Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Sapporo

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,256 a month against $1,404 in Sapporo, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. The total is higher in Sapporo despite lower rent and utilities.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Sapporo
Learn more

Sapporo Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Sapporo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,404

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Sapporo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Shanghai and in Sapporo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Shanghai vs $1,404 in Sapporo, rent included.

Shanghai $1,256
Sapporo $1,404

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $2,097 in Sapporo, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Sapporo $2,097

A family of three spends $2,743 per month in Shanghai vs $2,791 in Sapporo, rent included.

Shanghai $2,743
Sapporo $2,791

Shanghai is about 11% cheaper than Sapporo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Shanghai sits 7% below the global median, while Sapporo is 4% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ¥29.78

$6.20 ¥980

-28.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.29 ¥203

$28.04 ¥4,430

8.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 ¥34.01

$5.30 ¥837

-3.96%

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.96

$4.85 ¥767

-29.28%

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

$0.62 ¥4.15

$1.65 ¥261

-62.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.58

$0.88 ¥139

-55.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.25

$4.38 ¥693

-71.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.81

$5.62 ¥889

-60.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.37

$1.55 ¥244

19.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥13.02

$1.35 ¥213

44.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.67

$3.91 ¥618

-74.42%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.43

$1.76 ¥279

-2.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 ¥117

$9.42 ¥1,489

85.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.66

$6.76 ¥1,068

-52.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.8

$25.61 ¥4,046

-49.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.98

$3.19 ¥504

-29.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$3.12 ¥494

-46.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$3.20 ¥506

-39.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.60

$4.19 ¥663

-58.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.10

$2.09 ¥331

-63.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$1.74 ¥275

-47.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.41

$1.49 ¥235

-55.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.00

$0.45 ¥70.8

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.65

$4.00 ¥633

-7.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ¥73.0

$8.19 ¥1,293

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.85

$1.92 ¥303

-54.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.87

$3.17 ¥501

-48.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.13

$1.60 ¥253

-61.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 ¥203

$48.16 ¥7,609

-36.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$4.02 ¥635

-48.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 ¥3.08

$1.63 ¥257

-71.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ¥59.1

$16.05 ¥2,536

-44.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.86

$1.11 ¥175

19.82%

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

$19.3K ¥128.7K

$21.8K ¥3.4M

-11.54%

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

$18.2K ¥122.0K

$14.5K ¥2.3M

26.01%

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

$57.1 ¥382

$336 ¥53.0K

-82.99%

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

$8.07 ¥53.9

$25.59 ¥4,042

-68.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ¥71.5

$47.75 ¥7,544

-77.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥432

$48.58 ¥7,674

33.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥116

$3.22 ¥509

436.96%

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 ¥60.5

$12.12 ¥1,915

-25.33%

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

$1,441 ¥9,638

$319 ¥50.4K

352.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥188.4K

$9,987 ¥1.6M

182.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ¥358

$37.38 ¥5,905

43.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.05 ¥248

$25.18 ¥3,978

47.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥515

$47.33 ¥7,478

62.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥694

$114 ¥18.0K

-8.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ¥6,841

$453 ¥71.6K

125.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,971

$275 ¥43.4K

116.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 ¥17.1K

$824 ¥130.2K

210.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 ¥8,107

$641 ¥101.3K

89.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥90.4K

$2,168 ¥342.5K

523.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 ¥41.8K

$1,559 ¥246.4K

300.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,699 ¥11.4K

$2,233 ¥352.9K

-23.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

2.57

30.74%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Last update for Sapporo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$594 47.3%

Sapporo

$275 19.6% 53.7% $319

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$238 18.9%

Sapporo

$312 22.3% 31.5% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Sapporo

$101 7.2% 17.5% $21

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.5%

Sapporo

$167 11.9% 56.6% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.6%

Sapporo

$73 5.2% 12% $9.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6%

Sapporo

$409 29.2% 439% $333

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Sapporo

$67 4.8% 79.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,023 in Shanghai versus $453 in Sapporo. 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 31% higher in Sapporo, 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 $30.00 in Shanghai versus $28.00 in Sapporo. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Shanghai vs $312 in Sapporo – so Shanghai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇯🇵 Sapporo

🕒 Local time

03:10 3:10 AM

04:10 4:10 AM

1 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

1,973,395

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shanghai Sapporo 2,190 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Sapporo

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

Shanghai vs Sapporo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sapporo is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Shanghai and $2,105 in Sapporo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shanghai, 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 $30.00 in Shanghai and $28.00 in Sapporo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,256 in Shanghai and $1,404 in Sapporo. That's a gap of about 12%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shanghai, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in Sapporo at $1,404. In Shanghai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sapporo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shanghai – 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 Shanghai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sapporo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.