---
title: "Living in Tokyo as a digital nomad: cost, safety, visa, internet"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/tokyo
description: "The world's largest city, running like clockwork"
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo scores 64.7/100 for digital nomads under balanced weights, ranking 102 of 309 cities. Expect about $2,212 per month, 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 43.7 Mbps.

Tokyo is vast, immaculate and safe, with unmatched rail transit and food. Japan introduced a nomad visa in 2024 with a high income threshold; rents in central wards are moderate by global-capital standards.

Known for: Rail network, Food at every price, Safety, Neighbourhood variety.

## Scores (balanced weights, 0–100)

| Factor | Score |
| --- | --- |
| Overall | 64.7 |
| Cost of living | 33 |
| Safety | 98 |
| Healthcare | 92 |
| Internet | 68 |
| Visa ease | 61 |
| Getting there & around | 63 |
| Climate | 8 |
| Air quality | 87 |
| Quality of life | 74 |

## The numbers behind the scores

| Metric | Value | Level | As of | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,212 | city | 2026-07 | [^2] |
| Central 1-bedroom rent | $1,287 | city | 2026-07 | [^2] |
| Outskirts 1-bedroom rent (basis of the monthly total) | $712 | city | 2026-07 | [^2] |
| 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) | 43.7 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Median upload (Mbps) | 17 | 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 (HND/NRT) | 161 | city | 2026-09 | [^11] |
| Walkability / transit (1–5) | 5 / 5 | editorial | 2026-09 | [^12] |
| Comfortable months | 1 of 12 | city | 2001–2020 | [^13] |
| Annual mean PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 10.8 | 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 | 2.2 | 66 | 77 | no |
| Feb | 3.4 | 67 | 77 | no |
| Mar | 6.9 | 115 | 77 | no |
| Apr | 12 | 129 | 78 | no |
| May | 17 | 142 | 79 | yes |
| Jun | 20.8 | 181 | 83 | no |
| Jul | 24.7 | 180 | 84 | no |
| Aug | 25.8 | 155 | 82 | no |
| Sep | 22.1 | 215 | 84 | no |
| Oct | 16.1 | 222 | 84 | no |
| Nov | 10.4 | 97 | 82 | no |
| Dec | 4.8 | 69 | 80 | no |

## Airports and nonstop flights

| Airport | IATA | Nonstop destinations | International | From US airports |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Haneda Airport | HND | 99 | 47 | 14 |
| Narita International Airport | NRT | 120 | 93 | 14 |

Unique destinations across all airports: 161, of which 105 international (Wikipedia, 2026-09).

## Similar cities

- [Osaka](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/osaka) (63.7) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/osaka-vs-tokyo)
- [Kobe](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/kobe) (65.1) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/kobe-vs-tokyo)
- [Nagoya](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/nagoya) (62.5) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/nagoya-vs-tokyo)
- [Kyoto](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/kyoto) (64.4) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/kyoto-vs-tokyo)
- [Fukuoka](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/fukuoka) (65.9) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/fukuoka-vs-tokyo)

## FAQ

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

A single person typically spends about $2,212 per month in Tokyo, renting a one-bedroom outside the centre (about $712). A central one-bedroom costs about $1,287, which brings the total to roughly $2,787. That is a 33/100 cost score, where 100 is the cheapest city in the dataset.

### Is Tokyo safe for digital nomads?

Tokyo 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 Tokyo?

Measured median download speed in Tokyo was 43.7 Mbps (upload 17 Mbps) across 939,018 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 Tokyo and how many nonstop flights are there?

Tokyo is served by Haneda Airport (HND) with 99 nonstop destinations and Narita International Airport (NRT) with 120 nonstop destinations, 161 unique destinations across all of them, of which 105 are international. 19 US airports have a nonstop link. Source: Wikipedia, 2026-09.

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

The most comfortable months are May. Mean temperatures range from 36°F (2°C) in Jan to 78°F (26°C) in Aug (NASA POWER 2001–2020 climatology).

### Tokyo or Osaka: which is better for digital nomads?

Osaka is the city with the closest factor profile to Tokyo 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]: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows), WhereToEmigrate. CC BY 4.0. https://github.com/0brien18/global-emigration-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^3]: 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level), WhereNext. CC BY 4.0. https://getwherenext.com/data/cost-of-living-2026 (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/tokyo