Alexandria vs Marsa Alam
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Alexandria edges it, 52 to 47, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Alexandria is stronger on air quality, getting there & around; Marsa Alam on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Egypt's Mediterranean city with a legendary library
Full Alexandria profile →Where to stay in Alexandria →Remote southern Red Sea diving village with an international airport and little else
Full Marsa Alam profile →Where to stay in Marsa Alam →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Alexandria | Marsa Alam |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 73 | 74 ✓ |
| Safety | 47 | 47 |
| Healthcare | 60 | 60 |
| Internet | 42 | 44 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 34 | 34 |
| Getting there & around | 52 ✓ | 32 |
| Climate | 75 ✓ | 67 |
| Air quality | 37 ✓ | 16 |
| Quality of life | 49 | 49 |
Cost
| Metric | Alexandria | Marsa Alam |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $717 | $700 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Alexandria | Marsa Alam |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 4.2 | 4.2 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 50 | 50 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 71 | 71 |
| Life expectancy | 69.1 yrs | 69.1 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Alexandria | Marsa Alam |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 10.2 Mbps | 12.1 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 1.6 Mbps | 1.6 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Alexandria | Marsa Alam |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
| Entry, EU passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
| Entry, UK passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Alexandria | Marsa Alam |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 24 | 25 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 ✓ | 1 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 ✓ | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Alexandria | Marsa Alam |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 9 ✓ | 8 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 33.2 µg/m³ ✓ | 42.7 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Alexandria or Marsa Alam?
- Marsa Alam is cheaper: about $700 per month versus $717 for one person.
- Is Alexandria or Marsa Alam safer?
- Alexandria scores higher on safety (47 vs 47), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Alexandria or Marsa Alam?
- Marsa Alam: a measured median of 12.1 Mbps versus 10.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Alexandria vs El Gouna
- Alexandria vs Hurghada
- Marsa Alam vs Hurghada
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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); 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); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.