Fukuoka vs Tochigi
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Fukuoka edges it, 67 to 64, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Fukuoka is stronger on cost of living; Tochigi 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 →Canal-side storehouse town a little over an hour from Tokyo
Full Tochigi profile →Plan a trip to Tochigi →Where they differ
- Cost of living. Fukuoka leads on cost of living, 58 to 26, against Tochigi. Monthly cost, one person: $1,408 vs $2,700.
Where they are close. Within five points on air quality, getting there & around, internet, safety, healthcare, visa ease, climate, quality of life.
Pick Fukuoka if you want
- to spend about $1,292 less a month
Pick Tochigi if you want
- no clear edge over Fukuoka in the data
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Fukuoka | Tochigi |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 58 ✓ | 26 |
| Safety | 94 | 94 |
| Healthcare | 92 | 92 |
| Internet | 87 | 90 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 65 | 65 |
| Getting there & around | 42 ✓ | 38 |
| Climate | 8 | 8 |
| Air quality | 83 | 87 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 74 | 74 |
Cost
| Metric | Fukuoka | Tochigi |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,408 ✓ | $2,700 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $687 | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Fukuoka | Tochigi |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.23 | 0.23 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 87.7 | 87.7 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 86 | 86 |
| Life expectancy | 83.9 yrs | 83.9 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Fukuoka | Tochigi |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 81.9 Mbps | 93.2 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 71.7 Mbps | 91.2 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Fukuoka | Tochigi |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad visa (Designated Activities) | Digital nomad visa (Designated Activities) |
| Minimum income for the visa | $5,285/mo | $5,285/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 | Tochigi |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 47 | 162 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 ✓ | 3 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 5 ✓ | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Fukuoka | Tochigi |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 1 | 1 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 12.7 µg/m³ | 10.8 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Fukuoka or Tochigi?
- Fukuoka is cheaper: about $1,408 per month versus $2,700 for one person.
- Is Fukuoka or Tochigi safer?
- Fukuoka and Tochigi score the same on safety (94), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Fukuoka or Tochigi?
- Tochigi: a measured median of 93.2 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); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); 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.