✦ Compare
Fukuoka vs
Lugano
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
Fukuoka, JP vs Lugano, CH at a glance — Lugano, CH is 62% more expensive than Fukuoka, JP overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $1,800/mo versus $700/mo. Top income tax: 40% vs 45%.
To keep the same standard of living in Lugano, CH, you'd need
$121,584 / year
Lugano, CH is 62% more expensive overall
Category breakdown (Lugano, CH vs Fukuoka, JP)
- Housing+100%
- Food & groceries+58%
- Transport+47%
- Utilities+13%
- Healthcare+65%
- Goods & services+52%
◎ How Fukuoka, JP and Lugano, CH compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Fukuoka, JP | Lugano, CH | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 91 | 147 |
| Housing | 80 | 160 |
| Food | 95 | 150 |
| Transport | 78 | 115 |
| Utilities | 108 | 122 |
| Healthcare | 85 | 140 |
| Goods & services | 102 | 155 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $700/mo | $1,800/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $500/mo | — |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $1,300/mo | — |
| Buy price / m² centre | $5,000 | — |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $1,100 | $679 |
| Inexpensive meal | $7 | — |
| Monthly transit pass | $55 | — |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 45% | 40% |
| VAT / sales tax | 10% | 8.1% |
| Corporate tax | 30% | 15% |
| Capital gains | 20.3% | 0% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $2,600/mo | $6,000/mo |
| Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP) | $50,183✓ | — |
| Minimum wage | $1,300/mo | — |
| GDP per capita | $35,951✓ | $114,769✓ |
| Inflation (annual) | 3.2%✓ | 0.2%✓ |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | Yes | No |
| English proficiency | Low | — |
| Coworking spaces | 20 | — |
| Time zone | UTC+9 | — |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | 78 | — |
| Safety index | 82 | — |
| Healthcare index | 83 | — |
| Pollution index | 38 | — |
| Internet speed | 220 Mbps | — |
| Walkability | 78 | — |
| Public transport | 82 | — |
| Family-friendly | 74 | — |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | — |
| Life expectancy | 84 yr✓ | 84 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | Moderate | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +7 °C | — |
| July avg | +28 °C | — |
| Sunny days / year | 190 | — |
| Rainfall / year | 1,600 mm | — |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 2 h | — |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Japan vs Switzerland. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (OECD (PPP), World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: Fukuoka vs Lugano — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to Fukuoka
Kyushu's laid-back hub and the most affordable of Japan's big cities — a compact, food-obsessed port (ramen and open-air yatai stalls) that actively courts founders with a startup visa. Milder winters than Tokyo and quick flights across Asia are the draw.
- Currency
- Japanese yen (¥ JPY)
- Languages
- Japanese
- Time zone
- UTC+9
- Internet
- 220 Mbps
- English
- Rarely spoken
- Safety
- 82/100
- Climate
- ❄ 7°C · ☀ 28°C · 190 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 100V
- Driving
- Left-hand side
- Popular areas
- Tenjin · Hakata · Daimyo · Ohori
Good to know before you move to Lugano
- Currency
- Swiss franc (Fr. CHF)
- Languages
- German, French, Italian
- Power
- J · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
Plan your move to Fukuoka
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalDiscoverCars
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
Sponsored
Plan your move to Lugano
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalDiscoverCars
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
Sponsored
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Fukuoka to Lugano: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Fukuoka to Lugano, your cost of living will be roughly 62% more expensive. Lugano’s cost-of-living index is 147 versus 91 for Fukuoka (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Fukuoka cheaper than Lugano?
Lugano is about 62% more expensive than Fukuoka overall — its cost-of-living index is 147 versus 91 for Fukuoka.
Which is more expensive, Fukuoka or Lugano?
Lugano is more expensive than Fukuoka. Its cost-of-living index is 147 vs 91 (US = 100) — about 62% higher.
Is rent cheaper in Fukuoka or Lugano?
Rent is cheaper in Fukuoka — about $700/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $1,800 in Lugano.
How much do you need to earn in Lugano to live like in Fukuoka?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Fukuoka is worth about $121,584 in Lugano. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Fukuoka or Lugano?
Switzerland has the lower top income-tax rate — 40% versus 45% in Japan.
◷ More comparisons from Fukuoka
How we calculate these figures →
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.