---
title: "Living in Ishigaki as a digital nomad: cost, safety, visa, internet"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/ishigaki
description: "Subtropical island base for diving and the Yaeyama archipelago"
dataset: 2026.10.7 (2026-10-13)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Ishigaki, Japan

Ishigaki scores 67.7/100 for digital nomads under balanced weights, ranking 258 of 1000 cities. Expect about $2,700 per month (country-level estimate), a nomad visa (Digital nomad visa (Designated Activities)), and a measured median download speed of 46.2 Mbps.

Ishigaki is a small island town at the far south-west of Japan, closer to Taiwan than to Tokyo, with coral reefs, a ferry port for the outer Yaeyama islands and a 3-hour flight from Tokyo. It suits a slow stretch of diving and beaches rather than working life: a car is needed, summer typhoons cut flights and power, and coworking is minimal.

Known for: Kabira Bay, Manta ray diving, Ferries to Taketomi and Iriomote, Typhoon season.

## Scores (balanced weights, 0–100)

| Factor | Score |
| --- | --- |
| Overall | 67.7 |
| Cost of living | 21 |
| Safety | 94 |
| Healthcare | 92 |
| Internet | 76 |
| Visa ease | 65 |
| Getting there & around | 35 |
| Climate | 58 |
| Air quality | 95 |
| Quality of life | 74 |

## The numbers behind the scores

| Metric | Value | Level | As of | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,700 | country | 2026-09 | [^2] |
| Central 1-bedroom rent | — | city | 2026-09 | [^3] |
| Outskirts 1-bedroom rent (basis of the monthly total) | — | city | 2026-09 | [^3] |
| Homicide rate (per 100k) | 0.23 | country | 2024 | [^4] |
| Political stability (0–100) | 87.7 | country | 2025 | [^5] |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 86 | country | 2023 | [^6] |
| Life expectancy (years) | 84.5 | country | 2021 | [^7] |
| Median download (Mbps) | 46.2 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Median upload (Mbps) | 35.4 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Starlink residential service | Available | country | 2026-10 | [^9] |
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad visa (Designated Activities) (min $5,285/mo) | country | 2026-10-04 | [^10] |
| Visa guide | [Japan long-stay visa guide](https://nostos.navoy.io/visas/japan) | country | 2026-10-04 | [^10] |
| Entry for US / EU / UK passports | 90 days / 90 days / 90 days | country | 2026-02 | [^11] |
| Non-stop destinations (ISG) | 12 | city | 2026-10 | [^12] |
| Restaurants within 3 km of the centre (OpenStreetMap) | 62 | city | 2026-10 | [^16] |
| Walkability / transit (1–5) | 2 / 2 | editorial | 2026-09 | [^13] |
| Comfortable months | 7 of 12 | city | 2001–2020 | [^14] |
| Annual mean PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 7.3 | city | 2023 | [^15] |
| Human Development Index | 0.925 | country | 2023 | [^17] |
| English proficiency band | low | country | 2024 | [^18] |

## Climate (2001–2020 normals)

| Month | Mean °C | Rain mm | Humidity % | Comfortable |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Jan | 20.1 | 73 | 77 | yes |
| Feb | 20.4 | 69 | 79 | yes |
| Mar | 21.2 | 80 | 79 | yes |
| Apr | 23.3 | 106 | 82 | yes |
| May | 25.9 | 161 | 84 | no |
| Jun | 28 | 182 | 86 | no |
| Jul | 29.1 | 120 | 83 | no |
| Aug | 29.1 | 199 | 82 | no |
| Sep | 28.3 | 195 | 81 | no |
| Oct | 26.4 | 125 | 78 | yes |
| Nov | 24.4 | 99 | 78 | yes |
| Dec | 21.6 | 82 | 76 | yes |

## Airports and nonstop flights

| Airport | IATA | Nonstop destinations | International | From US airports |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| New Ishigaki Airport | ISG | 12 | 4 | 0 |

Unique destinations across all airports: 12, of which 4 international (Wikipedia, 2026-10).

## Similar cities

- [Naha (Okinawa)](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/naha) (70.9) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/ishigaki-vs-naha)
- [Niigata](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/niigata) (67) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/ishigaki-vs-niigata)
- [Taitung](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/taitung) (70.3) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/ishigaki-vs-taitung)
- [Hualien](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/hualien) (67.6) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/hualien-vs-ishigaki)
- [Okayama](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/okayama) (64.5) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/ishigaki-vs-okayama)

## FAQ

### How much does it cost to live in Ishigaki as a digital nomad?

A single person typically spends about $2,700 per month in Ishigaki (a country-level estimate for Japan). That is a 21/100 cost score, where 100 is the cheapest city in the dataset.

