🇯🇵 Fukuoka vs Ubud for digital nomads 🇮🇩
Plenty of remote workers shortlist both Fukuoka and Ubud and then stall. This page settles it with numbers: cost of living, internet, safety, walkability, weather, time zones and visa rules, side by side.
On the map, Fukuoka is in Japan, Ubud in Indonesia. Everything below is scored on the same scale, so you are comparing like with like rather than two tourist brochures.
Short answer
Fukuoka and Ubud score almost identically overall (4.2/5 vs 4.3/5), so cost is the tiebreaker — and Ubud is $700 a month cheaper.
| Metric | 🇯🇵 Fukuoka | 🇮🇩 Ubud |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $1,900 | $1,200 ✓ |
| Nomad score | 4.2/5 | 4.3/5 ✓ |
| Internet | 4.7/5 ✓ | 3.8/5 |
| Safety | 4.9/5 ✓ | 4.1/5 |
| Walkability | 4.6/5 ✓ | 3.4/5 |
| Fun & nightlife | 4.3/5 ✓ | 4/5 |
| Weather | 4.1/5 | 4.5/5 ✓ |
| Air quality | 4.1/5 | 4.1/5 |
Cost of living: Fukuoka vs Ubud
Start with money. Living in Ubud costs around $1,200 a month; Fukuoka asks about $1,900 for the same standard of living. Across a year that 37% gap compounds into $8,400, which is the difference between a tight twelve months and a comfortable eighteen. Neither figure is a backpacker number. They cover a private one-bedroom, a normal social life, local transport, data and a desk you can take calls from. Costs move with season and neighbourhood, so treat these as the midpoint of a realistic range rather than a fixed price.
Time zones and the working day
The time difference between Fukuoka and Ubud is 1 hours — Fukuoka runs on UTC+9 and Ubud on UTC+8, putting Fukuoka ahead. A standard 9–6 working day still overlaps by about 8 hours, so switching between the two barely disturbs a European or same-region client schedule.
Internet and wifi for remote work
Fukuoka wins the wifi round, scoring 4.7/5 where Ubud manages 3.8/5 — a noticeable margin. That number blends home fibre speeds, mobile data quality and the odds of finding a café or coworking desk you can actually work a full day from. At that level you can treat Fukuoka as fully reliable for client calls, large uploads and remote onboarding without a backup plan.
Safety, walkability and nightlife
Fukuoka rates higher for safety (4.9/5 versus 4.1/5) — a noticeable margin in day-to-day terms like walking home late, petty theft and how comfortable solo travellers report feeling. On walkability Fukuoka takes it at 4.6/5 against 3.4/5, which in practice decides whether you can live without a car or a daily ride-hail habit. For nightlife, events and the general odds of meeting people, Fukuoka scores 4.3/5 to Ubud’s 4/5.
Weather and air quality
Ubud has the better climate for year-round remote work, 4.5/5 against 4.1/5 — our weather score rewards mild shoulder seasons and penalises long stretches you would rather not be outside in. The two also sit in opposite hemispheres — Fukuoka is north of the equator, Ubud south — so their seasons run six months out of phase. That is a genuine advantage if you want to chase summer rather than sit through two winters a year. Air quality is comparable, at 4.1/5 and 4.1/5.
Visas and how long you can stay
This is where the two genuinely diverge. Japan offers a long-stay route for remote workers, valid 6 months (not renewable back-to-back) and requiring around $5,600 a month in proven income. Indonesia offers a long-stay route for remote workers, valid 1 year (E33G Remote Worker KITAS) and requiring around $5,000 a month in proven income. Always confirm current rules with the relevant consulate before you book anything long.
Fukuoka vs Ubud: the verdict
- Choose Ubud if your priority is stretching your runway — it is the cheaper base at $1,200 a month, saving you $8,400 a year.
- Ubud also takes the overall nomad score (4.3/5 against 4.2/5), so it is cheaper and stronger — the rare case where there is no trade-off.
- Safety first? Fukuoka is the higher-rated of the two. Want the bigger social scene and more going on after dark? Fukuoka. On calls all day? Fukuoka is the safer bet for wifi. If daily life on foot matters, Fukuoka is built better for it.
Dig deeper on each city
Useful next: the meeting time-zone planner, the digital nomad visa index, and how to get paid while working abroad.
Ready to go? Set up for Fukuoka or Ubud
Whichever you choose, here's the remote-work kit worth sorting before you land:
Some links are partner links — we may earn a commission at no cost to you.
Fukuoka vs Ubud: frequently asked questions
Is Fukuoka or Ubud cheaper for digital nomads?
Ubud is cheaper, at roughly $1,200 a month against $1,900 for Fukuoka — a difference of $8,400 a year. Both numbers assume the same lifestyle — private one-bedroom, some meals out, local transport and a desk to work from.
What is the time difference between Fukuoka and Ubud?
1 hours. Fukuoka is on UTC+9 and Ubud is on UTC+8, and a normal 9–6 working day overlaps by about 8 hours.
Which has better internet, Fukuoka or Ubud?
Fukuoka rates 4.7/5 for internet and Ubud 3.8/5, so Fukuoka is the safer bet if you live on video calls.
Which is safer, Fukuoka or Ubud?
Fukuoka scores 4.9/5 for safety and Ubud scores 4.1/5, giving Fukuoka the edge for solo travellers and late-night walks home.
Fukuoka or Ubud — which is better overall for remote work?
Overall, Ubud leads with a 4.3/5 nomad score against 4.2/5 for Fukuoka. But the right base depends on your priorities: cost, climate, safety, community or visa access. The full breakdown above splits it metric by metric.
Can I get a digital nomad visa for Fukuoka or Ubud?
Japan offers a long-stay route for remote workers, valid 6 months (not renewable back-to-back) and requiring around $5,600 a month in proven income. Indonesia offers a long-stay route for remote workers, valid 1 year (E33G Remote Worker KITAS) and requiring around $5,000 a month in proven income.
Which has better weather, Fukuoka or Ubud?
Ubud rates 4.5/5 for climate and Fukuoka 4.1/5, with air quality at 4.1/5 and 4.1/5 respectively.
Related comparisons
Still shortlisting? These are the other head-to-heads people run against Fukuoka and Ubud:
- Tokyo vs Fukuoka
- Canggu vs Ubud
- Osaka vs Fukuoka
- Ubud vs Uluwatu
- Fukuoka vs Kyoto
- Ubud vs Yogyakarta
- Fukuoka vs Sapporo
- Jakarta vs Ubud
- Bangkok vs Fukuoka
- Bangkok vs Ubud
- Canggu vs Fukuoka
- Chiang Mai vs Ubud
Popular Asia comparisons
- Bangkok vs Budapest
- Bangkok vs Buenos Aires
- Bangkok vs Da Nang
- Bangkok vs Kuala Lumpur
- Bangkok vs Las Palmas
- Bangkok vs Medellín
- Bangkok vs Prague
- Bangkok vs Taipei
Or browse all 2066 matchups on the city comparison index.