---
title: "Living in Naha (Okinawa) as a digital nomad: cost, safety, visa, internet"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/naha
description: "Japan's subtropical island capital"
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Naha (Okinawa), Japan

Naha (Okinawa) scores 67.2/100 for digital nomads under balanced weights, ranking 60 of 309 cities. Expect about $2,700 per month (country-level estimate), a nomad visa (Status of Residence of “Designated Activities” (for Digital Nomad / Spouse or child of Digital Nomad)), and a measured median download speed of 55.2 Mbps.

Naha is the capital of Okinawa, Japan's subtropical island chain, with beaches, diving and a distinct culture and cuisine. It is warmer and slower than the mainland, with typhoons in late summer.

Known for: Subtropical climate, Beaches and diving, Okinawan food and longevity, Typhoon season.

## Scores (balanced weights, 0–100)

| Factor | Score |
| --- | --- |
| Overall | 67.2 |
| Cost of living | 24 |
| Safety | 98 |
| Healthcare | 92 |
| Internet | 76 |
| Visa ease | 61 |
| Getting there & around | 26 |
| Climate | 58 |
| Air quality | 97 |
| 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) | 0.2 | country | 2021 | [^4] |
| Political stability (0–100) | 85.3 | country | 2024 | [^5] |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 86 | country | 2023 | [^6] |
| Life expectancy (years) | 84.5 | country | 2021 | [^7] |
| Median download (Mbps) | 55.2 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Median upload (Mbps) | 47.9 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Nomad visa | Status of Residence of “Designated Activities” (for Digital Nomad / Spouse or child of Digital Nomad) (min $5,169/mo) | country | 2026-07 | [^9] |
| Visa-free days US / EU / UK | 90 days / 90 days / 90 days | editorial | 2026-02 | [^10] |
| Non-stop destinations (OKA) | 41 | city | 2026-09 | [^11] |
| Walkability / transit (1–5) | 3 / 3 | editorial | 2026-09 | [^12] |
| Comfortable months | 7 of 12 | city | 2001–2020 | [^13] |
| Annual mean PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 6.3 | city | 2019 | [^14] |
| Human Development Index | 0.925 | country | 2023 | [^15] |
| English proficiency band | low | country | 2024 | [^16] |

## Climate (2001–2020 normals)

| Month | Mean °C | Rain mm | Humidity % | Comfortable |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Jan | 18.9 | 61 | 75 | yes |
| Feb | 19 | 50 | 77 | yes |
| Mar | 19.8 | 81 | 77 | yes |
| Apr | 21.8 | 124 | 80 | yes |
| May | 24.5 | 209 | 84 | no |
| Jun | 27 | 293 | 88 | no |
| Jul | 28.8 | 125 | 83 | no |
| Aug | 29 | 175 | 82 | no |
| Sep | 28.2 | 186 | 80 | no |
| Oct | 26.2 | 126 | 77 | yes |
| Nov | 23.6 | 83 | 76 | yes |
| Dec | 20.6 | 67 | 75 | yes |

## Airports and nonstop flights

| Airport | IATA | Nonstop destinations | International | From US airports |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Naha Airport | OKA | 41 | 12 | 0 |

Unique destinations across all airports: 41, of which 12 international (Wikipedia, 2026-09).

## Similar cities

- [Taipei](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/taipei) (69.7) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/naha-vs-taipei)
- [Faro (Algarve)](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/faro) (72.3) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/faro-vs-naha)
- [Porto](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/porto) (70.2) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/naha-vs-porto)
- [Split](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/split) (67.4) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/naha-vs-split)
- [Granada](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/granada) (68.3) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/granada-vs-naha)

## FAQ

### How much does it cost to live in Naha (Okinawa) as a digital nomad?

A single person typically spends about $2,700 per month in Naha (Okinawa) (a country-level estimate for Japan). That is a 24/100 cost score, where 100 is the cheapest city in the dataset.

### Is Naha (Okinawa) safe for digital nomads?

Naha (Okinawa) scores 98/100 on safety. Japan records 0.2 homicides per 100,000 people per year (WHO, 2021) and a political-stability score of 85.3/100 (World Bank WGI). Both figures are national, so neighbourhood-level risk can differ.

### Does Japan have a digital nomad visa?

Yes. Japan offers the Status of Residence of “Designated Activities” (for Digital Nomad / Spouse or child of Digital Nomad) with a minimum income of about $5,169 per month. Verify current rules with the issuing authority before applying.

### How fast is the internet in Naha (Okinawa)?

Measured median download speed in Naha (Okinawa) was 55.2 Mbps (upload 47.9 Mbps) across 13,742 M-Lab tests in 2024. Measured speeds run below advertised plan speeds everywhere, so compare cities rather than reading the number as a plan.

### Which airports serve Naha (Okinawa) and how many nonstop flights are there?

Naha (Okinawa) is served by Naha Airport (OKA) with 41 nonstop destinations, of which 12 are international. 0 US airports have a nonstop link. Source: Wikipedia, 2026-09.

### When is the best time of year to be in Naha (Okinawa)?

The most comfortable months are Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec. Mean temperatures range from 66°F (19°C) in Jan to 84°F (29°C) in Aug (NASA POWER 2001–2020 climatology).

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

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

## 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]: Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population, 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/estimates-of-rates-of-homicides-per-100-000-population (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^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]: Digital Nomad Visas 2026, WhereToEmigrate. CC BY 4.0. https://github.com/0brien18/global-emigration-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^10]: 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)
[^11]: 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)
[^12]: Walkability and transit ratings (editorial), Navoy. CC BY 4.0. https://nostos.navoy.io/methodology (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^13]: NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means), NASA Langley Research Center. Public domain (US Government). https://power.larc.nasa.gov/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^14]: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8), World Health Organization. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/who-ambient-air-quality-database-(update-jun-2026) (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^15]: 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)
[^16]: 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/naha