✦ Compare
Fukuoka vs
Sapporo
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
Fukuoka, JP vs Sapporo, JP at a glance — Sapporo, JP is 2% cheaper than Fukuoka, JP overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $650/mo versus $700/mo. The top national income-tax rate is 45%.
To keep the same standard of living in Sapporo, JP, you'd need
$73,482 / year
Sapporo, JP is 2% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Sapporo, JP vs Fukuoka, JP)
- Housing-10%
- Food & groceries0%
- Transport0%
- Utilities+6%
- Healthcare0%
- Goods & services0%
◎ How Fukuoka, JP and Sapporo, JP compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Fukuoka, JP | Sapporo, JP | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 91 | 89 |
| Housing | 80 | 72 |
| Food | 95 | 95 |
| Transport | 78 | 78 |
| Utilities | 108 | 115 |
| Healthcare | 85 | 85 |
| Goods & services | 102 | 102 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $700/mo | $650/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $500/mo | $470/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $1,300/mo | $1,200/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $5,000 | $3,800 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $1,100 | $1,123 |
| Inexpensive meal | $7 | $8 |
| Monthly transit pass | $55 | $55 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 45% | 45% |
| VAT / sales tax | 10% | 10% |
| Corporate tax | 30% | 30% |
| Capital gains | 20.3% | 20.3% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $2,600/mo | $2,600/mo |
| Minimum wage | $1,300/mo | $1,300/mo |
| GDP per capita | $35,951 | $35,951 |
| Inflation (annual) | 3.2% | 3.2% |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | Yes | Yes |
| English proficiency | Low | Low |
| Coworking spaces | 20 | 15 |
| Time zone | UTC+9 | UTC+9 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 82 | 82 |
| Healthcare index | 83 | 84 |
| Pollution index | 38 | 30 |
| Internet speed | 220 Mbps | 220 Mbps |
| Walkability | 78 | 74 |
| Public transport | 82 | 80 |
| Family-friendly | 74 | 74 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Life expectancy | 84 yr | 84 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | Moderate | Moderate |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +7 °C | -3 °C |
| July avg | +28 °C | +21 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 190 | 170 |
| Rainfall / year | 1,600 mm | 1,100 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 2 h | 2 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Japan vs Japan. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
Good to know before you move to Fukuoka
Kyushu's laid-back hub and the most affordable of Japan's big cities — a compact, food-obsessed port (ramen and open-air yatai stalls) that actively courts founders with a startup visa. Milder winters than Tokyo and quick flights across Asia are the draw.
- Currency
- Japanese yen (¥ JPY)
- Languages
- Japanese
- Time zone
- UTC+9
- Internet
- 220 Mbps
- English
- Rarely spoken
- Safety
- 82/100
- Climate
- ❄ 7°C · ☀ 28°C · 190 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 100V
- Driving
- Left-hand side
- Popular areas
- Tenjin · Hakata · Daimyo · Ohori
Good to know before you move to Sapporo
The spacious, grid-planned capital of Hokkaido — famous for snow, ramen, beer and easy access to world-class skiing. It keeps Japan's safety and reliability at noticeably lower rents than Tokyo or Osaka, with long, cold winters the main trade-off.
- Currency
- Japanese yen (¥ JPY)
- Languages
- Japanese
- Time zone
- UTC+9
- Internet
- 220 Mbps
- English
- Rarely spoken
- Safety
- 82/100
- Climate
- ❄ -3°C · ☀ 21°C · 170 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 100V
- Driving
- Left-hand side
- Popular areas
- Chuo · Susukino · Odori · Maruyama
Plan your move to Fukuoka
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
Sponsored
Plan your move to Sapporo
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
Sponsored
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Fukuoka to Sapporo: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Fukuoka to Sapporo, your cost of living will be roughly 2% cheaper. Sapporo’s cost-of-living index is 89 versus 91 for Fukuoka (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Fukuoka cheaper than Sapporo?
Sapporo is about 2% cheaper than Fukuoka overall — its cost-of-living index is 89 versus 91 for Fukuoka.
How much do you need to earn in Sapporo to live like in Fukuoka?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Fukuoka is worth about $73,482 in Sapporo. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Fukuoka or Sapporo?
Both cities are in the same country, so national income tax (45%) and VAT are identical; only local cost of living differs.
◷ More comparisons from Fukuoka
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.