---
title: "Aqaba vs Nizwa for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/aqaba-vs-nizwa
description: "Under balanced weights Aqaba edges it, 52 to 51, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Aqaba is stronger on climate, air quality; Nizwa on safety, quality of life. 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
---

# Aqaba vs Nizwa for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Aqaba edges it, 52 to 51, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Aqaba is stronger on climate, air quality; Nizwa on safety, quality of life. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Safety.** Nizwa leads on safety, 87 to 68, against Aqaba. Homicides per 100,000: 0.84 vs 0.14.
- **Climate.** Aqaba leads on climate, 58 to 42, against Nizwa. Comfortable months: 7 vs 5.
- **Air quality.** Aqaba leads on air quality, 42 to 26, against Nizwa. PM2.5: 31.3 µg/m³ vs 38.2 µg/m³.

Where they are close: within five points on healthcare, internet, visa ease.

**Pick Aqaba if you want** to spend about $250 less a month; a longer comfortable season (7 months against 5); cleaner air.

**Pick Nizwa if you want** the safer country figures.

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

| Metric | Aqaba | Nizwa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 61 | 53 | Aqaba |
| Safety | 68 | 87 | Nizwa |
| Healthcare | 80 | 79 | Aqaba |
| Internet | 58 | 57 | Aqaba |
| Visa ease | 34 | 34 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 11 | 17 | Nizwa |
| Climate | 58 | 42 | Aqaba |
| Air quality | 42 | 26 | Aqaba |
| Quality of life | 52 | 66 | Nizwa |

## Cost

| Metric | Aqaba | Nizwa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,300 | $1,550 | Aqaba |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Aqaba | Nizwa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.84 | 0.14 | Nizwa |
| Political stability (0–100) | 60.1 | 76 | Nizwa |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 74 | 73 | Aqaba |
| Life expectancy | 80.6 yrs | 80.2 yrs | Aqaba |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Aqaba | Nizwa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 18.2 Mbps | 18.2 Mbps | tie |
| Upload | 13.4 Mbps | 10 Mbps | Aqaba |

## Visa

| Metric | Aqaba | Nizwa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Aqaba | Nizwa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 4 | 84 | Nizwa |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 2 | Aqaba |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Aqaba | Nizwa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 7 | 5 | Aqaba |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 31.3 µg/m³ | 38.2 µg/m³ | Aqaba |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Aqaba or Nizwa?

Aqaba is cheaper: about $1,300 per month versus $1,550 for one person.

### Is Aqaba or Nizwa safer?

Nizwa scores higher on safety (87 vs 68), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Aqaba or Nizwa?

The same in both: a measured median of 18.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Aqaba](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/aqaba) · [Nizwa](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/nizwa). 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); Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/aqaba-vs-nizwa