---
title: "Arugam Bay vs Karakol for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/arugam-bay-vs-karakol
description: "Under balanced weights Arugam Bay edges it, 57 to 53, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Arugam Bay is stronger on quality of life; Karakol on visa ease. 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
---

# Arugam Bay vs Karakol for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Arugam Bay edges it, 57 to 53, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Arugam Bay is stronger on quality of life; Karakol on visa ease. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Arugam Bay | Karakol | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 71 | no data | — |
| Safety | 63 | 57 | Arugam Bay |
| Healthcare | 72 | 66 | Arugam Bay |
| Internet | 39 | 42 | Karakol |
| Visa ease | 64 | 75 | Karakol |
| Getting there & around | 55 | 51 | Arugam Bay |
| Climate | 25 | 17 | Arugam Bay |
| Air quality | 74 | 75 | Karakol |
| Quality of life | 52 | 38 | Arugam Bay |

## Cost

| Metric | Arugam Bay | Karakol | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $750 | no data | — |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Arugam Bay | Karakol | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 2.51 | 4.7 | Arugam Bay |
| Political stability (0–100) | 64.9 | 65.3 | Karakol |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 72 | 74 | Karakol |
| Life expectancy | 77.2 yrs | 72.2 yrs | Arugam Bay |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Arugam Bay | Karakol | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 7.8 Mbps | 7.1 Mbps | Arugam Bay |
| Upload | 2.5 Mbps | 7.3 Mbps | Karakol |

## Visa

| Metric | Arugam Bay | Karakol | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad visa | Digital Nomad status (DN visa) | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $2,000/mo | $417/mo | Karakol |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival | 60 days | Karakol |
| Entry, EU passport | visa on arrival | 60 days | Karakol |
| Entry, UK passport | visa on arrival | 60 days | Karakol |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Arugam Bay | Karakol | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 55 | 37 | Arugam Bay |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Arugam Bay | Karakol | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 3 | 2 | Arugam Bay |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 16.5 µg/m³ | 16.4 µg/m³ | Karakol |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Arugam Bay or Karakol?

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

### Is Arugam Bay or Karakol safer?

Arugam Bay scores higher on safety (63 vs 57), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Arugam Bay or Karakol?

Arugam Bay: a measured median of 7.8 Mbps versus 7.1 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Arugam Bay](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/arugam-bay) · [Karakol](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/karakol). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; 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/arugam-bay-vs-karakol