Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Fukuoka is easier to travel (1.6 vs 2.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Fukuoka 1 vs Hakodate 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Fukuoka | Hakodate | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | ยฅ 1,100$7.43 | Fukuoka โ9% |
| Street food1 item | ยฅ 800$5.41 | ยฅ 600$4.05 | Hakodate โ25% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ยฅ 3,500$23.6 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | Fukuoka โ12% |
| Coffeeone cup | ยฅ 500$3.38 | ยฅ 550$3.72 | Fukuoka โ9% |
| Beerone bottle | ยฅ 580$3.92 | ยฅ 600$4.05 | similar |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ยฅ 700$4.73 | ยฅ 700$4.73 | similar |
| Bottled water | ยฅ 130$0.88 | ยฅ 120$0.81 | Hakodate โ8% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ยฅ 190$1.28 | ยฅ 180$1.22 | Hakodate โ5% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | ยฅ 2,200$14.9 | Fukuoka โ9% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | similar |
| Transitone ride | ยฅ 210$1.42 | ยฅ 250$1.69 | Fukuoka โ16% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ยฅ 2,700$18.2 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Hakodate โ26% |
| Hotel night3-star | ยฅ 13,000$87.8 | ยฅ 12,000$81.1 | Hakodate โ8% |
| Studio rent (month) | ยฅ 70,000$473 | ยฅ 50,000$338 | Hakodate โ29% |
| Laundry | ยฅ 740$5 | ยฅ 900$6.08 | Fukuoka โ18% |
| SIM card1 week data | ยฅ 2,500$16.9 | ยฅ 3,000$20.3 | Fukuoka โ17% |
| Haircutcut | ยฅ 2,500$16.9 | ยฅ 3,000$20.3 | Fukuoka โ17% |
| Massage1 hour | ยฅ 4,000$27 | ยฅ 6,000$40.5 | Fukuoka โ33% |
| Half-day tourper person | ยฅ 8,000$54.1 | ยฅ 3,500$23.6 | Hakodate โ56% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | ยฅ 1,800$12.2 | Fukuoka โ44% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
Fukuoka and Hakodate cost about the same. Daily budget $177 vs $181; a month $2,323 vs $2,297.
Fukuoka is easier: Fukuoka 1.6/5 vs Hakodate 2.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Fukuoka is about $2,323 and Hakodate about $2,297 per month.
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.