Fukuoka vs Oaxaca

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.

Oaxaca, Mexico
🇲🇽Mexico

Oaxaca

73Freedom Score#38Global rank$1,108Per month

Mexico's culinary capital — mole, mezcal, and colonial streets at ultra-low cost, with a fast-growing slow-travel nomad 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.

ExpenseFukuokaOaxaca
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,600$1,108✓
Rent, 1BR city centre$500$498✓
Meal, mid-range$10$8✓
Coworking deskper month$180$99✓
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper64.024.6✓

Quality of life

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

MeasureFukuokaOaxaca
Safety
85
57
Healthcare
90
55
Walkability
85
75
English spoken
42
50
Food & dining
90
95
Nightlife
65
65
Outdoors
58
66
Nomad community
58
60
Climate quality
60
90
Public transit
95
45

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureFukuokaOaxaca
Freedom Score73/10073/100
Global rankof 100 cities#37✓#38
Internet100 Mbps✓35 Mbps
Average temperature63°F68°F
Air quality30/10042/100✓
Airport connectivity78/100✓42/100
Nomad visa90 days freeMexico DN visa
Headline tax rateon local income20%15%

Which should you choose?

Choose Fukuoka if internet is faster at 100 Mbps, it scores higher on safety (85 vs 57) and it is more walkable.

Choose Oaxaca if runs $492/mo cheaper, rent is $2/mo lower, English is more widely spoken and the climate scores better.

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

Oaxaca

  • Legendary food scene — mole, mezcal, and street markets
  • Among the cheapest cities on this list — under $1,200/mo
  • US market opens 8:30am local — early-bird trading
  • Colonial UNESCO centre, walkable and deeply cultural

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for digital nomads: Fukuoka or Oaxaca?
Fukuoka and Oaxaca tie on the Freedom Score at 73/100, so the decision comes down to which individual measures matter most to you.
Which is cheaper: Fukuoka or Oaxaca?
Oaxaca is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $1,108 against $1,600, a difference of $492 a month or about $5,904 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $500/mo in Fukuoka versus $498/mo in Oaxaca.
Which is safer: Fukuoka or Oaxaca?
Fukuoka scores higher on safety, 85/100 against 57/100. 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 Oaxaca?
Fukuoka averages 100 Mbps and Oaxaca averages 35 Mbps, so Fukuoka has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Fukuoka or Oaxaca?
Fukuoka sits in Japan (90 days free) and Oaxaca in Mexico (Mexico DN visa). Requirements, income floors and processing times change often, so check the visa and residency guide before you commit to either.
Open the interactive comparison

Related comparisons

Barcelona vs FukuokaFukuoka vs LisbonFukuoka vs PhuketAmsterdam vs FukuokaBarcelona vs OaxacaLisbon vs OaxacaOaxaca vs PhuketAmsterdam vs Oaxaca
Fukuoka city guideOaxaca city guideCompare all citiesCost of livingVisas & residencyTax intelligenceBanking & financeRelocation playbooks

YourLifeMatch — your life, perfectly placed. About · Privacy · Terms · Contact

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.