JP flag
Osaka

Japan

vs
JP flag
Sapporo

Japan

Climate

Osaka logs 75 hot days a year to Sapporo's 1 — Sapporo wins by 74. Osaka also leads on frost days by 133.

OsakaSapporo
Sunny days
190151
Hot days
751
Frost days
6139
Rain days
126127
Snow days
069
Outdoor dinner months
4/123/12
Avg wind
2.3 m/s2.3 m/s
Sunshine hours
2,1511,937
Darkest month sun
140 hrs/mo94 hrs/mo
UV peak month
7.45.6

Osaka

Feels-like °C

2
3
9
14
19
25
30
32
26
19
11
3

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Sapporo

Feels-like °C

-12
-8
1
4
13
20
26
25
20
10
0
-10

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Osaka averages $1,671/mo for balanced living; Sapporo has no cost baseline yet.

Osaka

$1,671

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $1,318Comfort $2,403
Top 90%in Among 40 Asia cities

Sapporo

monthly · balanced

Mobility

Osaka scores 3.8 on mobility (0–5 scale); Sapporo has no mobility baseline.

3.8/5
vs
/5
OsakaSapporo
WalkabilityTransitMotorbikeFlightsAirport

Culture

Osaka's culture score of 4.0 sits well above Sapporo's 0.0.

4.0/5
vs
0.0/5
OsakaSapporo
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Osaka leads

Nature & Outdoors

Osaka scores 3.8 on nature & outdoors (0–5 scale); Sapporo has no nature & outdoors baseline.

3.8/5
vs
/5
OsakaSapporo
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingSkiingClimbing

Safety

Osaka scores 5.0 on safety (0–5 scale); Sapporo has no safety baseline.

5.0/5
vs
/5
OsakaSapporo
Earthquake

Career

Osaka scores 4.1 on career (0–5 scale); Sapporo has no career baseline.

4.1/5
vs
/5
OsakaSapporo
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking

Social & Community

Osaka scores 2.6 on social & community (0–5 scale); Sapporo has no social & community baseline.

2.6/5
vs
/5
OsakaSapporo
Expat-First CommunityUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support

Food & Dining

Osaka scores 3.2 on food & dining (0–5 scale); Sapporo has no food & dining baseline.

3.2/5
vs
/5
OsakaSapporo
BrunchVeganDelivery

Family

Osaka scores 3.5 on family (0–5 scale); Sapporo has no family baseline.

3.5/5
vs
/5
OsakaSapporo
UniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpa

Healthcare

Osaka scores 3.4 on healthcare (0–5 scale); Sapporo has no healthcare baseline.

3.4/5
vs
/5
OsakaSapporo
Private Healthcare

Air Quality

Osaka averages 13.9 µg/m³ (moderate) PM2.5 annually versus Sapporo's 10.8 µg/m³ (moderate) — Sapporo breathes ~22% cleaner air (3.1 µg/m³ lower).

Osaka

Sapporo

13.9µg/m³
10.8µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Moderate
Moderate

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Osaka (12.7M) and Sapporo (1.9M) are 6.6x in population — Osaka is the larger metro, Sapporo the smaller; on land area Osaka spans roughly 6.3x more ground.

6.4x

Osaka is roughly 6.4x the scale of Sapporo

Combined population & area comparison

JP flagOsaka
6.4x
JP flagSapporo
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.JP flagOsaka12.7M6.6x
2.JP flagSapporo1.9M1x
Area
1.JP flagOsaka2,212 km²6.3x
2.JP flagSapporo353 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
104 km85 km

JP flagOsaka

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
32 km24 km

JP flagSapporo

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Osaka vs Sapporo

Which is cheaper, Osaka or Sapporo?
Osaka has an estimated monthly cost of $1,671.
How does the climate compare between Osaka and Sapporo?
Sunny days: 190 vs 151 d — Osaka higher Annual sunshine: 2,151 vs 1,937 hrs — Osaka higher Winter sunshine: 140 vs 94 hrs/day — Osaka higher Hot days (>30°C): 75 vs 1 d — Sapporo lower Frost days: 6 vs 139 d — Osaka lower Rainy days: 126 vs 127 d — Similar Snowy days: 0 vs 69 d — Osaka lower
Is Osaka or Sapporo safer?
Osaka has a safety score of 5.0/5.
Should I move to Osaka or Sapporo?
Osaka and Sapporo are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Osaka and Sapporo stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

Take the free diagnostic

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