---
title: "Apia vs Kupang for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/apia-vs-kupang
description: "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."
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# 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.

## 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 | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | no data | 74 | — |
| Safety | 71 | 67 | Apia |
| Healthcare | 63 | 65 | Kupang |
| Internet | no data | 44 | — |
| Visa ease | 38 | 54 | Kupang |
| Getting there & around | 6 | 7 | Kupang |
| Climate | 50 | 50 | tie |
| Air quality | 100 | 88 | Apia |
| Quality of life | 51 | 49 | Apia |

## Cost

| Metric | Apia | Kupang | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | no data | $1,000 | — |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Apia | Kupang | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 6.26 | 0.41 | Kupang |
| Political stability (0–100) | 89 | 52.7 | Apia |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 62 | 67 | Kupang |
| Life expectancy | 73.5 yrs | 72.7 yrs | Apia |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Apia | Kupang | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | no data | 9.3 Mbps | — |
| Upload | no data | 4.3 Mbps | — |

## Visa

| Metric | Apia | Kupang | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | Remote worker visa (E33G) | Kupang |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | $5,000/mo | — |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | visa on arrival | Apia |
| Entry, UK passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Apia | Kupang | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 5 | 17 | Kupang |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Apia | Kupang | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 6 | 6 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 3.7 µg/m³ | 10.3 µg/m³ | Apia |

## FAQ

### 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.

City pages: [Apia](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/apia) · [Kupang](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/kupang). 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.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/apia-vs-kupang