---
title: "Almaty vs Negombo for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/almaty-vs-negombo
description: "Under balanced weights Negombo edges it, 56 to 53, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Almaty is stronger on nothing outright; Negombo on climate. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.10.7 (2026-10-13)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Almaty vs Negombo for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Negombo edges it, 56 to 53, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Almaty is stronger on nothing outright; Negombo on climate. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Almaty | Negombo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | no data | 71 | — |
| Safety | 61 | 63 | Negombo |
| Healthcare | 69 | 72 | Negombo |
| Internet | 39 | 39 | Almaty |
| Visa ease | 60 | 64 | Negombo |
| Getting there & around | 64 | 55 | Almaty |
| Climate | 0 | 25 | Negombo |
| Air quality | 67 | 65 | Almaty |
| Quality of life | 61 | 52 | Almaty |

## Cost

| Metric | Almaty | Negombo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | no data | $750 | — |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Almaty | Negombo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 2.55 | 2.51 | Negombo |
| Political stability (0–100) | 62 | 64.9 | Negombo |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 83 | 72 | Almaty |
| Life expectancy | 70.3 yrs | 77.2 yrs | Negombo |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Almaty | Negombo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 6.6 Mbps | 7.6 Mbps | Negombo |
| Upload | 4.7 Mbps | 2.4 Mbps | Almaty |

## Visa

| Metric | Almaty | Negombo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Neo Nomad visa (B12-1) | Digital nomad visa | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $3,000/mo | $2,000/mo | Negombo |
| Entry, US passport | 30 days | visa on arrival | Negombo |
| Entry, EU passport | 30 days | visa on arrival | Negombo |
| Entry, UK passport | 30 days | visa on arrival | Negombo |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Almaty | Negombo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 83 | 55 | Almaty |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 2 | Almaty |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Almaty | Negombo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 0 | 3 | Negombo |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 20 µg/m³ | 20.6 µg/m³ | Almaty |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Almaty or Negombo?

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

### Is Almaty or Negombo safer?

Negombo scores higher on safety (63 vs 61), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

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

Negombo: a measured median of 7.6 Mbps versus 6.6 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Almaty](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/almaty) · [Negombo](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/negombo). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); 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); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map.

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