Apia vs Kupang
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Kupang edges it, 55 to 54, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Apia is stronger on air quality; Kupang on visa ease. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Samoa's laid-back capital, where Sundays stop and the sea is close
Full Apia profile →Plan a trip to Apia →Dry, sunny capital of West Timor and gateway to Rote's surf
Full Kupang profile →Plan a trip to Kupang →Where they differ
- Visa ease. Kupang leads on visa ease, 54 to 38, against Apia.
- Air quality. Apia leads on air quality, 100 to 88, against Kupang. PM2.5: 3.7 µg/m³ vs 10.3 µg/m³.
Where they are close. Within five points on safety, quality of life, healthcare, getting there & around, climate.
Pick Apia if you want
- cleaner air
Pick Kupang if you want
- a dedicated digital-nomad visa
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Apia | Kupang |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | no data | 74 |
| Safety | 71 ✓ | 67 |
| Healthcare | 63 | 65 ✓ |
| Internet | no data | 44 |
| Visa ease | 38 | 54 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 6 | 7 ✓ |
| Climate | 50 | 50 |
| Air quality | 100 ✓ | 88 |
| Quality of life | 51 ✓ | 49 |
Cost
| Metric | Apia | Kupang |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | no data | $1,000 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Apia | Kupang |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 6.26 | 0.41 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 89 ✓ | 52.7 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 62 | 67 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 73.5 yrs ✓ | 72.7 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Apia | Kupang |
|---|---|---|
| Download | no data | 9.3 Mbps |
| Upload | no data | 4.3 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Apia | Kupang |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | Remote worker visa (E33G) ✓ |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | $5,000/mo |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days ✓ | visa on arrival |
| Entry, UK passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Apia | Kupang |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 5 | 17 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Apia | Kupang |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 6 | 6 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 3.7 µg/m³ ✓ | 10.3 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Apia or Kupang?
- We lack a monthly cost figure for one of the two cities.
- Is Apia or Kupang safer?
- Apia scores higher on safety (71 vs 67), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Apia or Kupang?
- M-Lab has no reliable measurement for one of the two cities.
More comparisons
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); 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); 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. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.