Busan vs Fukuoka
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Fukuoka edges it, 67 to 65, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Busan is stronger on nothing outright; Fukuoka on air quality. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Beaches and mountains on Korea's south coast
Full Busan profile →Plan a trip to Busan →Japan's startup city, compact and coastal
Full Fukuoka profile →Plan a trip to Fukuoka →Where they differ
- Air quality. Fukuoka leads on air quality, 83 to 64, against Busan. PM2.5: 21 µg/m³ vs 12.7 µg/m³.
- Quality of life. Busan leads on quality of life, 83 to 74, against Fukuoka.
- Climate. Busan leads on climate, 17 to 8, against Fukuoka. Comfortable months: 2 vs 1.
Where they are close. Within five points on cost of living, getting there & around, visa ease, healthcare, internet.
Pick Busan if you want
- no clear edge over Fukuoka in the data
Pick Fukuoka if you want
- to spend about $147 less a month
- the safer country figures
- cleaner air
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Busan | Fukuoka |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 53 | 58 ✓ |
| Safety | 87 | 94 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 92 ✓ | 92 |
| Internet | 87 ✓ | 87 |
| Visa ease | 61 | 65 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 37 | 42 ✓ |
| Climate | 17 ✓ | 8 |
| Air quality | 64 | 83 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 83 ✓ | 74 |
Cost
| Metric | Busan | Fukuoka |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,555 | $1,408 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $700 | $687 ✓ |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Busan | Fukuoka |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.49 | 0.23 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 81.7 | 87.7 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 88 ✓ | 86 |
| Life expectancy | 83.6 yrs | 83.9 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Busan | Fukuoka |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 82.7 Mbps ✓ | 81.9 Mbps |
| Upload | 75.6 Mbps ✓ | 71.7 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Busan | Fukuoka |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Workcation (digital nomad) visa (F-1-D) | Digital nomad visa (Designated Activities) |
| Minimum income for the visa | $6,512/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 | Busan | Fukuoka |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 50 ✓ | 47 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 4 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 5 | 5 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Busan | Fukuoka |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 2 ✓ | 1 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 21 µg/m³ | 12.7 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Busan or Fukuoka?
- Fukuoka is cheaper: about $1,408 per month versus $1,555 for one person.
- Is Busan or Fukuoka safer?
- Fukuoka scores higher on safety (94 vs 87), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Busan or Fukuoka?
- Busan: a measured median of 82.7 Mbps versus 81.9 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); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); 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 2026.11.3. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.