Dar es Salaam vs Fukuoka

Real cost of living, rent, internet, safety and visa terms for both cities, side by side — then open the interactive tool to weight them against your own priorities.

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
🇹🇿Tanzania

Dar es Salaam

56Freedom Score#92Global rank$1,500Per month

Tanzania's Indian Ocean hub — warm Swahili coast, a booming port-city energy, and the gateway to Zanzibar and safari country with an easy e-visa.

Fukuoka, Japan
🇯🇵Japan

Fukuoka

73Freedom Score#37Global rank$1,600Per month

Japan's most livable city — compact, green, and affordable by Japanese standards, with legendary ramen, a startup boom, and 90-day visa-free access.

The short answer

Compare these two in the full toolBoth cities pre-loaded — add your income and priorities to get a personal match score

Cost of living

Monthly figures for one person. Rent, meals and coworking are measured values, not shares of the total budget.

ExpenseDar es SalaamFukuoka
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,500✓$1,600
Rent, 1BR city centre$700$500✓
Meal, mid-range$12$10✓
Coworking deskper monthn.a.$180
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper60.0✓64.0

Quality of life

Scored 0–100 on the same attributes the match engine weights, so these agree with the interactive tool.

MeasureDar es SalaamFukuoka
Safety
45
85
Healthcare
53
90
Walkability
42
85
English spoken
52
42
Food & dining
55
90
Nightlife
58
65
Outdoors
36
58
Nomad community
38
58
Climate quality
68
60
Public transit
40
95

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureDar es SalaamFukuoka
Freedom Score56/10073/100✓
Global rankof 100 cities#92#37✓
Internet25 Mbps100 Mbps✓
Average temperature79°F63°F
Air quality65/100✓30/100
Airport connectivity52/10078/100✓
Nomad visaE-visa 90d90 days free
Headline tax rateon local income20%20%

Which should you choose?

Choose Dar es Salaam if runs $100/mo cheaper, English is more widely spoken and the climate scores better.

Choose Fukuoka if rent is $200/mo lower, internet is faster at 100 Mbps, it scores higher on safety (85 vs 45) and it is more walkable.

What each city is known for

Dar es Salaam

  • Indian Ocean Swahili coast
  • Gateway to Zanzibar and safaris
  • E-visa on arrival
  • Growing, bustling port city

Fukuoka

  • Most livable big city in Japan
  • Legendary Hakata ramen scene
  • 90-day visa-free for Western passports
  • Growing startup and coworking hub

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for digital nomads: Dar es Salaam or Fukuoka?
Fukuoka scores higher on the Freedom Score (73/100 against 56/100), which makes it the stronger all-round base. That is an average, though — if cost, climate or community is what actually decides it for you, the tables above will point the other way as often as not.
Which is cheaper: Dar es Salaam or Fukuoka?
Dar es Salaam is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $1,500 against $1,600, a difference of $100 a month or about $1,200 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $700/mo in Dar es Salaam versus $500/mo in Fukuoka.
Which is safer: Dar es Salaam or Fukuoka?
Fukuoka scores higher on safety, 85/100 against 45/100. Safety scores blend crime levels, political stability and healthcare access, and they describe a city as a whole — individual neighbourhoods vary far more than the headline number suggests.
How fast is the internet in Dar es Salaam and Fukuoka?
Dar es Salaam averages 25 Mbps and Fukuoka averages 100 Mbps, so Fukuoka has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Dar es Salaam or Fukuoka?
Dar es Salaam sits in Tanzania (E-visa 90d) and Fukuoka in Japan (90 days free). Requirements, income floors and processing times change often, so check the visa and residency guide before you commit to either.
Open the interactive comparison

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Cost, connectivity and quality-of-life figures come from the YourLifeMatch city dataset. Where a value is not confirmed it reads n.a. rather than an estimate. Figures are for planning, not professional advice.