Photo: 新幹線 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
🇯🇵 Japón
Fukuoka
Japan's Startup City: cheaper and more relaxed than Tokyo, with a beach, a downtown airport and top ramen.
Score breakdown
Cost of living
6.0Mid-high prices
Weight 25%
Internet & work
10.0Top fibre
Weight 15%
Safety
10.0Very safe
Weight 15%
Nomad community
6.0Small community
Weight 15%
Weather
7.0Humid summers
Weight 10%
Paperwork & visa
6.0Demanding visa
Weight 20%
Where to live
Tenjin
500–750 $Good for: Everything at hand
The catch: Pricier
Ohori
450–700 $Good for: Park and calm
The catch: Less nightlife
Where to work
Coworkings
- Fukuoka Growth Next150 $/mes
Startup hub
Cafés with wifi
- Yatai de Nakasu8 $
Street ramen stalls
Time zone: JST (UTC+9)
What living here is really like
Editorial synthesis of public experiences
What residents say
- Best part:
- Fukuoka residents praise the quality of life, compact size and food. Downsides: language barrier, paperwork for long rentals and very humid summers.
- Worst part:
- Based on resident forums and communities
Sources: Numbeo — Fukuoka · Ministerio de Exteriores de Japón
Day to day
- Internet
- 500 Mbps–1 Gbps fibre
- Safety
- Very safe
- Healthcare
- Excellent; private insurance needed
- SIM / eSIM
- eSIM or Rakuten/Ahamo: $15–25/mo
- Best season
- March–May and October–November
- Community
- Small but entrepreneurial; startup events in English
Living here legally
Lisbon vs. similar cities
Transparency
Last checked: 2026-11-01
Official sources
Prices are checked against the dated sources shown. Editorial experience summaries cite their public sources; verified Zabeler accounts are identified separately. Official procedures always take precedence.