Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sapporo and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Sapporo: $1,404 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sapporo
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,404
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sapporo and in Lisbon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,404 in Sapporo versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

  • Sapporo $1,404
  • Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,097 in Sapporo versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

  • Sapporo $2,097
  • Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,791 in Sapporo versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

  • Sapporo $2,791
  • Lisbon $4,346

Living in Sapporo costs roughly 36% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sapporo 4% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sapporo
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.20 ¥980
$17.04 €15.15
-63.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$28.04 ¥4,430
$62.3 €55.4
-54.98%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.30 ¥837
$11.02 €9.80
-51.91%
Cappuccino
$4.85 ¥767
$3.12 €2.78
55.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 ¥261
$2.27 €2.02
-27.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.88 ¥139
$1.74 €1.55
-49.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.38 ¥693
$3.42 €3.04
28.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.62 ¥889
$3.74 €3.33
50.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sapporo
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.55 ¥244
$1.17 €1.04
32.48%
White Bread (500g)
$1.35 ¥213
$1.86 €1.66
-27.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.91 ¥618
$1.54 €1.37
153.90%
Eggs
$1.76 ¥279
$4.06 €3.61
-56.65%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.42 ¥1,489
$12.91 €11.49
-27.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.76 ¥1,068
$7.90 €7.03
-14.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.61 ¥4,046
$17.64 €15.69
45.18%
Apples (1kg)
$3.19 ¥504
$2.26 €2.01
41.15%
Banana (1kg)
$3.12 ¥494
$1.75 €1.55
78.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.20 ¥506
$1.89 €1.68
69.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.19 ¥663
$2.56 €2.27
63.67%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 ¥331
$1.85 €1.64
12.97%
Onion (1kg)
$1.74 ¥275
$1.97 €1.75
-11.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.49 ¥235
$1.45 €1.29
2.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.45 ¥70.8
$0.77 €0.69
-41.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.00 ¥633
$6.71 €5.97
-40.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.19 ¥1,293
$5.67 €5.04
44.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.92 ¥303
$1.37 €1.22
40.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.17 ¥501
$2.11 €1.88
50.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Sapporo
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.60 ¥253
$2.32 €2.07
-31.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$48.16 ¥7,609
$44.43 €39.52
8.40%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.02 ¥635
$3.95 €3.51
1.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.63 ¥257
$1.05 €0.93
55.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.05 ¥2,536
$17.15 €15.26
-6.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.11 ¥175
$2.19 €1.95
-49.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K ¥3.4M
$33.8K €30.0K
-35.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$14.5K ¥2.3M
$38.3K €34.0K
-62.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sapporo
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$336 ¥53.0K
$164 €146
104.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.59 ¥4,042
$18.48 €16.43
38.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.75 ¥7,544
$32.96 €29.32
44.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sapporo
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.58 ¥7,674
$45.87 €40.80
5.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.22 ¥509
$18.68 €16.61
-82.76%
Cinema Ticket
$12.12 ¥1,915
$9.75 €8.67
24.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sapporo
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$319 ¥50.4K
$684 €608
-53.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,987 ¥1.6M
$17.6K €15.7K
-43.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sapporo
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$37.38 ¥5,905
$104 €92.3
-63.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.18 ¥3,978
$46.20 €41.09
-45.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$47.33 ¥7,478
$99.7 €88.7
-52.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$114 ¥18.0K
$125 €111
-8.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sapporo
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$453 ¥71.6K
$1,589 €1,414
-71.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$275 ¥43.4K
$1,169 €1,040
-76.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$824 ¥130.2K
$2,851 €2,536
-71.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$641 ¥101.3K
$1,993 €1,773
-67.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,168 ¥342.5K
$7,793 €6,932
-72.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,559 ¥246.4K
$4,418 €3,930
-64.70%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sapporo
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,233 ¥352.9K
$1,600 €1,423
39.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.57
3.85
-33.25%

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

Last update for Sapporo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sapporo
$409
Lisbon
$215 47.4% $194
Groceries & Markets
Sapporo
$312
Lisbon
$273 12.6% $39
Accommodation & Living
Sapporo
$275
Lisbon
$1.2K 326% $894
Eating Out
Sapporo
$167
Lisbon
$247 48.1% $80
Clothing & Footwear
Sapporo
$101
Lisbon
$168 67.2% $68
Sport & Entertainment
Sapporo
$73
Lisbon
$65 10.2% $7.4
Getting Around
Sapporo
$67
Lisbon
$63 5.7% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $453 in Sapporo and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sapporo pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $28.00 in Sapporo vs $62.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $312 vs $273, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Sapporo
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
19:48 7:48 PM
11:48 11:48 AM
8 h behind Sapporo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,973,395
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sapporo Lisbon 10,450 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sapporo
  • Lisbon

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Sapporo and in Lisbon?
Sapporo and Lisbon differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,404 vs $2,202 including rent). Sapporo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Sapporo or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 40% higher in Sapporo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Sapporo and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $453 in Sapporo versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Sapporo and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $319 in Sapporo versus $684 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,404 in Sapporo versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sapporo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sapporo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Sapporo and Lisbon?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Sapporo or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Sapporo and Lisbon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Sapporo or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Sapporo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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