---
title: "Baku vs Xiamen for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/baku-vs-xiamen
description: "Under balanced weights Baku edges it, 57 to 56, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Baku is stronger on visa ease; Xiamen on healthcare, safety. 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
---

# Baku vs Xiamen for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Baku edges it, 57 to 56, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Baku is stronger on visa ease; Xiamen on healthcare, safety. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Baku | Xiamen | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | no data | 36 | — |
| Safety | 65 | 76 | Xiamen |
| Healthcare | 63 | 81 | Xiamen |
| Internet | 51 | 49 | Baku |
| Visa ease | 32 | 15 | Baku |
| Getting there & around | 73 | 71 | Baku |
| Climate | 50 | 50 | tie |
| Air quality | 74 | 69 | Baku |
| Quality of life | 48 | 55 | Xiamen |

## Cost

| Metric | Baku | Xiamen | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | no data | $1,850 | — |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Baku | Xiamen | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 1.99 | 0.5 | Xiamen |
| Political stability (0–100) | 64 | 66 | Xiamen |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 67 | 85 | Xiamen |
| Life expectancy | 72.9 yrs | 77.6 yrs | Xiamen |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Baku | Xiamen | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 11.4 Mbps | 10.8 Mbps | Baku |
| Upload | 13.6 Mbps | 9.2 Mbps | Baku |

## Visa

| Metric | Baku | Xiamen | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | e-visa required | visa required | Baku |
| Entry, EU passport | e-visa required | 30 days | Xiamen |
| Entry, UK passport | e-visa required | visa required | Baku |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Baku | Xiamen | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 76 | 60 | Baku |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Baku | Xiamen | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 6 | 6 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 16.5 µg/m³ | 18.8 µg/m³ | Baku |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Baku or Xiamen?

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

### Is Baku or Xiamen safer?

Xiamen scores higher on safety (76 vs 65), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Baku or Xiamen?

Baku: a measured median of 11.4 Mbps versus 10.8 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Baku](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/baku) · [Xiamen](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/xiamen). 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); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); 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); Official entry rules that changed after the Passport Index snapshot; OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/baku-vs-xiamen