Fukuoka vs Lima

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.

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.

Lima, Peru
🇵🇪Peru

Lima

74Freedom Score#35Global rank$1,367Per month

The gastronomic capital of the Americas — Lima pairs world-class Miraflores dining and a Pacific cliffside lifestyle with South America's most underrated value, fast internet, and a growing creative scene.

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.

ExpenseFukuokaLima
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,600$1,367✓
Rent, 1BR city centre$500✓$774
Meal, mid-range$10✓$12
Coworking deskper month$180$160✓
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper64.054.0✓

Quality of life

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

MeasureFukuokaLima
Safety
85
52
Healthcare
90
72
Walkability
85
70
English spoken
42
42
Food & dining
90
92
Nightlife
65
78
Outdoors
58
65
Nomad community
58
62
Climate quality
60
52
Public transit
95
55

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureFukuokaLima
Freedom Score73/10074/100✓
Global rankof 100 cities#37#35✓
Internet100 Mbps100 Mbps
Average temperature63°F66°F
Air quality30/10055/100✓
Airport connectivity78/10078/100
Nomad visa90 days free90 days
Headline tax rateon local income20%15%

Which should you choose?

Choose Fukuoka if rent is $274/mo lower, it scores higher on safety (85 vs 52), it is more walkable and the climate scores better.

Choose Lima if runs $233/mo cheaper, the nomad community is larger and the headline tax rate is lower.

What each city is known for

Fukuoka

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

Lima

  • Back-to-back World's 50 Best Restaurant wins — unmatched food scene
  • Fast 100 Mbps fiber and a growing Barranco/Miraflores creative hub
  • Pacific cliffside malecón living at a fraction of coastal-city prices
  • Perfect US market alignment — open at 10:30am local time

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for digital nomads: Fukuoka or Lima?
Lima scores higher on the Freedom Score (74/100 against 73/100), 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: Fukuoka or Lima?
Lima is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $1,367 against $1,600, a difference of $233 a month or about $2,796 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $500/mo in Fukuoka versus $774/mo in Lima.
Which is safer: Fukuoka or Lima?
Fukuoka scores higher on safety, 85/100 against 52/100. 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 Fukuoka and Lima?
Fukuoka averages 100 Mbps and Lima averages 100 Mbps — effectively the same.
What visa would I need for Fukuoka or Lima?
Fukuoka sits in Japan (90 days free) and Lima in Peru (90 days). Requirements, income floors and processing times change often, so check the visa and residency guide before you commit to either.
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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.