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Naha (Okinawa) vs Niigata

for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Naha (Okinawa) edges it, 71 to 67, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Naha (Okinawa) is stronger on climate, getting there & around; Niigata on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

Cost of living: 2.4 of 71 points (scores 21/100)Safety: 10.5 of 71 points (scores 94/100)Healthcare: 10.2 of 71 points (scores 92/100)Internet: 8.9 of 71 points (scores 80/100)Visa ease: 7.2 of 71 points (scores 65/100)Getting there & around: 6.3 of 71 points (scores 57/100)Climate: 6.5 of 71 points (scores 58/100)Air quality: 10.8 of 71 points (scores 97/100)Quality of life: 8.2 of 71 points (scores 74/100)71
Naha (Okinawa)
out of 100

Japan's subtropical island capital

Full Naha (Okinawa) profile →Where to stay in Naha (Okinawa) →
Cost of living: 2.4 of 67 points (scores 21/100)Safety: 10.5 of 67 points (scores 94/100)Healthcare: 10.2 of 67 points (scores 92/100)Internet: 9.7 of 67 points (scores 88/100)Visa ease: 7.2 of 67 points (scores 65/100)Getting there & around: 4.9 of 67 points (scores 44/100)Climate: 3.7 of 67 points (scores 33/100)Air quality: 10.3 of 67 points (scores 93/100)Quality of life: 8.2 of 67 points (scores 74/100)67
Niigata
out of 100

Rice, sake and the Sea of Japan, 2 hours from Tokyo

Full Niigata profile →Where to stay in Niigata →

Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

MetricNaha (Okinawa)Niigata
Cost of living2121
Safety9494
Healthcare9292
Internet8088 ✓
Visa ease6565
Getting there & around57 ✓44
Climate58 ✓33
Air quality97 ✓93
Quality of life7474

Cost

MetricNaha (Okinawa)Niigata
Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city$2,700$2,700
Central one-bedroom rentno datano data

Safety and health (country-level)

MetricNaha (Okinawa)Niigata
Homicides per 100k0.230.23
Political stability (0–100)87.787.7
UHC service coverage (0–100)8686
Life expectancy84.5 yrs84.5 yrs

Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

MetricNaha (Okinawa)Niigata
Download55.2 Mbps84 Mbps ✓
Upload47.9 Mbps72.3 Mbps ✓

Visa

MetricNaha (Okinawa)Niigata
Nomad visaDigital nomad visa (Designated Activities)Digital nomad visa (Designated Activities)
Minimum income for the visa$5,285/mo$5,285/mo
Entry, US passport90 days90 days
Entry, EU passport90 days90 days
Entry, UK passport90 days90 days

Getting there and around

MetricNaha (Okinawa)Niigata
Non-stop airport destinations41 ✓11
Walkability (1–5, editorial)33
Transit (1–5, editorial)33

Climate and air

MetricNaha (Okinawa)Niigata
Comfortable months per year7 ✓4
Annual mean PM2.56.3 µg/m³ ✓8.2 µg/m³

✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.

Frequently asked

Which is cheaper, Naha (Okinawa) or Niigata?
Niigata is cheaper: about $2,700 per month versus $2,700 for one person.
Is Naha (Okinawa) or Niigata safer?
Naha (Okinawa) scores higher on safety (94 vs 94), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
Where is the internet faster, Naha (Okinawa) or Niigata?
Niigata: a measured median of 84 Mbps versus 55.2 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); 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 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.