Fukuoka vs Incheon
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights the two cities tie at 67. Fukuoka is stronger on air quality; Incheon on climate. 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 →Seoul's airport and port city, with the Songdo smart district
Full Incheon profile →Plan a trip to Incheon →Where they differ
- Air quality. Fukuoka leads on air quality, 83 to 61, against Incheon. PM2.5: 12.7 µg/m³ vs 22.7 µg/m³.
- Climate. Incheon leads on climate, 25 to 8, against Fukuoka. Comfortable months: 1 vs 3.
- Quality of life. Incheon leads on quality of life, 83 to 74, against Fukuoka.
Where they are close. Within five points on visa ease, internet, healthcare.
Pick Fukuoka if you want
- to spend about $169 less a month
- the safer country figures
- cleaner air
Pick Incheon if you want
- a longer comfortable season (3 months against 1)
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Fukuoka | Incheon |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 58 ✓ | 52 |
| Safety | 94 ✓ | 87 |
| Healthcare | 92 | 92 ✓ |
| Internet | 87 | 88 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 65 ✓ | 61 |
| Getting there & around | 42 | 49 ✓ |
| Climate | 8 | 25 ✓ |
| Air quality | 83 ✓ | 61 |
| Quality of life | 74 | 83 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Fukuoka | Incheon |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,408 ✓ | $1,577 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $687 ✓ | $715 |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Fukuoka | Incheon |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Incheon |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 81.9 Mbps | 84 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 71.7 Mbps | 87.4 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Fukuoka | Incheon |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Incheon |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 47 | 169 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 ✓ | 3 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 5 ✓ | 4 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Fukuoka | Incheon |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 1 | 3 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 12.7 µg/m³ ✓ | 22.7 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Fukuoka or Incheon?
- Fukuoka is cheaper: about $1,408 per month versus $1,577 for one person.
- Is Fukuoka or Incheon 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 Incheon?
- Incheon: a measured median of 84 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.