---
title: "Apia vs Labuan Bajo for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/apia-vs-labuan-bajo
description: "Under balanced weights Labuan Bajo edges it, 55 to 55, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Apia is stronger on air quality; Labuan Bajo on visa ease, getting there & around. 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
---

# Apia vs Labuan Bajo for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Labuan Bajo edges it, 55 to 55, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Apia is stronger on air quality; Labuan Bajo on visa ease, getting there & around. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Apia | Labuan Bajo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | no data | 60 | — |
| Safety | 71 | 67 | Apia |
| Healthcare | 56 | 56 | tie |
| Internet | no data | 45 | — |
| Visa ease | 38 | 54 | Labuan Bajo |
| Getting there & around | 21 | 35 | Labuan Bajo |
| Climate | 50 | 50 | tie |
| Air quality | 100 | 87 | Apia |
| Quality of life | 46 | 45 | Apia |

## Cost

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

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Apia | Labuan Bajo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 6.26 | 0.41 | Labuan Bajo |
| Political stability (0–100) | 89 | 52.7 | Apia |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 62 | 67 | Labuan Bajo |
| Life expectancy | 70.3 yrs | 68.3 yrs | Apia |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Apia | Labuan Bajo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | no data | 9.5 Mbps | — |
| Upload | no data | 4.5 Mbps | — |

## Visa

| Metric | Apia | Labuan Bajo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | Remote worker visa (E33G) | Labuan Bajo |
| 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 | Labuan Bajo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 5 | 13 | Labuan Bajo |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 | Labuan Bajo |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Apia | Labuan Bajo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 6 | 6 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 3.7 µg/m³ | 10.9 µg/m³ | Apia |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Apia or Labuan Bajo?

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

### Is Apia or Labuan Bajo 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 Labuan Bajo?

M-Lab has no reliable measurement for one of the two cities.

City pages: [Apia](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/apia) · [Labuan Bajo](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/labuan-bajo). 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-labuan-bajo