Akita vs Ishigaki
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Ishigaki edges it, 66 to 64, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Akita is stronger on internet; Ishigaki on climate. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Rice, sake and lantern poles on the Sea of Japan coast
Full Akita profile →Plan a trip to Akita →Subtropical island base for diving and the Yaeyama archipelago
Full Ishigaki profile →Plan a trip to Ishigaki →Where they differ
- Climate. Ishigaki leads on climate, 58 to 25, against Akita. Comfortable months: 3 vs 7.
- Internet. Akita leads on internet, 89 to 76, against Ishigaki. Measured download: 90.1 Mbps vs 46.2 Mbps.
Where they are close. Within five points on getting there & around, air quality, cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.
Pick Akita if you want
- faster internet (90.1 Mbps measured)
Pick Ishigaki if you want
- a longer comfortable season (7 months against 3)
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Akita | Ishigaki |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 26 | 26 |
| Safety | 94 | 94 |
| Healthcare | 92 | 92 |
| Internet | 89 ✓ | 76 |
| Visa ease | 65 | 65 |
| Getting there & around | 16 ✓ | 12 |
| Climate | 25 | 58 ✓ |
| Air quality | 92 | 95 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 74 | 74 |
Cost
| Metric | Akita | Ishigaki |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $2,700 | $2,700 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Akita | Ishigaki |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.23 | 0.23 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 87.7 | 87.7 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 86 | 86 |
| Life expectancy | 83.9 yrs | 83.9 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Akita | Ishigaki |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 90.1 Mbps ✓ | 46.2 Mbps |
| Upload | 81.9 Mbps ✓ | 35.4 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Akita | Ishigaki |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad visa (Designated Activities) | Digital nomad visa (Designated Activities) |
| Minimum income for the visa | $5,285/mo | $5,285/mo |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Akita | Ishigaki |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 6 | 12 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 ✓ | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Akita | Ishigaki |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 3 | 7 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 8.8 µg/m³ | 7.4 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Akita or Ishigaki?
- Akita and Ishigaki cost about the same: roughly $2,700 per month for one person.
- Is Akita or Ishigaki safer?
- Akita and Ishigaki score the same on safety (94), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Akita or Ishigaki?
- Akita: a measured median of 90.1 Mbps versus 46.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.