Naha (Okinawa) vs Yokohama
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Naha (Okinawa) edges it, 71 to 68, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Naha (Okinawa) is stronger on climate, air quality; Yokohama on getting there & around. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Japan's subtropical island capital
Full Naha (Okinawa) profile →Where to stay in Naha (Okinawa) →Japan's second city: a calmer, cheaper neighbour of Tokyo on the bay
Full Yokohama profile →Where to stay in Yokohama →Where they differ
- Climate. Naha (Okinawa) leads on climate, 58 to 8, against Yokohama. Comfortable months: 7 vs 1.
- Getting there & around. Yokohama leads on getting there & around, 85 to 57, against Naha (Okinawa). Non-stop airport destinations: 41 vs 161.
- Air quality. Naha (Okinawa) leads on air quality, 97 to 87, against Yokohama. PM2.5: 6.3 µg/m³ vs 10.9 µg/m³.
Where they are close. Within five points on cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.
Pick Naha (Okinawa) if you want
- a longer comfortable season (7 months against 1)
- cleaner air
Pick Yokohama if you want
- faster internet (77.1 Mbps measured)
- more flights and easier getting around
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Naha (Okinawa) | Yokohama |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 21 | 21 |
| Safety | 94 | 94 |
| Healthcare | 92 | 92 |
| Internet | 80 | 86 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 65 | 65 |
| Getting there & around | 57 | 85 ✓ |
| Climate | 58 ✓ | 8 |
| Air quality | 97 ✓ | 87 |
| Quality of life | 74 | 74 |
Cost
| Metric | Naha (Okinawa) | Yokohama |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $2,700 | $2,700 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Naha (Okinawa) | Yokohama |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.23 | 0.23 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 87.7 | 87.7 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 86 | 86 |
| Life expectancy | 84.5 yrs | 84.5 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Naha (Okinawa) | Yokohama |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 55.2 Mbps | 77.1 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 47.9 Mbps | 71 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Naha (Okinawa) | Yokohama |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad visa (Designated Activities) | Digital nomad visa (Designated Activities) |
| Minimum income for the visa | $5,285/mo | $5,285/mo |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Naha (Okinawa) | Yokohama |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 41 | 161 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 4 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 5 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Naha (Okinawa) | Yokohama |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 7 ✓ | 1 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 6.3 µg/m³ ✓ | 10.9 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Naha (Okinawa) or Yokohama?
- Yokohama is cheaper: about $2,700 per month versus $2,700 for one person.
- Is Naha (Okinawa) or Yokohama 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 Yokohama?
- Yokohama: a measured median of 77.1 Mbps versus 55.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Naha (Okinawa) vs Oranjestad
- Naha (Okinawa) vs Ishigaki
- Yokohama vs Kamakura
- Yokohama vs Kobe
- All 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.