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: $1,413 in Sapporo versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,073 in Sapporo versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,734 in Sapporo versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Sapporo is roughly 13% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sapporo is 3% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.09 ¥948

$4.56 ฿150

33.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.40 ¥4,887

$32.62 ฿1,073

-3.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.35 ¥988

$8.90 ฿293

-28.65%

Cappuccino

$4.70 ¥732

$2.80 ฿92.2

67.86%

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

$1.66 ¥259

$0.88 ฿28.94

88.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 ¥138

$0.49 ฿16.08

81.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 ¥638

$2.39 ฿78.5

71.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 ¥897

$3.71 ฿122

55.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ¥249

$1.79 ฿58.8

-10.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 ¥209

$1.44 ฿47.40

-6.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.94 ¥613

$1.58 ฿52.1

149.37%

Eggs

$1.77 ¥276

$2.13 ฿69.9

-16.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 ¥1,429

$19.92 ฿655

-53.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.79 ¥1,056

$3.43 ฿113

97.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.23 ¥3,927

$11.33 ฿372

122.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 ¥484

$2.95 ฿97.0

5.42%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 ¥487

$1.72 ฿56.6

81.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 ¥485

$2.32 ฿76.5

34.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 ¥688

$2.08 ฿68.4

112.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 ¥331

$1.47 ฿48.34

44.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ¥259

$1.36 ฿44.65

22.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 ¥244

$1.10 ฿36.13

41.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 ¥69.2

$0.57 ฿18.89

-22.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.98 ¥619

$4.27 ฿140

-6.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.31 ¥1,294

$18.42 ฿606

-54.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ¥289

$1.87 ฿61.5

-0.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 ¥485

$2.92 ฿96.1

6.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 ¥249

$2.22 ฿73.0

-27.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.54 ¥7,243

$22.90 ฿753

103.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.13 ¥643

$3.03 ฿99.6

36.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 ¥259

$1.07 ฿35.32

56.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ¥162

$1.49 ฿49.06

-30.20%

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

$21.8K ¥3.4M

$27.1K ฿892.0K

-19.46%

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

$14.0K ¥2.2M

$27.5K ฿902.6K

-49.00%

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

$335 ¥52.2K

$103 ฿3,380

225.95%

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

$25.06 ¥3,900

$10.99 ฿361

128.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.40 ¥7,222

$17.51 ฿576

164.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.59 ¥7,719

$53.5 ฿1,760

-7.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.14 ¥489

$11.20 ฿368

-71.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 ¥1,862

$7.48 ฿246

59.89%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K ¥1.6M

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-14.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.98 ¥5,755

$64.1 ฿2,107

-42.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.78 ¥3,857

$29.07 ฿956

-14.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.81 ¥7,286

$96.0 ฿3,155

-51.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ¥17.8K

$90.3 ฿2,970

26.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 ¥69.0K

$730 ฿24.0K

-39.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 ¥42.9K

$500 ฿16.4K

-44.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 ¥128.8K

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-60.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$637 ¥99.1K

$1,209 ฿39.8K

-47.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,169 ¥337.6K

$3,596 ฿118.2K

-39.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,583 ¥246.3K

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-37.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,721 ¥267.8K

$503 ฿16.6K

241.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.57

5.57

-53.86%

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

Last update for Sapporo: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $443 in Sapporo and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sapporo pays 242% 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: $31.00 in Sapporo vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $312 vs $273, 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 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 242% 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: $443 in Sapporo versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $31.00 in Sapporo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 103% less than in Sapporo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,413 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 13% less than in Sapporo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.