---
title: "Fukuoka vs Gangneung for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/fukuoka-vs-gangneung
description: "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."
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# 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.

## 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 | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 58 | 35 | Fukuoka |
| Safety | 94 | 87 | Fukuoka |
| Healthcare | 92 | 92 | Gangneung |
| Internet | 87 | 89 | Gangneung |
| Visa ease | 65 | 61 | Fukuoka |
| Getting there & around | 42 | 38 | Fukuoka |
| Climate | 8 | 17 | Gangneung |
| Air quality | 83 | 66 | Fukuoka |
| Quality of life | 74 | 83 | Gangneung |

## Cost

| Metric | Fukuoka | Gangneung | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,408 | $2,250 | Fukuoka |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $687 | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Fukuoka | Gangneung | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.23 | 0.49 | Fukuoka |
| Political stability (0–100) | 87.7 | 81.7 | Fukuoka |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 86 | 88 | Gangneung |
| Life expectancy | 83.9 yrs | 83.6 yrs | Fukuoka |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Fukuoka | Gangneung | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 81.9 Mbps | 89.7 Mbps | Gangneung |
| Upload | 71.7 Mbps | 91.9 Mbps | Gangneung |

## Visa

| Metric | Fukuoka | Gangneung | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad visa (Designated Activities) | Workcation (digital nomad) visa (F-1-D) | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $5,285/mo | $6,512/mo | Fukuoka |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Fukuoka | Gangneung | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 47 | 162 | Gangneung |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 3 | Fukuoka |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 5 | 2 | Fukuoka |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Fukuoka | Gangneung | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 1 | 2 | Gangneung |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 12.7 µg/m³ | 20.1 µg/m³ | Fukuoka |

## FAQ

### 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).

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

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