Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sapporo and Okinawa

For one person, living costs are similar in Sapporo and in Okinawa: $1,422 and $1,388 a month, rent and utilities included.

68

Cost of Living Index in Sapporo
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Sapporo Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Okinawa
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Okinawa Living Index

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Sapporo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,422

/mo nomad

Okinawa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sapporo and in Okinawa

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

A single person spends $1,422 per month in Sapporo vs $1,388 in Okinawa, rent included.

Sapporo $1,422
Okinawa $1,388

A couple spends around $2,123 per month in Sapporo vs $2,184 in Okinawa, rent included.

Sapporo $2,123
Okinawa $2,184

A family of three spends $2,823 per month in Sapporo vs $2,980 in Okinawa, rent included.

Sapporo $2,823
Okinawa $2,980

Sapporo and Okinawa have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Sapporo and Okinawa sit above the global median – Sapporo by 4%, Okinawa by 2%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.33 ¥997

$10.12 ¥1,596

-37.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.34 ¥4,469

$40.24 ¥6,345

-29.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.51 ¥869

$7.04 ¥1,110

-21.73%

Cappuccino

$4.92 ¥776

$4.11 ¥648

19.71%

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

$1.74 ¥274

$1.40 ¥221

24.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥138

$0.92 ¥145

-4.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.37 ¥689

$2.51 ¥396

74.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 ¥898

$5.27 ¥831

8.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥243

$1.58 ¥248

-2.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ¥214

$2.05 ¥324

-33.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.97 ¥626

$3.76 ¥593

5.59%

Eggs

$1.78 ¥281

$1.84 ¥289

-3.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.44 ¥1,488

$17.99 ¥2,837

-47.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.77 ¥1,068

$4.79 ¥756

41.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.65 ¥4,044

$22.45 ¥3,541

14.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 ¥512

$3.81 ¥601

-14.70%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 ¥477

$2.62 ¥412

15.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 ¥497

$2.20 ¥347

43.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 ¥686

$5.26 ¥830

-17.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 ¥338

$2.39 ¥376

-10.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ¥262

$2.56 ¥404

-35.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 ¥236

$1.28 ¥201

17.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ¥77.2

$0.77 ¥122

-36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 ¥625

$3.90 ¥616

1.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.19 ¥1,292

$6.40 ¥1,009

27.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ¥293

$1.95 ¥308

-4.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ¥511

$3.34 ¥527

-2.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.56 ¥246

$1.44 ¥227

8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.41 ¥7,633

$65.1 ¥10.3K

-25.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 ¥650

$3.82 ¥602

7.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ¥257

$3.54 ¥558

-53.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.09 ¥2,538

$11.23 ¥1,770

43.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.11 ¥174

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

$21.9K ¥3.5M

$20.9K ¥3.3M

4.83%

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

$14.4K ¥2.3M

$15.5K ¥2.5M

-7.39%

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

$344 ¥54.2K

$163 ¥25.7K

111.05%

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

$25.82 ¥4,071

$25.35 ¥3,998

1.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.90 ¥7,553

$53.1 ¥8,369

-9.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.4 ¥7,954

$73.0 ¥11.5K

-30.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.20 ¥504

$54.9 ¥8,659

-94.17%

Cinema Ticket

$12.08 ¥1,904

$11.98 ¥1,890

0.83%

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

$312 ¥49.2K

$327 ¥51.6K

-4.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K ¥1.6M

$5,668 ¥893.7K

78.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.49 ¥6,069

$48.88 ¥7,708

-21.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ¥3,979

$23.35 ¥3,682

8.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.43 ¥7,636

$81.2 ¥12.8K

-40.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 ¥18.7K

$95.7 ¥15.1K

24.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$463 ¥73.0K

$411 ¥64.8K

12.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 ¥43.5K

$332 ¥52.3K

-16.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 ¥131.1K

$852 ¥134.4K

-2.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$644 ¥101.5K

$678 ¥106.9K

-5.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,259 ¥356.2K

$8,422 ¥1.3M

-73.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,608 ¥253.5K

$1,185 ¥186.8K

35.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,281 ¥359.6K

$1,798 ¥283.4K

26.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.57

2.23

15.25%

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

Last update for Sapporo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Okinawa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sapporo

$417 29.3%

Okinawa

$241 17.4% 42.2% $176

Groceries & Markets

Sapporo

$314 22.1%

Okinawa

$330 23.8% 5.1% $16

Accommodation & Living

Sapporo

$276 19.4%

Okinawa

$332 23.9% 20.2% $56

Eating Out

Sapporo

$170 11.9%

Okinawa

$184 13.2% 8.2% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Sapporo

$104 7.3%

Okinawa

$112 8.1% 7.9% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Sapporo

$75 5.3%

Okinawa

$97 7% 30% $22

Getting Around

Sapporo

$67 4.7%

Okinawa

$92 6.7% 38% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $463 in Sapporo versus $411 in Okinawa. 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 27% higher in Sapporo. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in Sapporo versus $40 in Okinawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $314 vs $330 – making Sapporo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Sapporo

🇯🇵 Okinawa

🕒 Local time

18:50 6:50 PM

Same time as Sapporo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,973,395

142,752

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.34 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Sapporo Okinawa 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sapporo
Okinawa

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 Okinawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,133 per month in Sapporo and $2,082 in Okinawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Okinawa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $411 there versus $463 in Sapporo.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in Sapporo and $40 in Okinawa. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 26% less in Sapporo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

It depends on your priorities. Okinawa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,388 in Okinawa to $1,422 in Sapporo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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