### Is Ishigaki safe for digital nomads?

Ishigaki scores 94/100 on safety. Japan records 0.23 homicides per 100,000 people per year (WHO, 2024) and a political-stability score of 87.7/100 (World Bank WGI). Both figures are national, so neighbourhood-level risk can differ.

### Does Japan have a digital nomad visa?

Yes. Japan offers the Digital nomad visa (Designated Activities) with a minimum income of about $5,285 per month. Verify current rules with the issuing authority before applying. Full guide: https://nostos.navoy.io/visas/japan

### How fast is the internet in Ishigaki?

Measured median download speed in Ishigaki was 46.2 Mbps (upload 35.4 Mbps) across 582 M-Lab tests in 2024. Measured speeds run below advertised plan speeds everywhere, so compare cities rather than reading the number as a plan.

### Is Starlink available in Ishigaki?

Yes. Starlink's availability map lists residential service as available in Japan (checked 2026-10), so a dish can serve as a backup line in Ishigaki. Check the exact address on starlink.com before ordering, since capacity varies by area.

### Which airports serve Ishigaki and how many nonstop flights are there?

Ishigaki is served by New Ishigaki Airport (ISG) with 12 nonstop destinations, of which 4 are international. 0 US airports have a nonstop link. Source: Wikipedia, 2026-10.

### When is the best time of year to be in Ishigaki?

The most comfortable months are Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec. Mean temperatures range from 68°F (20°C) in Jan to 84°F (29°C) in Jul (NASA POWER 2001–2020 climatology).

### Ishigaki or Naha (Okinawa): which is better for digital nomads?

Naha (Okinawa) is the city with the closest factor profile to Ishigaki in this dataset. Which one wins depends on your weights; the comparison page puts every factor side by side with the numbers behind them.

## Plan a trip

[Hotels in Japan](https://navoy.io/hotels/japan) on Navoy, the AI travel planner behind Nostos.

## Sources

[^1]: City population (latest census or official estimate), Wikipedia (citing national statistics offices). CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^2]: 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level), WhereNext. CC BY 4.0. https://getwherenext.com/data/cost-of-living-2026 (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^3]: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows), WhereToEmigrate. CC BY 4.0. https://github.com/0brien18/global-emigration-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^4]: Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, dataUNODC. UNODC data, free to reuse with attribution. https://data.unodc.org/datareport/hom-victim (retrieved 2026-10-12)
[^5]: Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100), World Bank. CC BY 4.0. https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/worldwide-governance-indicators (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^6]: UHC service coverage index, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/uhc-index-of-service-coverage (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^7]: Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/life-expectancy-at-birth-(years) (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^8]: M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024), Measurement Lab. CC0 1.0. https://statistics.measurementlab.net/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^9]: Starlink availability map, SpaceX (Starlink). Factual status cited from starlink.com. https://www.starlink.com/map (retrieved 2026-10-07)
[^10]: Nostos long-stay visa guides, Navoy. CC BY 4.0. https://nostos.navoy.io/visas (retrieved 2026-10-04)
[^11]: Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations), Ilya Ilyankou (compiled from passportindex.org). MIT. https://github.com/ilyankou/passport-index-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^12]: Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables), Wikipedia contributors; countries via Wikidata. CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/ (retrieved 2026-09-24)
[^13]: Walkability and transit ratings (editorial), Navoy. CC BY 4.0. https://nostos.navoy.io/methodology (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^14]: NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means), NASA Langley Research Center. Public domain (US Government). https://power.larc.nasa.gov/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^15]: SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04), Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group, Washington University in St. Louis. CC BY 4.0. https://sites.wustl.edu/acag/surface-pm2-5/ (retrieved 2026-10-07)
[^16]: OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API), OpenStreetMap contributors. ODbL 1.0. https://overpass-api.de/ (retrieved 2026-10-02)
[^17]: Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023), United Nations Development Programme. CC BY 3.0 IGO. https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/documentation-and-downloads (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^18]: EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band), EF Education First. Proprietary; band cited as a fact with attribution. https://www.ef.com/epi/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/ishigaki