Busan vs Fukuoka
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Fukuoka edges it, 66 to 62, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Busan is stronger on nothing outright; Fukuoka on air quality, visa ease, safety. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Busan | Fukuoka |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 47 | 51 ✓ |
| Safety | 85 | 98 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 92 | 92 |
| Internet | 85 ✓ | 85 |
| Visa ease | 46 | 61 ✓ |
| 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 | $1,582 | $1,433 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $712 | $699 ✓ |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Busan | Fukuoka |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.7 | 0.2 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 76.8 | 85.3 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 88 ✓ | 86 |
| Life expectancy | 83.8 yrs | 84.5 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 | none listed | Status of Residence of “Designated Activities” (for Digital Nomad / Spouse or child of Digital Nomad) ✓ |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | $5,169/mo |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Busan | Fukuoka |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 49 ✓ | 48 |
| 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 $1,433 per month versus $1,582 for one person.
- Is Busan or Fukuoka safer?
- Fukuoka scores higher on safety (98 vs 85), 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); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; 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). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.