---
title: "Addis Ababa vs Zanzibar City for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/addis-ababa-vs-zanzibar-city
description: "Under balanced weights Zanzibar City edges it, 32 to 29, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Addis Ababa is stronger on getting there & around; Zanzibar City on safety. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Addis Ababa vs Zanzibar City for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Zanzibar City edges it, 32 to 29, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Addis Ababa is stronger on getting there & around; Zanzibar City on safety. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Addis Ababa | Zanzibar City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | no data | no data | — |
| Safety | 25 | 45 | Zanzibar City |
| Healthcare | 32 | 40 | Zanzibar City |
| Internet | 2 | 6 | Zanzibar City |
| Visa ease | 6 | 6 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 36 | 20 | Addis Ababa |
| Climate | 58 | 50 | Addis Ababa |
| Air quality | 66 | 71 | Zanzibar City |
| Quality of life | 11 | 19 | Zanzibar City |

## Cost

| Metric | Addis Ababa | Zanzibar City | 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 | Zanzibar City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 6.7 | 8.3 | Addis Ababa |
| Political stability (0–100) | 33.7 | 59.2 | Zanzibar City |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 33 | 49 | Zanzibar City |
| Life expectancy | 67.8 yrs | 66.8 yrs | Addis Ababa |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Addis Ababa | Zanzibar City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 2.2 Mbps | 2.6 Mbps | Zanzibar City |
| Upload | 1.1 Mbps | 1.5 Mbps | Zanzibar City |

## Visa

| Metric | Addis Ababa | Zanzibar City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Visa-free days, US passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required | tie |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required | tie |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Addis Ababa | Zanzibar City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 149 | 32 | Addis Ababa |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 4 | Zanzibar City |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 1 | Addis Ababa |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Addis Ababa | Zanzibar City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 7 | 6 | Addis Ababa |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 20.5 µg/m³ | 17.9 µg/m³ | Zanzibar City |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Addis Ababa or Zanzibar City?

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

### Is Addis Ababa or Zanzibar City safer?

Zanzibar City scores higher on safety (45 vs 25), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Addis Ababa or Zanzibar City?

Zanzibar City: a measured median of 2.6 Mbps versus 2.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Addis Ababa](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/addis-ababa) · [Zanzibar City](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/zanzibar-city). 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); 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).

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