Fukuoka vs Gangneung
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Fukuoka edges it, 67 to 63, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Fukuoka is stronger on cost of living, air quality; Gangneung on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Japan's startup city, compact and coastal
Full Fukuoka profile →Plan a trip to Fukuoka →East Sea beach town with a coffee scene and a KTX to Seoul
Full Gangneung profile →Plan a trip to Gangneung →Where they differ
- Cost of living. Fukuoka leads on cost of living, 58 to 35, against Gangneung. Monthly cost, one person: $1,408 vs $2,250.
- Air quality. Fukuoka leads on air quality, 83 to 66, against Gangneung. PM2.5: 12.7 µg/m³ vs 20.1 µg/m³.
- Quality of life. Gangneung leads on quality of life, 83 to 74, against Fukuoka.
Where they are close. Within five points on visa ease, getting there & around, internet, healthcare.
Pick Fukuoka if you want
- to spend about $842 less a month
- the safer country figures
- cleaner air
Pick Gangneung if you want
- no clear edge over Fukuoka in the data
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Fukuoka | Gangneung |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 58 ✓ | 35 |
| Safety | 94 ✓ | 87 |
| Healthcare | 92 | 92 ✓ |
| Internet | 87 | 89 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 65 ✓ | 61 |
| Getting there & around | 42 ✓ | 38 |
| Climate | 8 | 17 ✓ |
| Air quality | 83 ✓ | 66 |
| Quality of life | 74 | 83 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Fukuoka | Gangneung |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,408 ✓ | $2,250 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $687 | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Fukuoka | Gangneung |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.23 ✓ | 0.49 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 87.7 ✓ | 81.7 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 86 | 88 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 83.9 yrs ✓ | 83.6 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Fukuoka | Gangneung |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 81.9 Mbps | 89.7 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 71.7 Mbps | 91.9 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Fukuoka | Gangneung |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad visa (Designated Activities) | Workcation (digital nomad) visa (F-1-D) |
| Minimum income for the visa | $5,285/mo ✓ | $6,512/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 | Fukuoka | Gangneung |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 47 | 162 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 ✓ | 3 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 5 ✓ | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Fukuoka | Gangneung |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 1 | 2 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 12.7 µg/m³ ✓ | 20.1 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Fukuoka or Gangneung?
- Fukuoka is cheaper: about $1,408 per month versus $2,250 for one person.
- Is Fukuoka or Gangneung 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, Fukuoka or Gangneung?
- Gangneung: a measured median of 89.7 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 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.