---
title: "Kobe vs Nagoya for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/kobe-vs-nagoya
description: "Under balanced weights Kobe edges it, 65 to 63, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Kobe is stronger on climate; Nagoya on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Kobe vs Nagoya for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Kobe edges it, 65 to 63, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Kobe is stronger on climate; Nagoya on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Kobe | Nagoya | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 24 | 24 | tie |
| Safety | 98 | 98 | tie |
| Healthcare | 92 | 92 | tie |
| Internet | 85 | 83 | Kobe |
| Visa ease | 61 | 61 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 45 | 41 | Kobe |
| Climate | 17 | 0 | Kobe |
| Air quality | 91 | 90 | Kobe |
| Quality of life | 74 | 74 | tie |

## Cost

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

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Kobe | Nagoya | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.2 | 0.2 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 85.3 | 85.3 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 86 | 86 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 84.5 yrs | 84.5 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Kobe | Nagoya | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 81.6 Mbps | 74 Mbps | Kobe |
| Upload | 78.4 Mbps | 77.3 Mbps | Kobe |

## Visa

| Metric | Kobe | Nagoya | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Status of Residence of “Designated Activities” (for Digital Nomad / Spouse or child of Digital Nomad) | Status of Residence of “Designated Activities” (for Digital Nomad / Spouse or child of Digital Nomad) | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $5,169/mo | $5,169/mo | tie |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Kobe | Nagoya | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 69 | 43 | Kobe |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 5 | 5 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Kobe | Nagoya | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 2 | 0 | Kobe |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 9.1 µg/m³ | 9.4 µg/m³ | Kobe |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Kobe or Nagoya?

Nagoya is cheaper: about $2,700 per month versus $2,700 for one person.

### Is Kobe or Nagoya safer?

Kobe scores higher on safety (98 vs 98), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Kobe or Nagoya?

Kobe: a measured median of 81.6 Mbps versus 74 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Kobe](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/kobe) · [Nagoya](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/nagoya). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; 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).

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/kobe-vs-nagoya