---
title: "Addis Ababa vs Maseru for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/addis-ababa-vs-maseru
description: "Under balanced weights Addis Ababa edges it, 37 to 35, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Addis Ababa is stronger on getting there & around, air quality; Maseru on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Addis Ababa vs Maseru for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Addis Ababa edges it, 37 to 35, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Addis Ababa is stronger on getting there & around, air quality; Maseru on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Getting there & around.** Addis Ababa leads on getting there & around, 36 to 5, against Maseru. Non-stop airport destinations: 149 vs 1.
- **Air quality.** Addis Ababa leads on air quality, 66 to 55, against Maseru. PM2.5: 20.5 µg/m³ vs 25.3 µg/m³.
- **Safety.** Maseru leads on safety, 38 to 29, against Addis Ababa. Homicides per 100,000: 6.7 vs 22.2.

Where they are close: within five points on quality of life.

**Pick Addis Ababa if you want** stronger healthcare; cleaner air; more flights and easier getting around.

**Pick Maseru if you want** the safer country figures.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Addis Ababa | Maseru | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | no data | no data | — |
| Safety | 29 | 38 | Maseru |
| Healthcare | 39 | 33 | Addis Ababa |
| Internet | 17 | no data | — |
| Visa ease | 34 | 41 | Maseru |
| Getting there & around | 36 | 5 | Addis Ababa |
| Climate | 58 | 50 | Addis Ababa |
| Air quality | 66 | 55 | Addis Ababa |
| Quality of life | 18 | 21 | Maseru |

## Cost

| Metric | Addis Ababa | Maseru | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | no data | no data | — |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Addis Ababa | Maseru | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 6.7 | 22.2 | Addis Ababa |
| Political stability (0–100) | 33.1 | 65.4 | Maseru |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 33 | 55 | Maseru |
| Life expectancy | 68.7 yrs | 55.3 yrs | Addis Ababa |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Addis Ababa | Maseru | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 2.2 Mbps | no data | — |
| Upload | 1.1 Mbps | no data | — |

## Visa

| Metric | Addis Ababa | Maseru | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival | 90 days | Maseru |
| Entry, EU passport | visa on arrival | 14 days | Addis Ababa |
| Entry, UK passport | visa on arrival | 90 days | Maseru |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Addis Ababa | Maseru | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 149 | 1 | Addis Ababa |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 1 | Addis Ababa |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Addis Ababa | Maseru | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 7 | 6 | Addis Ababa |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 20.5 µg/m³ | 25.3 µg/m³ | Addis Ababa |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Addis Ababa or Maseru?

We lack a monthly cost figure for one of the two cities.

### Is Addis Ababa or Maseru safer?

Maseru scores higher on safety (38 vs 29), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Addis Ababa or Maseru?

M-Lab has no reliable measurement for one of the two cities.

City pages: [Addis Ababa](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/addis-ababa) · [Maseru](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/maseru). 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; Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); 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); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); 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); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/addis-ababa-vs-maseru