Naha (Okinawa) vs Taipei
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Taipei edges it, 70 to 67, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Naha (Okinawa) is stronger on air quality; Taipei on getting there & around, cost of living. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Naha (Okinawa) | Taipei |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 24 | 44 ✓ |
| Safety | 98 ✓ | 89 |
| Healthcare | 92 ✓ | 82 |
| Internet | 76 ✓ | 69 |
| Visa ease | 61 | 69 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 26 | 51 ✓ |
| Climate | 58 | 58 |
| Air quality | 97 ✓ | 86 |
| Quality of life | 74 | 81 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Naha (Okinawa) | Taipei |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $2,700 | $1,719 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Naha (Okinawa) | Taipei |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.2 ✓ | 0.8 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 85.3 ✓ | 81.6 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 86 | no data |
| Life expectancy | 84.5 yrs ✓ | 80.2 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Naha (Okinawa) | Taipei |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 55.2 Mbps ✓ | 44.8 Mbps |
| Upload | 47.9 Mbps ✓ | 19.3 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Naha (Okinawa) | Taipei |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Status of Residence of “Designated Activities” (for Digital Nomad / Spouse or child of Digital Nomad) | Digital Nomad Visitor Visa |
| Minimum income for the visa | $5,169/mo | $3,333/mo ✓ |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Naha (Okinawa) | Taipei |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 41 | 113 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 4 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 5 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Naha (Okinawa) | Taipei |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 7 | 7 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 6.3 µg/m³ ✓ | 11.5 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Naha (Okinawa) or Taipei?
- Taipei is cheaper: about $1,719 per month versus $2,700 for one person.
- Is Naha (Okinawa) or Taipei safer?
- Naha (Okinawa) scores higher on safety (98 vs 89), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Naha (Okinawa) or Taipei?
- Naha (Okinawa): a measured median of 55.2 Mbps versus 44.8 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Naha (Okinawa) vs Faro (Algarve)
- Naha (Okinawa) vs Porto
- Taipei vs Porto
- Taipei vs Athens
- All comparisons
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); 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); Annual mean PM2.5, Taipei (Taiwan Ministry of Environment); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); Taiwan Digital Nomad Visitor Visa; WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.