Aswan vs Ismailia
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Ismailia edges it, 51 to 48, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Aswan is stronger on nothing outright; Ismailia on getting there & around. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Nubian Nile city with winter sun, feluccas and the gateway to Abu Simbel
Full Aswan profile →Plan a trip to Aswan →Green garden city on the Suez Canal and Lake Timsah
Full Ismailia profile →Plan a trip to Ismailia →Where they differ
- Getting there & around. Ismailia leads on getting there & around, 33 to 15, against Aswan. Non-stop airport destinations: 2 vs 128.
- Climate. Ismailia leads on climate, 58 to 50, against Aswan. Comfortable months: 6 vs 7.
Where they are close. Within five points on internet, air quality, cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.
Pick Aswan if you want
- no clear edge over Ismailia in the data
Pick Ismailia if you want
- faster internet (9.6 Mbps measured)
- more flights and easier getting around
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Aswan | Ismailia |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 92 | 92 |
| Safety | 47 | 47 |
| Healthcare | 66 | 66 |
| Internet | 37 | 41 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 34 | 34 |
| Getting there & around | 15 | 33 ✓ |
| Climate | 50 | 58 ✓ |
| Air quality | 36 ✓ | 34 |
| Quality of life | 52 | 52 |
Cost
| Metric | Aswan | Ismailia |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $700 | $700 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Aswan | Ismailia |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 4.2 | 4.2 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 50 | 50 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 71 | 71 |
| Life expectancy | 71.9 yrs | 71.9 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Aswan | Ismailia |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 7.9 Mbps | 9.6 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 1.4 Mbps | 1.6 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Aswan | Ismailia |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
| Entry, EU passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
| Entry, UK passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Aswan | Ismailia |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 2 | 128 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Aswan | Ismailia |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 6 | 7 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 33.7 µg/m³ ✓ | 34.5 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Aswan or Ismailia?
- Aswan and Ismailia cost about the same: roughly $700 per month for one person.
- Is Aswan or Ismailia safer?
- Aswan and Ismailia score the same on safety (47), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Aswan or Ismailia?
- Ismailia: a measured median of 9.6 Mbps versus 7.9 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Aswan vs Sharm El Sheikh
- Aswan vs Luxor
- Ismailia vs Sharm El Sheikh
- Ismailia vs El Gouna
- All comparisons
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); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; 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. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.