---
title: "Kobe vs Tochigi for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/kobe-vs-tochigi
description: "Under balanced weights Kobe edges it, 65 to 64, 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
---

# Kobe vs Tochigi for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Kobe edges it, 65 to 64, 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.** Kobe leads on climate, 17 to 8, against Tochigi. Comfortable months: 2 vs 1.
- **Getting there & around.** Kobe leads on getting there & around, 45 to 38, against Tochigi. Non-stop airport destinations: 69 vs 162.

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

**Pick Kobe if you want** no clear edge over Tochigi in the data.

**Pick Tochigi if you want** no clear edge over Kobe in the data.

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

| Metric | Kobe | Tochigi | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 26 | 26 | tie |
| Safety | 94 | 94 | tie |
| Healthcare | 92 | 92 | tie |
| Internet | 87 | 90 | Tochigi |
| Visa ease | 65 | 65 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 45 | 38 | Kobe |
| Climate | 17 | 8 | Kobe |
| Air quality | 89 | 87 | Kobe |
| Quality of life | 74 | 74 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Kobe | Tochigi | 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 | Tochigi | 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 | Kobe | Tochigi | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 81.6 Mbps | 93.2 Mbps | Tochigi |
| Upload | 78.4 Mbps | 91.2 Mbps | Tochigi |

## Visa

| Metric | Kobe | Tochigi | 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 | Kobe | Tochigi | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 69 | 162 | Tochigi |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 3 | Kobe |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 5 | 2 | Kobe |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Kobe | Tochigi | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 2 | 1 | Kobe |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 9.8 µg/m³ | 10.8 µg/m³ | Kobe |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Kobe or Tochigi?

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

### Is Kobe or Tochigi safer?

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

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

Tochigi: a measured median of 93.2 Mbps versus 81.6 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Kobe](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/kobe) · [Tochigi](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/tochigi). 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); 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/kobe-vs-tochigi