Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sapporo and Osaka

For one person, living costs are similar in Sapporo and in Osaka: $1,415 and $1,409 a month, rent and utilities included.

68

Cost of Living Index in Sapporo
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Sapporo Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Osaka
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Osaka Living Index

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Sapporo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,415

/mo nomad

Osaka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,409

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sapporo and in Osaka

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,415 in Sapporo versus $1,409 in Osaka.

Sapporo $1,415
Osaka $1,409

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,106 in Sapporo versus $2,057 in Osaka.

Sapporo $2,106
Osaka $2,057

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,797 in Sapporo versus $2,706 in Osaka.

Sapporo $2,797
Osaka $2,706

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sapporo 5% above, Osaka 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.50 ¥1,029

$6.27 ¥993

3.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.03 ¥4,597

$31.41 ¥4,975

-7.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.34 ¥846

$4.89 ¥775

9.20%

Cappuccino

$4.82 ¥764

$2.99 ¥474

61.20%

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

$1.75 ¥277

$1.43 ¥226

22.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥147

$0.75 ¥119

24.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.26 ¥674

$2.74 ¥434

55.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 ¥876

$3.86 ¥611

43.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ¥254

$1.46 ¥231

9.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ¥223

$1.29 ¥204

9.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.09 ¥647

$5.39 ¥854

-24.12%

Eggs

$1.79 ¥283

$2.07 ¥328

-13.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 ¥1,507

$10.55 ¥1,671

-9.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.95 ¥1,101

$10.18 ¥1,612

-31.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.17 ¥3,987

$25.32 ¥4,011

-0.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 ¥504

$3.33 ¥528

-4.50%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 ¥488

$1.95 ¥308

57.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 ¥507

$2.04 ¥323

56.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 ¥680

$4.13 ¥654

4.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 ¥331

$1.52 ¥241

37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 ¥267

$1.13 ¥179

49.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 ¥251

$1.36 ¥216

16.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ¥71.1

$0.86 ¥136

-47.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥606

$3.89 ¥616

-1.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.04 ¥1,273

$12.51 ¥1,981

-35.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 ¥299

$1.94 ¥307

-2.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ¥495

$3.14 ¥497

-0.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 ¥254

$1.32 ¥209

21.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.90 ¥7,427

$33.27 ¥5,269

40.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.32 ¥685

$3.72 ¥589

16.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 ¥294

$2.69 ¥426

-30.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.66 ¥2,480

$26.85 ¥4,253

-41.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ¥169

$1.05 ¥166

1.90%

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

$21.5K ¥3.4M

$22.3K ¥3.5M

-3.59%

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

$14.2K ¥2.2M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

-7.15%

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

$337 ¥53.5K

$141 ¥22.3K

140.10%

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

$25.89 ¥4,100

$24.75 ¥3,919

4.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.64 ¥7,387

$31.11 ¥4,927

49.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.99 ¥7,758

$51.0 ¥8,071

-3.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.19 ¥505

$18.38 ¥2,911

-82.64%

Cinema Ticket

$11.84 ¥1,876

$12.59 ¥1,994

-5.96%

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

$322 ¥51.0K

$685 ¥108.5K

-52.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K ¥1.6M

$15.8K ¥2.5M

-36.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.74 ¥6,135

$48.04 ¥7,609

-19.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.56 ¥4,049

$30.67 ¥4,858

-16.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.12 ¥7,463

$74.3 ¥11.8K

-36.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 ¥18.4K

$90.1 ¥14.3K

28.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$451 ¥71.5K

$739 ¥117.0K

-38.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 ¥44.3K

$504 ¥79.8K

-44.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$812 ¥128.5K

$1,700 ¥269.3K

-52.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 ¥99.8K

$761 ¥120.6K

-17.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,222 ¥351.9K

$6,708 ¥1.1M

-66.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,567 ¥248.2K

$3,145 ¥498.1K

-50.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,280 ¥361.1K

$2,295 ¥363.5K

-0.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.57

2.21

16.29%

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

Last update for Sapporo: November 1, 2026

Last update for Osaka: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sapporo

$410 29%

Osaka

$196 13.9% 52.1% $214

Groceries & Markets

Sapporo

$314 22.2%

Osaka

$337 23.9% 7.1% $22

Accommodation & Living

Sapporo

$280 19.8%

Osaka

$504 35.8% 80.1% $224

Eating Out

Sapporo

$169 11.9%

Osaka

$131 9.3% 22.5% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Sapporo

$102 7.2%

Osaka

$109 7.8% 6.9% $7.1

Sport & Entertainment

Sapporo

$73 5.1%

Osaka

$76 5.4% 4.8% $3.5

Getting Around

Sapporo

$67 4.7%

Osaka

$56 4% 16.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $451 in Sapporo and $739 in Osaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $29 in Sapporo vs $31 in Osaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $314 vs $337 per month, with Sapporo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Sapporo

🇯🇵 Osaka

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

Same time as Sapporo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,973,395

2,691,185

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.31 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.62 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.31 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.62 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Sapporo Osaka 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sapporo
Osaka

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 Osaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $2,122 in Sapporo and $2,113 in Osaka to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $451 in Sapporo versus $739 in Osaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $322 in Sapporo versus $685 in Osaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sapporo – a meal for two runs $29 versus $31 in Osaka. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Osaka gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Safety-wise, Sapporo and Osaka are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.