Hiroshima vs Kyoto
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights the two cities tie at 65. Hiroshima is stronger on nothing outright; Kyoto on getting there & around. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Rebuilt city of peace, rivers and Miyajima island
Full Hiroshima profile →Plan a trip to Hiroshima →Where they differ
- Getting there & around. Kyoto leads on getting there & around, 42 to 32, against Hiroshima. Non-stop airport destinations: 11 vs 81.
- Climate. Hiroshima leads on climate, 25 to 17, against Kyoto. Comfortable months: 3 vs 2.
Where they are close. Within five points on air quality, internet, cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.
Pick Hiroshima if you want
- no clear edge over Kyoto in the data
Pick Kyoto if you want
- no clear edge over Hiroshima in the data
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Hiroshima | Kyoto |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 26 | 26 |
| Safety | 94 | 94 |
| Healthcare | 92 | 92 |
| Internet | 88 | 89 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 65 | 65 |
| Getting there & around | 32 | 42 ✓ |
| Climate | 25 ✓ | 17 |
| Air quality | 85 | 87 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 74 | 74 |
Cost
| Metric | Hiroshima | Kyoto |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $2,700 | $2,700 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Hiroshima | Kyoto |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Hiroshima | Kyoto |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 86.3 Mbps | 88.4 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 79.6 Mbps | 86.9 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Hiroshima | Kyoto |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Hiroshima | Kyoto |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 11 | 81 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Hiroshima | Kyoto |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 3 ✓ | 2 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 11.8 µg/m³ | 10.9 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Hiroshima or Kyoto?
- Hiroshima and Kyoto cost about the same: roughly $2,700 per month for one person.
- Is Hiroshima or Kyoto safer?
- Hiroshima and Kyoto score the same on safety (94), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Hiroshima or Kyoto?
- Kyoto: a measured median of 88.4 Mbps versus 86.3 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.