---
title: "Busan vs Fukuoka for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/busan-vs-fukuoka
description: "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."
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# 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 | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 47 | 51 | Fukuoka |
| Safety | 85 | 98 | Fukuoka |
| Healthcare | 92 | 92 | tie |
| Internet | 85 | 85 | Busan |
| Visa ease | 46 | 61 | Fukuoka |
| Getting there & around | 37 | 42 | Fukuoka |
| Climate | 17 | 8 | Busan |
| Air quality | 64 | 83 | Fukuoka |
| Quality of life | 83 | 74 | Busan |

## Cost

| Metric | Busan | Fukuoka | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,582 | $1,433 | Fukuoka |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $712 | $699 | Fukuoka |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Busan | Fukuoka | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.7 | 0.2 | Fukuoka |
| Political stability (0–100) | 76.8 | 85.3 | Fukuoka |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 88 | 86 | Busan |
| Life expectancy | 83.8 yrs | 84.5 yrs | Fukuoka |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Busan | Fukuoka | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 82.7 Mbps | 81.9 Mbps | Busan |
| Upload | 75.6 Mbps | 71.7 Mbps | Busan |

## Visa

| Metric | Busan | Fukuoka | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | Status of Residence of “Designated Activities” (for Digital Nomad / Spouse or child of Digital Nomad) | Fukuoka |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | $5,169/mo | — |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Busan | Fukuoka | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 49 | 48 | Busan |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 4 | Fukuoka |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 5 | 5 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Busan | Fukuoka | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 2 | 1 | Busan |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 21 µg/m³ | 12.7 µg/m³ | Fukuoka |

## FAQ

### 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).

City pages: [Busan](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/busan) · [Fukuoka](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/fukuoka). 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).

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/busan-vs-fukuoka