Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sapporo and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sapporo: $1,407 a month against $1,663 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Sapporo
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Sapporo Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index

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Sapporo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,407

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sapporo and in Tokyo

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

A single person spends $1,407 per month in Sapporo vs $1,663 in Tokyo, rent included.

Sapporo $1,407
Tokyo $1,663

A couple spends around $2,087 per month in Sapporo vs $2,592 in Tokyo, rent included.

Sapporo $2,087
Tokyo $2,592

A family of three spends $2,766 per month in Sapporo vs $3,521 in Tokyo, rent included.

Sapporo $2,766
Tokyo $3,521

Sapporo is about 15% cheaper than Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sapporo and Tokyo sit above the global median – Sapporo by 4%, Tokyo by 23%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.35 ¥1,003

$7.47 ¥1,180

-14.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.48 ¥4,500

$37.48 ¥5,921

-24.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.40 ¥853

$4.90 ¥774

10.20%

Cappuccino

$4.94 ¥781

$3.62 ¥571

36.46%

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

$1.72 ¥272

$1.66 ¥262

3.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 ¥146

$0.84 ¥133

10.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.32 ¥683

$3.69 ¥582

17.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 ¥914

$5.24 ¥829

10.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ¥245

$1.49 ¥236

4.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 ¥212

$1.75 ¥276

-23.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.07 ¥643

$5.63 ¥889

-27.71%

Eggs

$1.74 ¥275

$2.20 ¥348

-20.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 ¥1,508

$11.19 ¥1,767

-14.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 ¥1,081

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.06 ¥3,959

$16.61 ¥2,624

50.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 ¥487

$4.80 ¥759

-35.63%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 ¥489

$2.24 ¥354

37.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 ¥509

$4.22 ¥666

-23.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 ¥652

$5.20 ¥821

-20.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 ¥330

$3.29 ¥520

-36.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 ¥272

$3.05 ¥481

-43.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 ¥236

$1.19 ¥188

25.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 ¥72.7

$0.81 ¥129

-43.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥600

$3.92 ¥619

-3.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.27 ¥1,306

$9.65 ¥1,524

-14.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 ¥301

$1.63 ¥258

17.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ¥495

$2.70 ¥426

15.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 ¥242

$1.25 ¥197

22.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.03 ¥7,430

$63.9 ¥10.1K

-26.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.20 ¥663

$3.13 ¥494

34.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 ¥263

$3.21 ¥507

-47.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.00 ¥2,527

$18.55 ¥2,931

-13.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥175

$1.05 ¥166

4.76%

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

$22.1K ¥3.5M

$21.5K ¥3.4M

2.42%

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

$14.3K ¥2.3M

$15.2K ¥2.4M

-5.61%

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

$330 ¥52.2K

$149 ¥23.5K

122.46%

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

$25.31 ¥3,998

$21.59 ¥3,412

17.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.20 ¥7,615

$30.62 ¥4,837

57.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.22 ¥7,618

$66.7 ¥10.5K

-27.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.20 ¥506

$25.58 ¥4,042

-87.49%

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 ¥1,925

$12.68 ¥2,004

-3.94%

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

$321 ¥50.7K

$1,350 ¥213.3K

-76.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K ¥1.6M

$17.9K ¥2.8M

-43.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.87 ¥5,983

$56.0 ¥8,853

-32.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.74 ¥3,909

$33.14 ¥5,236

-25.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.70 ¥7,535

$64.3 ¥10.2K

-25.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 ¥18.2K

$70.2 ¥11.1K

64.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 ¥72.7K

$1,253 ¥197.9K

-63.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 ¥44.6K

$700 ¥110.6K

-59.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$807 ¥127.5K

$2,502 ¥395.3K

-67.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$618 ¥97.7K

$1,430 ¥225.9K

-56.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,208 ¥348.8K

$9,428 ¥1.5M

-76.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,565 ¥247.3K

$4,236 ¥669.3K

-63.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,260 ¥357.1K

$2,998 ¥473.7K

-24.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.57

2.25

14.22%

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

Last update for Sapporo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sapporo

$404 28.7%

Tokyo

$201 12.1% 50.3% $203

Groceries & Markets

Sapporo

$311 22.1%

Tokyo

$325 19.5% 4.4% $14

Accommodation & Living

Sapporo

$282 20.1%

Tokyo

$700 42.1% 148% $418

Eating Out

Sapporo

$170 12.1%

Tokyo

$157 9.4% 7.8% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Sapporo

$101 7.2%

Tokyo

$101 6.1% 0.8% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Sapporo

$73 5.2%

Tokyo

$92 5.5% 26.8% $19

Getting Around

Sapporo

$66 4.7%

Tokyo

$88 5.3% 34.1% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $460 in Sapporo versus $1,253 in Tokyo. 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 33% higher in Tokyo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Sapporo versus $37.00 in Tokyo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $311 vs $325 – making Sapporo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Sapporo

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

15:44 3:44 PM

Same time as Sapporo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,973,395

13,613,660 Capital

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Sapporo Tokyo 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sapporo
Tokyo

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 Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tokyo is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,111 per month in Sapporo and $2,495 in Tokyo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sapporo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Sapporo and $37.00 in Tokyo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,407 in Sapporo and $1,663 in Tokyo. That's a gap of about 18%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sapporo, where all-in costs run around $1,407, than in Tokyo at $1,663. In Sapporo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tokyo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sapporo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Sapporo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tokyo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.