---
title: "Gifu vs Otaru for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/gifu-vs-otaru
description: "Under balanced weights Otaru edges it, 63 to 62, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Neither leads on any factor by 10 points or more. 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
---

# Gifu vs Otaru for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Otaru edges it, 63 to 62, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Neither leads on any factor by 10 points or more. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Climate.** Otaru leads on climate, 8 to 0, against Gifu. Comfortable months: 0 vs 1.

Where they are close: within five points on air quality, getting there & around, internet, cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.

**Pick Gifu if you want** no clear edge over Otaru in the data.

**Pick Otaru if you want** no clear edge over Gifu in the data.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Gifu | Otaru | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 26 | 26 | tie |
| Safety | 94 | 94 | tie |
| Healthcare | 92 | 92 | tie |
| Internet | 87 | 88 | Otaru |
| Visa ease | 65 | 65 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 26 | 26 | Gifu |
| Climate | 0 | 8 | Otaru |
| Air quality | 90 | 93 | Otaru |
| Quality of life | 74 | 74 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Gifu | Otaru | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,700 | $2,700 | tie |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Gifu | Otaru | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.23 | 0.23 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 87.7 | 87.7 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 86 | 86 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 83.9 yrs | 83.9 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Gifu | Otaru | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 81 Mbps | 87.6 Mbps | Otaru |
| Upload | 87.8 Mbps | 63.8 Mbps | Gifu |

## Visa

| Metric | Gifu | Otaru | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad visa (Designated Activities) | Digital nomad visa (Designated Activities) | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $5,285/mo | $5,285/mo | tie |
| 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 | Gifu | Otaru | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 44 | 43 | Gifu |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Gifu | Otaru | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 0 | 1 | Otaru |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 9.3 µg/m³ | 8.1 µg/m³ | Otaru |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Gifu or Otaru?

Gifu and Otaru cost about the same: roughly $2,700 per month for one person.

### Is Gifu or Otaru safer?

Gifu and Otaru score the same on safety (94), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Gifu or Otaru?

Otaru: a measured median of 87.6 Mbps versus 81 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Gifu](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/gifu) · [Otaru](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/otaru). 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.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/gifu-vs-otaru