Apia vs Kuta (Lombok)
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Kuta (Lombok) edges it, 57 to 55, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Apia is stronger on nothing outright; Kuta (Lombok) 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 →Where to stay in Apia →Surf town with Bali's landscape and a fraction of the crowds
Full Kuta (Lombok) profile →Where to stay in Kuta (Lombok) →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Apia | Kuta (Lombok) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | no data | 60 |
| Safety | 71 ✓ | 67 |
| Healthcare | 56 | 56 |
| Internet | no data | 49 |
| Visa ease | 38 | 54 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 21 | 30 ✓ |
| Climate | 50 | 58 ✓ |
| Air quality | 100 ✓ | 90 |
| Quality of life | 46 ✓ | 45 |
Cost
| Metric | Apia | Kuta (Lombok) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Kuta (Lombok) |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 6.26 | 0.41 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 89 ✓ | 52.7 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 62 | 67 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 70.3 yrs ✓ | 68.3 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Apia | Kuta (Lombok) |
|---|---|---|
| Download | no data | 11.8 Mbps |
| Upload | no data | 5.8 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Apia | Kuta (Lombok) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Kuta (Lombok) |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 5 | 13 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Apia | Kuta (Lombok) |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 6 | 7 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 3.7 µg/m³ ✓ | 9.4 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Apia or Kuta (Lombok)?
- We lack a monthly cost figure for one of the two cities.
- Is Apia or Kuta (Lombok) 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 Kuta (Lombok)?
- M-Lab has no reliable measurement for one of the two cities.
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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 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.