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

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

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

| Metric | Almaty | Cusco | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | no data | 52 | — |
| Safety | 54 | 44 | Almaty |
| Healthcare | 66 | 60 | Almaty |
| Internet | 28 | 55 | Cusco |
| Visa ease | 57 | 59 | Cusco |
| Getting there & around | 32 | 21 | Almaty |
| Climate | 0 | 0 | tie |
| Air quality | 67 | 75 | Cusco |
| Quality of life | 61 | 54 | Almaty |

## Cost

| Metric | Almaty | Cusco | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | no data | $1,406 | — |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Almaty | Cusco | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 4.4 | 6.2 | Almaty |
| Political stability (0–100) | 61.1 | 54.7 | Almaty |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 83 | 68 | Almaty |
| Life expectancy | 70.3 yrs | 71.7 yrs | Cusco |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Almaty | Cusco | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 6.6 Mbps | 22.6 Mbps | Cusco |
| Upload | 4.7 Mbps | 13.3 Mbps | Cusco |

## Visa

| Metric | Almaty | Cusco | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | A B12-1 tourist visa (Neo Nomad Visa) | none listed | Almaty |
| Minimum income for the visa | $2,999/mo | no data | — |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 30 days | 180 days | Cusco |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | 30 days | 90 days | Cusco |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 30 days | 180 days | Cusco |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Almaty | Cusco | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 83 | 6 | Almaty |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 4 | Cusco |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 2 | Almaty |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Almaty | Cusco | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 0 | 0 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 20 µg/m³ | 16.4 µg/m³ | Cusco |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Almaty or Cusco?

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

### Is Almaty or Cusco safer?

Almaty scores higher on safety (54 vs 44), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

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

Cusco: a measured median of 22.6 Mbps versus 6.6 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

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

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