Accra vs Vientiane
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Vientiane edges it, 41 to 39, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Accra is stronger on quality of life; Vientiane on internet. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Accra | Vientiane |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 61 | 70 ✓ |
| Safety | 55 | 62 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 43 | 51 ✓ |
| Internet | 33 | 49 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 6 | 6 |
| Getting there & around | 10 | 17 ✓ |
| Climate | 50 ✓ | 42 |
| Air quality | 51 | 54 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 43 ✓ | 22 |
Cost
| Metric | Accra | Vientiane |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,146 | $938 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Accra | Vientiane |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 5.9 ✓ | 6.4 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 66.1 | 75.4 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 56 | 64 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 66.1 yrs | 68.2 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Accra | Vientiane |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 8.2 Mbps | 19.3 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 6.6 Mbps | 7.6 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Accra | Vientiane |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Visa-free days, US passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Accra | Vientiane |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 2 | 46 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 ✓ | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Accra | Vientiane |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 6 ✓ | 5 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 26.9 µg/m³ | 25.8 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Accra or Vientiane?
- Vientiane is cheaper: about $938 per month versus $1,146 for one person.
- Is Accra or Vientiane safer?
- Vientiane scores higher on safety (62 vs 55), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Accra or Vientiane?
- Vientiane: a measured median of 19.3 Mbps versus 8.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); IQAir city air-quality pages (yearly PM2.5 averages); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.