Officials in the Northern Japanese city have budgeted between ¥280 billion (£1.8 billion/$2.4 billion/€2.1 billion) and ¥300 billion (£1.6 billion/$2.6 billion/€2.3 billion) if it was to host the Games.

The figure includes savings of ¥90 billion (£595 million/$793 million/€702 million) following a revision of the city's plans to stage the Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto, who met International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach to outline Sapporo's proposal in January 2020, said the city's residents were "especially worried about the heavy cost burden in the future".

Akimoto revealed plans to hold a public opinion survey on Sapporo hosting the Games next year, although it is not clear whether the result of the poll will impact its bid.

Several candidatures for previous Olympics have been scuppered by public referendums, resulting in the IOC overhauling the bidding process for the Games.

The cost of the Tokyo 2020 postponement has also been raised as an issue regarding public support for a new Olympic and Paralympic bid from Sapporo.

Akimoto said at least 92 per cent of the venues Sapporo would use if it is awarded the 2030 Games are existing, but there are concerns over the cost of refurbishing the facilities which staged competitions when the Japanese city hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics.

Sapporo has long been considered the favourite in the race for the 2030 Games and looked set to be awarded the event before the COVID-19 pandemic focused the IOC's attention on other areas, mainly preparations for the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

It had initially featured in an unofficial dialogue phase for the 2026 Games, but withdrew from consideration in 2018.

The decision was claimed to have been made following a 6.7 magnitude earthquake in the Hokkaido region, of which Sapporo is the capital.

A 2026 Games would also have meant three consecutive Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Asia, following Pyeongchang 2018 and Beijing 2022.

Sapporo instead focused attentions on 2030 and its chances of landing the event grew when Akimoto met Bach on the sidelines of the Lausanne 2020 Winter Youth Olympics.

Following the meeting, Bach claimed Sapporo could organise an "excellent Winter Olympic Games".

Spain, Ukraine, the United States and Canada are among the other countries interested in hosting a future edition of the Winter Olympics.