---
title: "Naha (Okinawa) vs Taipei for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/naha-vs-taipei
description: "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."
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# 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 | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 24 | 44 | Taipei |
| Safety | 98 | 89 | Naha (Okinawa) |
| Healthcare | 92 | 82 | Naha (Okinawa) |
| Internet | 76 | 69 | Naha (Okinawa) |
| Visa ease | 61 | 69 | Taipei |
| Getting there & around | 26 | 51 | Taipei |
| Climate | 58 | 58 | tie |
| Air quality | 97 | 86 | Naha (Okinawa) |
| Quality of life | 74 | 81 | Taipei |

## Cost

| Metric | Naha (Okinawa) | Taipei | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,700 | $1,719 | Taipei |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Naha (Okinawa) | Taipei | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.2 | 0.8 | Naha (Okinawa) |
| Political stability (0–100) | 85.3 | 81.6 | Naha (Okinawa) |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 86 | no data | — |
| Life expectancy | 84.5 yrs | 80.2 yrs | Naha (Okinawa) |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Naha (Okinawa) | Taipei | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 55.2 Mbps | 44.8 Mbps | Naha (Okinawa) |
| Upload | 47.9 Mbps | 19.3 Mbps | Naha (Okinawa) |

## Visa

| Metric | Naha (Okinawa) | Taipei | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Status of Residence of “Designated Activities” (for Digital Nomad / Spouse or child of Digital Nomad) | Digital Nomad Visitor Visa | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $5,169/mo | $3,333/mo | Taipei |
| 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 | Naha (Okinawa) | Taipei | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 41 | 113 | Taipei |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 4 | Taipei |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 5 | Taipei |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Naha (Okinawa) | Taipei | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 7 | 7 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 6.3 µg/m³ | 11.5 µg/m³ | Naha (Okinawa) |

## FAQ

### 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).

City pages: [Naha (Okinawa)](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/naha) · [Taipei](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/taipei). 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).

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/naha-vs-taipei
