Bandung vs Chennai
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Chennai edges it, 43 to 39, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Bandung is stronger on visa ease; Chennai on internet, climate, cost of living. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Bandung | Chennai |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 65 | 80 ✓ |
| Safety | 50 ✓ | 49 |
| Healthcare | 53 ✓ | 53 |
| Internet | 37 | 59 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 22 ✓ | 6 |
| Getting there & around | 11 | 25 ✓ |
| Climate | 8 | 25 ✓ |
| Air quality | 61 ✓ | 53 |
| Quality of life | 45 ✓ | 38 |
Cost
| Metric | Bandung | Chennai |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,042 | $750 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Bandung | Chennai |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 4.1 | 3.6 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 55.5 ✓ | 52.5 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 67 | 69 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 68.3 yrs ✓ | 67.3 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Bandung | Chennai |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 10.8 Mbps | 30.9 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 5.3 Mbps | 9.2 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Bandung | Chennai |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Visa Rumah Kedua Pekerja Jarak Jauh ✓ | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | $4,998/mo | no data |
| Visa-free days, US passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Bandung | Chennai |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 9 | 70 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Bandung | Chennai |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 1 | 3 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 22.7 µg/m³ ✓ | 26 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Bandung or Chennai?
- Chennai is cheaper: about $750 per month versus $1,042 for one person.
- Is Bandung or Chennai safer?
- Bandung scores higher on safety (50 vs 49), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Bandung or Chennai?
- Chennai: a measured median of 30.9 Mbps versus 10.8 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More 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); 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); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.