Cost of Living Comparison Between Sapporo and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sapporo and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,486 in Sapporo versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,150 in Sapporo versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,814 in Sapporo versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Sapporo is roughly 19% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sapporo is 11% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.76 ¥1,585

$4.55 ฿153

114.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.01 ¥4,551

$46.18 ฿1,553

-39.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥858

$8.84 ฿297

-40.27%

Cappuccino

$3.79 ¥617

$3.06 ฿103

23.86%

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

$0.98 ¥160

$0.73 ฿24.40

34.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥137

$0.40 ฿13.39

110.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 ¥549

$2.43 ฿81.8

39.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.17 ¥1,002

$3.78 ฿127

63.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ¥246

$2.26 ฿76.0

-33.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 ¥216

$1.81 ฿60.9

-26.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.25 ¥1,178

$2.25 ฿75.8

222.22%

Eggs

$1.84 ¥299

$2.25 ฿75.5

-18.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.81 ¥1,432

$19.51 ฿656

-54.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.10 ¥1,154

$3.65 ฿123

94.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 ¥3,446

$13.05 ฿439

62.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 ¥549

$3.23 ฿109

4.64%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 ¥504

$1.62 ฿54.4

91.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.19 ¥680

$2.38 ฿80.1

76.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 ¥648

$2.03 ฿68.1

96.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 ¥471

$1.53 ฿51.6

89.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 ¥373

$1.50 ฿50.5

52.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 ¥243

$0.98 ฿32.91

53.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥136

$0.52 ฿17.39

61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ¥482

$4.44 ฿149

-33.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 ¥1,274

$18.32 ฿616

-57.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 ¥346

$1.86 ฿62.7

14.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 ¥552

$2.68 ฿90.1

26.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 ¥289

$1.41 ฿47.46

26.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.0 ¥8,290

$11.70 ฿393

336.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 ¥768

$3.11 ฿105

52.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 ¥280

$1.04 ฿35.06

65.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.15 ¥3,437

$14.11 ฿474

49.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥191

$1.31 ฿44.10

-10.69%

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

$34.9K ¥5.7M

$27.8K ฿935.4K

25.37%

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

$17.0K ¥2.8M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-48.85%

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

$314 ¥51.0K

$122 ฿4,118

156.43%

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

$28.48 ¥4,627

$13.59 ฿457

109.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.49 ¥7,065

$18.70 ฿629

132.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 ¥8,796

$60.5 ฿2,034

-10.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.51 ¥1,870

$16.98 ฿571

-32.21%

Cinema Ticket

$13.22 ¥2,147

$9.07 ฿305

45.76%

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

$280 ¥45.5K

$706 ฿23.8K

-60.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K ¥1.8M

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-30.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.98 ¥6,820

$58.6 ฿1,969

-28.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.17 ¥4,414

$35.36 ฿1,189

-23.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.7 ¥8,399

$115 ฿3,883

-55.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥20.6K

$83.7 ฿2,816

51.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 ¥85.0K

$626 ฿21.0K

-16.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$306 ¥49.7K

$445 ฿15.0K

-31.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$749 ¥121.6K

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-63.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 ¥88.6K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-63.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,183 ¥354.6K

$3,483 ฿117.1K

-37.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,521 ¥247.1K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-40.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,725 ¥280.2K

$500 ฿16.8K

245.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.83

5.33

-65.67%

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

Last update for Sapporo: July 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $523 in Sapporo and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sapporo pays 245% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $28.00 in Sapporo vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $289, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 245% 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 $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $280 in Sapporo versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Sapporo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,486 in Sapporo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sapporo. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sapporo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sapporo and Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Sapporo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.