---
title: "Almaty vs Colombo for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/almaty-vs-colombo
description: "Under balanced weights Colombo edges it, 47 to 46, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Almaty is stronger on visa ease, getting there & around; Colombo on climate. 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
---

# Almaty vs Colombo for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Colombo edges it, 47 to 46, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Almaty is stronger on visa ease, getting there & around; Colombo on climate. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Almaty | Colombo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | no data | 75 | — |
| Safety | 54 | 63 | Colombo |
| Healthcare | 66 | 71 | Colombo |
| Internet | 28 | 26 | Almaty |
| Visa ease | 57 | 34 | Almaty |
| Getting there & around | 32 | 16 | Almaty |
| Climate | 0 | 25 | Colombo |
| Air quality | 67 | 59 | Almaty |
| Quality of life | 61 | 52 | Almaty |

## Cost

| Metric | Almaty | Colombo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | no data | $833 | — |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Almaty | Colombo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 4.4 | 1.8 | Colombo |
| Political stability (0–100) | 61.1 | 59.9 | Almaty |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 83 | 72 | Almaty |
| Life expectancy | 70.3 yrs | 77.2 yrs | Colombo |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Almaty | Colombo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 6.6 Mbps | 7.2 Mbps | Colombo |
| Upload | 4.7 Mbps | 2 Mbps | Almaty |

## Visa

| Metric | Almaty | Colombo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | A B12-1 tourist visa (Neo Nomad Visa) | Digital Nomad | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $2,999/mo | $1,999/mo | Colombo |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 30 days | visa or e-visa required | Almaty |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | 30 days | visa or e-visa required | Almaty |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 30 days | visa or e-visa required | Almaty |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Almaty | Colombo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 83 | 45 | Almaty |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 2 | Almaty |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 2 | Almaty |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Almaty | Colombo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 0 | 3 | Colombo |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 20 µg/m³ | 23.6 µg/m³ | Almaty |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Almaty or Colombo?

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

### Is Almaty or Colombo safer?

Colombo scores higher on safety (63 vs 54), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Almaty or Colombo?

Colombo: a measured median of 7.2 Mbps versus 6.6 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Almaty](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/almaty) · [Colombo](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/colombo). 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); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages).

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/almaty-vs-colombo