Japan
Fukuoka makes sense if
- You want the easier housing and budget equation in this comparison.
- A calmer day-to-day safety profile matters most to you.
- You value stronger public spaces and everyday city life.
Fukuoka vs Osaka
Fukuoka is an easygoing coastal city where walkability, safety, and good everyday eating shape a more relaxed routine. Osaka is larger in feel and more direct in character, with dense rail connections and a food culture that gives daily errands a lively edge.
The grey shape is all 283 cities; each row says whether lower or higher is better. Ratings out of 10 are our reviewed estimates; the rest is published data. How we measure
The choice in one minute
Osaka makes sense if
- Access to stronger healthcare matters most to you.
- You want the broader career options in this comparison.
- You want the deeper culture and food scene.
What matters to you
Set how much each area counts. The ranking updates as you go. Climate and values are left out because there is no better or worse there, only your taste.
Money
Nature & outdoors
City life
Safety & health
Work & family
Moving & settling in
- 1Osaka69
Leads on city life; stands out for local culture and museums & events.
- 2Fukuoka68
Narrowly best on nature & outdoors: 59 vs Osaka's 56; stands out for beach & sea and calmer weather.
Scores out of 100, averaged from the areas you weighted. For a ranking built around your own situation, take the quiz.
Side by side
Money
Rent on a new lease, everyday prices and tax.
Section score out of 100
Fukuoka71Osaka70
One-bedroom rent
Per month, new lease, citywide
¥21.8K/mo¥396K/mo
- ¥84.2K/mo
- ¥96.8K/mo
Rent as share of local pay
One-bedroom rent vs. typical net local pay
21%120%
- ~33%
- ~33%
Everyday prices
Excluding rent · United States = 100
25131
- 72
- 72
Income tax + social contributions
Range: average-wage rate to top marginal rate; the dot marks its midpoint
0%46%
- 23–56%
- 23–56%
Climate
The year month by month. Whether it suits you is yours to judge.
Solid line: average daytime high. Dashed: night-time low. Point at the chart for any month; point at a city name to shade its range.
Bright days
Under 80% cloud and under 1 mm rain
30 days347 days
- 178 days
- 206 days, leads
Muggy days
Days that feel sticky (dew point)
0 days365 days
- 145 days
- 136 days
Air pollution
Annual mean fine particles (PM2.5)
4.6 µg/m³84 µg/m³
- 13.8 µg/m³
- 12.8 µg/m³
Nature & outdoors
How easily you get to water, mountains and green space.
Section score out of 100
Fukuoka59Osaka56
Beach & sea
110
- 7/10, leads
- 4/10
Mountains
110
- 5/10
- 5/10
City parks
110
- 7/10, leads
- 6/10
Weekend escapes
110
- 8/10
- 8/10
City life
Getting around on foot, food, culture and the feel of the streets.
Section score out of 100
Osaka81Fukuoka77
Walkability
110
- 8/10
- 9/10, leads
Public transport
110
- 8/10
- 9/10, leads
Restaurants
110
- 9/10
- 10/10, leads
Public spaces
110
- 8/10
- 8/10
Safety & health
Crime, how safe people feel, and the care you would get.
Section score out of 100
Osaka81Fukuoka80
Homicide rate
Per 100,000 residents per year
0.247
- 0.2
- 0.2
Feels safe day to day
110
- 9/10
- 9/10
Healthcare quality
110
- 9/10
- 10/10, leads
English-speaking care
110
- 5/10
- 6/10, leads
Work & family
Jobs, working culture, schools and raising kids.
Section score out of 100
Osaka67Fukuoka65
Job market
110
- 7/10
- 8/10, leads
Jobs in English
110
- 4/10
- 5/10, leads
Work–life balance
110
- 4/10, leads
- 3/10
Schools
110
- 8/10
- 8/10
Moving & settling in
Visas, language, paperwork and staying connected.
Section score out of 100
Osaka56Fukuoka53
Visa & residence difficulty
Typical case; your passport changes this
110
- 6/10
- 6/10
Language barrier
For an English speaker
110
- 8/10
- 8/10
Openness to newcomers
110
- 5/10
- 5/10
Flight connections
110
- 8/10
- 9/10, leads
Society & values
Where each city sits. There is no right end of these scales.
Social attitudes
ConservativeLiberal
- 6/10
- 6/10
LGBTQ+ acceptance
LowHigh
- 6/10
- 6/10
Diversity
HomogeneousDiverse
- 4/10
- 4/10
Religion in public life
ReligiousSecular
- 8/10
- 8/10
Life in each city
Daily life
Fukuoka
Streets mix shops, homes, and restaurants at close quarters, and neighbourhoods feel coherent and well-kept. It runs at a calmer tempo than Tokyo.
Osaka
Compact, dense and made for walking, with shops, bars and homes layered together street by street. Owning a car is close to pointless given how the trains cover everything.
Safety
Fukuoka
Safety is about as good as cities get. Violent crime is rare, streets feel secure walking home late, and traffic is orderly and low-risk.
Osaka
Osaka is safe by international standards, and serious violence is rare. Even so, it has the highest recorded crime of the Japanese cities we cover, with more than twice Tokyo's theft rate, so bikes and bags need a little more care than elsewhere in Japan.
Work and healthcare
Fukuoka
Fukuoka has a healthy regional job market, low unemployment, and a startup scene with real momentum. Medical care is high quality and cheap to access, with the national insurance system keeping out-of-pocket costs low.
Osaka
Osaka has a deep, varied employment base, especially across manufacturing and established industries. Clinical quality is high and out-of-pocket costs stay low under the national insurance system, so care itself is reliable and affordable.
Culture and public life
Fukuoka
Food is the headline. Fukuoka is a clean, tidy Japanese city with well-maintained streets and an easy compact feel.
Osaka
It is arguably Japan's best eating city, from street stalls to serious kitchens, with a nightlife and local food culture that locals are loudly proud of. Osaka is clean if a touch grittier than Tokyo, and all the better for it.
Summary
Osaka suits people who want a busier food-centred city and a strong public-transport routine, and who are comfortable with its demanding work culture. Fukuoka is the better fit for a calmer, more affordable home base near the sea, especially for someone with portable work.
Read on
Which of these fits you?
These numbers treat everyone the same. The quiz weighs them by your budget, climate taste, family and work, and ranks all 283 cities for you.