Seoul vs Sapporo Cost of Living

Seoul (South Korea) · Overall index 53.3Sapporo (Japan) · Overall index 41.6

Summary

  • Overall, Sapporo is 22% cheaper than Seoul.
  • Rent in Sapporo is 42% cheaper than in Seoul.
  • Transport in Sapporo is 21% cheaper than in Seoul.
ItemSeoulSapporoDiff
Rent-42%
1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly)$1,128$784-30%
1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly)$885$507-43%
3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly)$2,631$1,439-45%
3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly)$1,576$837-47%
Groceries-18%
Milk (1L)$0.97$0.76-22%
White bread (500g)$3.03$2.59-15%
Rice (1kg)$3.33$3.29-1%
Eggs (12)$3.32$2.83-15%
Local cheese (1kg)$9.47$8.48-10%
Chicken fillets (1kg)$8.39$7.44-11%
Beef round (1kg)$14.8$9.78-34%
Apples (1kg)$4.15$3.43-17%
Bananas (1kg)$1.53$1.13-26%
Oranges (1kg)$3.36$2.38-29%
Tomatoes (1kg)$3.73$3.56-5%
Potatoes (1kg)$2.22$1.9-14%
Onions (1kg)$1.86$1.46-22%
Lettuce (1 head)$1.71$1.42-17%
Water (1.5L bottle)$1.67$1.31-22%
Bottle of wine (mid-range)$11.7$8.91-24%
Transport-21%
Public transport, one-way ticket$1.68$1.39-17%
Public transport, monthly pass$68.9$62.3-10%
Taxi, base fare$2.76$1.96-29%
Taxi, per km$1.34$0.91-32%
Gasoline (1L)$0.53$0.45-15%
New compact car (e.g., VW Golf)$18,844$15,128-20%
Dining out-19%
Meal, inexpensive restaurant$14.8$11.9-20%
Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses)$84.8$66.6-21%
Fast food combo meal$7.96$5.61-30%
Cappuccino$3.11$2.73-12%
Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant)$1.89$1.3-31%
Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant)$4.53$4.13-9%
Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant)$5.53$4.74-14%
Water (0.33L, restaurant)$1.43$1.2-16%
Telecom-14%
Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly)$45.1$40.9-9%
Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly)$47.3$39.9-16%
Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min)$0.22$0.19-14%
Video streaming subscription (monthly)$11.3$9.36-17%
Utilities & household-16%
Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly)$130$88.9-32%
Electricity (1 kWh)$0.16$0.13-19%
Tap water (1m³)$3.13$2.63-16%
Natural gas (1m³)$1.03$0.85-17%
Waste collection (monthly)$15.9$13.8-13%
Fitness club (monthly)$60.9$47.3-22%
Cinema ticket (1 seat)$9.46$9.62+2%
Men's haircut$22.9$20.6-10%
Domestic cleaning (1 hour)$16.6$16.3-2%
Private kindergarten (monthly)$1,561$1,075-31%

3,165 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15

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