Ubud (Bali)vsHokkaido (Sapporo base)
💰
Hokkaido (Sapporo base) saves you $300/month
14% cheaper on rent, food & transport
📶
Hokkaido (Sapporo base) has 5x faster internet
250 Mbps avg download speed
🌡️
Tropical Wet vs Continental climate
Different weather patterns year-round
🛂
Japan offers a digital nomad visa
Long-stay visa for remote workers
💰 Cost of Living Breakdown
Monthly expenses comparison in USD
Expense
Ubud (Bali)
Hokkaido (Sapporo base)
Total Budget
$2,200/mo
$1,900/mo ✓
Rent (1BR)
$800/mo ✓
$900/mo
Coworking
$220/mo
$220/mo
Meal Out
$3 ✓
$7
Coffee
$2.5 ✓
$3
Hokkaido (Sapporo base) is $300/mo cheaper (16% savings)
💻 Remote Work Essentials
Internet, timezone, and language comparison
🇮🇩 Ubud (Bali)
📶 Internet50 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC+8
🗣️ Englishmedium
🛂 Nomad VisaNot available
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West0h
🇺🇸 US East0h
🇬🇧 London3h
🇩🇪 Berlin4h
🇯🇵 Hokkaido (Sapporo base)
📶 Internet250 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC+9
🗣️ Englishmedium
🛂 Nomad VisaAvailable
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West0h
🇺🇸 US East0h
🇬🇧 London2h
🇩🇪 Berlin3h
🌡️ Climate Comparison
Weather patterns and best times to visit
Ubud (Bali)
ClimateTropical Wet
Avg Temp25°C
Rainy Days274/year
Hokkaido (Sapporo base)
ClimateContinental
Avg Temp9°C
Rainy Days168/year
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
25°-6°
Apr
25°8°
Jul
24°23°
Oct
25°11°
Ubud (Bali)Hokkaido (Sapporo base)
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🇮🇩Ubud (Bali)
🇯🇵Hokkaido (Sapporo base)
💰
Monthly Budget
$2,200
$1,900
Winner📶
Internet Speed
50 Mbps
250 Mbps
Winner🛡️
Safety
3.8/5
4.6/5
Winner⭐
Nomad Score
4.2/10
4.1/10
🍽️
Food Scene
9/10
9/10
🎉
Nightlife
6/10
7/10
🚶
Walkability
6/10
7/10
👥
Community
large
Winnersmall
1
Ubud (Bali) wins
vs
3
Hokkaido (Sapporo base) wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
Hokkaido (Sapporo base)
$300/mo cheaper with similar quality of life
💻Developer
Hokkaido (Sapporo base)
250 Mbps is essential for video calls & uploads
🦋Social Butterfly
Ubud (Bali)
Larger nomad community for networking
🛡️Safety-First
Hokkaido (Sapporo base)
Significantly higher safety rating
🍜Foodie
Either works
Both have great food scenes
🎉Party Person
Either works
Both have great nightlife
🇮🇩Ubud (Bali)
Pros
- +Lower cost of living than Western cities with comfortable lifestyle from around 1,500–2,200 USD per month depending on villa and extras
- +Several established coworking spaces such as Outpost Ubud, Outpost Penestanan, Beluna and Ubud.Space with reliable high speed internet
- +Strong digital nomad and expat community with multiple Facebook groups and regular meetups across Bali
- +Excellent café scene with many laptop friendly spots serving good coffee, smoothie bowls and vegan food
Cons
- −Traffic can be congested on the narrow roads around the centre, especially at peak hours
- −Sidewalks are inconsistent or broken, so walking can be tiring and not always safe at night
- −Air quality can dip during regional burning season and on very busy traffic days
- −You generally need a scooter or frequent taxis or Gojek rides to move efficiently
🇯🇵Hokkaido (Sapporo base)
Pros
- +Cooler summers than the rest of Japan with fresh air and easy access to mountains, forests and national parks
- +Lower rents than Tokyo and Osaka while still having big-city infrastructure in Sapporo
- +Fast and reliable fibre internet with Japan among the global leaders in fixed broadband speeds
- +Very safe environment with low violent crime and clean, well-maintained streets
Cons
- −Long, cold and snowy winters which are magical for some but demanding if you dislike snow and ice
- −Smaller international and digital nomad community compared with Tokyo, Osaka or Fukuoka
- −English is less widely spoken, so daily life can involve more language friction in smaller businesses
- −Distances within Hokkaido are large – many scenic spots require trains, buses or renting a car
