JP flag
Sapporo

Japan

vs
JP flag
Tokyo

Japan

Climate

Sapporo logs 139 frost days a year to Tokyo's 20 — Tokyo wins by 119. Sapporo also leads on hot days by 59.

SapporoTokyo
Sunny days
151195
Hot days
160
Frost days
13920
Rain days
127130
Snow days
690
Outdoor dinner months
3/124/12
Avg wind
2.3 m/s3.2 m/s
Sunshine hours
1,9372,143
Darkest month sun
94 hrs/mo140 hrs/mo
UV peak month
5.67.5

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

Tokyo

Feels-like °C

2
3
10
14
20
25
30
33
27
17
12
4

Dinner outside

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

Cost of Living

Tokyo averages $2,157/mo for balanced living; Sapporo has no cost baseline yet.

Sapporo

monthly · balanced

Tokyo

$2,157

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $1,713Comfort $3,174
Top 95%in Among 40 Asia cities

Mobility

Tokyo scores 4.2 on mobility (0–5 scale); Sapporo has no mobility baseline.

/5
vs
4.2/5
SapporoTokyo
WalkabilityTransitMotorbikeFlightsAirport

Culture

Tokyo's culture score of 3.2 sits well above Sapporo's 0.0.

0.0/5
vs
3.2/5
SapporoTokyo
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Tokyo leads

Nature & Outdoors

Tokyo scores 4.3 on nature & outdoors (0–5 scale); Sapporo has no nature & outdoors baseline.

/5
vs
4.3/5
SapporoTokyo
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDivingSkiing

Safety

Tokyo scores 4.7 on safety (0–5 scale); Sapporo has no safety baseline.

/5
vs
4.7/5
SapporoTokyo
Earthquake

Career

Tokyo scores 4.4 on career (0–5 scale); Sapporo has no career baseline.

/5
vs
4.4/5
SapporoTokyo
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking

Social & Community

Tokyo scores 2.4 on social & community (0–5 scale); Sapporo has no social & community baseline.

/5
vs
2.4/5
SapporoTokyo
Urban EnergyStreet AtmosphereGovernment Immigration Friendliness

Food & Dining

Tokyo scores 4.2 on food & dining (0–5 scale); Sapporo has no food & dining baseline.

/5
vs
4.2/5
SapporoTokyo
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery

Family

Tokyo scores 4.0 on family (0–5 scale); Sapporo has no family baseline.

/5
vs
4.0/5
SapporoTokyo
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis

Healthcare

Tokyo scores 3.0 on healthcare (0–5 scale); Sapporo has no healthcare baseline.

/5
vs
3.0/5
SapporoTokyo
Public HealthcarePrivate Healthcare

Air Quality

Sapporo averages 10.8 µg/m³ (moderate) PM2.5 annually versus Tokyo's 14.5 µg/m³ (moderate) — Sapporo breathes ~26% cleaner air (3.7 µg/m³ lower).

Sapporo

Tokyo

10.8µg/m³
14.5µg/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.

Sapporo (1.9M) and Tokyo (33.2M) are 17x in population — Tokyo is the larger metro, Sapporo the smaller; on land area Tokyo spans roughly 15x more ground.

16x

Tokyo is roughly 16x the scale of Sapporo

Combined population & area comparison

JP flagTokyo
16x
JP flagSapporo
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.JP flagTokyo33.2M17x
2.JP flagSapporo1.9M1x
Area
1.JP flagTokyo5,165 km²15x
2.JP flagSapporo353 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
32 km24 km

JP flagSapporo

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
109 km116 km

JP flagTokyo

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Sapporo vs Tokyo

Which is cheaper, Sapporo or Tokyo?
Tokyo has an estimated monthly cost of $2,157.
How does the climate compare between Sapporo and Tokyo?
Sunny days: 151 vs 195 d — Tokyo higher Annual sunshine: 1,937 vs 2,143 hrs — Tokyo higher Winter sunshine: 94 vs 140 hrs/day — Tokyo higher Hot days (>30°C): 1 vs 60 d — Sapporo lower Frost days: 139 vs 20 d — Tokyo lower Rainy days: 127 vs 130 d — Similar Snowy days: 69 vs 0 d — Tokyo lower
Is Sapporo or Tokyo safer?
Tokyo has a safety score of 4.7/5.
Should I move to Sapporo or Tokyo?
Sapporo and Tokyo 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 Sapporo and Tokyo 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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Sapporo vs Tokyo: Cost of Living, Climate & Safety Compared