---
title: "Ishigaki vs Taitung for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/ishigaki-vs-taitung
description: "Under balanced weights Taitung edges it, 70 to 68, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Ishigaki is stronger on air quality; Taitung on cost of living, getting there & around. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.10.7 (2026-10-13)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Ishigaki vs Taitung for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Taitung edges it, 70 to 68, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Ishigaki is stronger on air quality; Taitung on cost of living, getting there & around. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Ishigaki | Taitung | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 21 | 43 | Taitung |
| Safety | 94 | 86 | Ishigaki |
| Healthcare | 92 | 84 | Ishigaki |
| Internet | 76 | 75 | Ishigaki |
| Visa ease | 65 | 71 | Taitung |
| Getting there & around | 35 | 51 | Taitung |
| Climate | 58 | 58 | tie |
| Air quality | 95 | 83 | Ishigaki |
| Quality of life | 74 | 81 | Taitung |

## Cost

| Metric | Ishigaki | Taitung | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,700 | $1,550 | Taitung |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Ishigaki | Taitung | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.23 | 0.8 | Ishigaki |
| Political stability (0–100) | 87.7 | 83.1 | Ishigaki |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 86 | no data | — |
| Life expectancy | 84.5 yrs | 80.2 yrs | Ishigaki |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Ishigaki | Taitung | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 46.2 Mbps | 49 Mbps | Taitung |
| Upload | 35.4 Mbps | 22.1 Mbps | Ishigaki |

## Visa

| Metric | Ishigaki | Taitung | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad visa (Designated Activities) | Digital nomad visitor visa | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $5,285/mo | $3,333/mo | Taitung |
| 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 | Ishigaki | Taitung | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 12 | 39 | Taitung |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 | Taitung |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Ishigaki | Taitung | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 7 | 7 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 7.3 µg/m³ | 12.7 µg/m³ | Ishigaki |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Ishigaki or Taitung?

Taitung is cheaper: about $1,550 per month versus $2,700 for one person.

### Is Ishigaki or Taitung safer?

Ishigaki scores higher on safety (94 vs 86), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Ishigaki or Taitung?

Taitung: a measured median of 49 Mbps versus 46.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Ishigaki](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/ishigaki) · [Taitung](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/taitung). 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); 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); Life expectancy at birth, Taiwan (Ministry of the Interior); Intentional homicide rate, Taiwan (National Police Agency via Wikipedia); Human Development Index, Taiwan (DGBAS calculation); 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/ishigaki-vs-taitung