1,354

-38.46%

Cappuccino

$3.79 ¥617

$4.39 JMD 693

-13.67%

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

$0.98 ¥160

$1.33 JMD 209

-26.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥137

$0.74 JMD 117

13.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 ¥549

$2.43 JMD 384

39.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.17 ¥1,002

$3.10 JMD 490

99.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ¥246

$4.33 JMD 683

-65.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 ¥216

$3.49 JMD 551

-61.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.25 ¥1,178

$1.64 JMD 258

342.07%

Eggs

$1.84 ¥299

$3.61 JMD 569

-49.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.81 ¥1,432

$11.20 JMD 1,767

-21.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.10 ¥1,154

$6.45 JMD 1,018

10.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ¥3,446

$7.82 JMD 1,233

171.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 ¥549

$5.99 JMD 946

-43.57%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 ¥504

$2.98 JMD 470

4.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.19 ¥680

$4.21 JMD 664

-0.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 ¥648

$2.90 JMD 457

37.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 ¥471

$2.02 JMD 319

43.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 ¥373

$2.00 JMD 316

14.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 ¥243

$3.01 JMD 476

-50.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥136

$1.51 JMD 238

-44.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ¥482

$8.61 JMD 1,359

-65.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 ¥1,274

$11.47 JMD 1,810

-31.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 ¥346

$2.78 JMD 438

-23.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 ¥552

$3.04 JMD 480

11.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 ¥289

$0.81 JMD 128

119.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.0 ¥8,290

$49.18 JMD 7,760

3.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 ¥768

$1.09 JMD 171

333.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 ¥280

$3.22 JMD 507

-46.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.15 ¥3,437

$6.34 JMD 1,000

233.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥191

$1.24 JMD 196

-5.65%

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

$34.9K ¥5.7M

$43.4K JMD 6.9M

-19.74%

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

$17.0K ¥2.8M

$34.1K JMD 5.4M

-50.17%

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

$314 ¥51.0K

$161 JMD 25.4K

95.25%

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

$28.48 ¥4,627

$22.24 JMD 3,509

28.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.49 ¥7,065

$52.0 JMD 8,202

-16.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 ¥8,796

$68.9 JMD 10.9K

-21.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.51 ¥1,870

$15.91 JMD 2,511

-27.66%

Cinema Ticket

$13.22 ¥2,147

$13.38 JMD 2,111

-1.20%

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

$280 ¥45.5K

$222 JMD 35.1K

25.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K ¥1.8M

$2,532 JMD 399.6K

335.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.98 ¥6,820

$25.81 JMD 4,073

62.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.17 ¥4,414

$25.49 JMD 4,022

6.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.7 ¥8,399

$70.8 JMD 11.2K

-26.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥20.6K

$74.9 JMD 11.8K

68.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 ¥85.0K

$880 JMD 138.8K

-40.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$306 ¥49.7K

$451 JMD 71.2K

-32.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$749 ¥121.6K

$2,007 JMD 316.6K

-62.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 ¥88.6K

$1,188 JMD 187.5K

-54.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,183 ¥354.6K

$2,866 JMD 452.2K

-23.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,521 ¥247.1K

$2,153 JMD 339.8K

-29.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,725 ¥280.2K

$732 JMD 115.5K

135.57%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Kingston: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $523 in Sapporo and $880 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sapporo pays 136% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $28.00 in Sapporo vs $62.0 in Kingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $351 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

Average pay runs 136% higher in Sapporo, 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: $523 in Sapporo versus $880 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kingston runs roughly 4% less than in Sapporo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Sapporo pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,482 in Kingston versus $1,486 in Sapporo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kingston but tight or insufficient in Sapporo. The gap between the two cities makes Kingston the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kingston delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,482 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kingston 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.

It comes down to priorities – Kingston wins on affordability, Sapporo on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.