Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tokyo and Sapporo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sapporo: $1,415 a month against $1,686 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Sapporo
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Sapporo Living Index

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Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,686

/mo nomad

Sapporo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,415

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tokyo 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 Tokyo and in Sapporo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,686 per month in Tokyo vs $1,415 in Sapporo, rent included.

Tokyo $1,686
Sapporo $1,415

A couple spends around $2,604 per month in Tokyo vs $2,106 in Sapporo, rent included.

Tokyo $2,604
Sapporo $2,106

A family of three spends $3,522 per month in Tokyo vs $2,797 in Sapporo, rent included.

Tokyo $3,522
Sapporo $2,797

Tokyo costs about 19% more than Sapporo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Tokyo and Sapporo sit above the global median – Tokyo by 25%, Sapporo by 5%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.67 ¥1,208

$6.50 ¥1,023

18.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.82 ¥5,957

$29.03 ¥4,572

30.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥819

$5.34 ¥841

-2.62%

Cappuccino

$3.69 ¥581

$4.82 ¥759

-23.44%

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

$1.69 ¥266

$1.75 ¥275

-3.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥135

$0.93 ¥146

-7.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 ¥594

$4.26 ¥670

-11.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 ¥894

$5.53 ¥871

2.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥242

$1.60 ¥252

-3.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 ¥266

$1.41 ¥222

19.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.52 ¥869

$4.09 ¥644

34.96%

Eggs

$2.29 ¥361

$1.79 ¥281

27.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 ¥1,762

$9.52 ¥1,499

17.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 ¥1,073

$6.95 ¥1,095

-1.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.14 ¥2,700

$25.17 ¥3,964

-31.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 ¥718

$3.18 ¥501

43.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ¥346

$3.08 ¥485

-28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 ¥674

$3.20 ¥504

33.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 ¥795

$4.30 ¥677

17.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 ¥492

$2.09 ¥329

49.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 ¥458

$1.69 ¥265

72.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ¥189

$1.58 ¥249

-24.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ¥121

$0.45 ¥70.7

71.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 ¥635

$3.83 ¥603

5.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.65 ¥1,520

$8.04 ¥1,266

20.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 ¥263

$1.89 ¥297

-11.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 ¥443

$3.13 ¥492

-10.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 ¥195

$1.60 ¥252

-22.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.4 ¥9,987

$46.90 ¥7,386

35.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 ¥511

$4.32 ¥681

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.11 ¥490

$1.86 ¥292

67.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.81 ¥2,963

$15.66 ¥2,466

20.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥173

$1.07 ¥168

2.80%

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

$22.7K ¥3.6M

$21.5K ¥3.4M

5.74%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$14.2K ¥2.2M

8.14%

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

$159 ¥25.1K

$337 ¥53.2K

-52.82%

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

$23.73 ¥3,737

$25.89 ¥4,077

-8.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.06 ¥4,735

$46.64 ¥7,346

-35.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.5 ¥9,218

$48.99 ¥7,715

19.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.75 ¥4,056

$3.19 ¥502

707.21%

Cinema Ticket

$13.27 ¥2,090

$11.84 ¥1,865

12.08%

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

$1,423 ¥224.2K

$322 ¥50.7K

341.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K ¥3.7M

$10.1K ¥1.6M

133.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ¥8,617

$38.74 ¥6,101

41.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 ¥5,128

$25.56 ¥4,026

27.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.7 ¥10.2K

$47.12 ¥7,421

37.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.0 ¥11.5K

$116 ¥18.3K

-37.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ¥206.0K

$451 ¥71.1K

189.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$714 ¥112.5K

$280 ¥44.0K

155.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,676 ¥421.4K

$812 ¥127.8K

229.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 ¥224.2K

$630 ¥99.2K

125.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K ¥1.7M

$2,222 ¥349.9K

397.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,530 ¥870.9K

$1,567 ¥246.9K

252.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,845 ¥448.1K

$2,280 ¥359.1K

24.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

2.57

-12.45%

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

Last update for Tokyo: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sapporo: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tokyo

$714 42.4%

Sapporo

$280 19.8% 60.9% $435

Groceries & Markets

Tokyo

$323 19.2%

Sapporo

$314 22.2% 2.8% $9.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tokyo

$213 12.6%

Sapporo

$410 29% 92.5% $197

Eating Out

Tokyo

$162 9.6%

Sapporo

$169 11.9% 4.5% $7.3

Clothing & Footwear

Tokyo

$101 6%

Sapporo

$102 7.2% 1.1% $1.1

Getting Around

Tokyo

$87 5.2%

Sapporo

$67 4.7% 23.2% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Tokyo

$85 5.1%

Sapporo

$73 5.1% 14.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,308 in Tokyo versus $451 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 25% higher in Tokyo. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tokyo versus $29 in Sapporo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $314 – making Sapporo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🇯🇵 Sapporo

🕒 Local time

13:37 1:37 PM

Same time as Tokyo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,613,660 Capital

1,973,395

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.66 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.35 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Tokyo Sapporo 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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

Tokyo vs Sapporo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tokyo is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,529 per month in Tokyo and $2,122 in Sapporo. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $451 there versus $1,308 in Tokyo.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Tokyo and $29 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 $1,686 in Tokyo and $1,415 in Sapporo. That makes Sapporo about 16% cheaper.

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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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