Battambang vs Kathmandu
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Kathmandu edges it, 46 to 43, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Battambang is stronger on safety; Kathmandu on cost of living, climate. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Cambodia's calm second city: French shophouses, an arts scene and the bamboo train
Full Battambang profile →Plan a trip to Battambang →Where they differ
- Cost of living. Kathmandu leads on cost of living, 91 to 72, against Battambang. Monthly cost, one person: $1,050 vs $716.
- Climate. Kathmandu leads on climate, 42 to 25, against Battambang. Comfortable months: 3 vs 5.
- Safety. Battambang leads on safety, 71 to 60, against Kathmandu. Homicides per 100,000: 1.8 vs 2.13.
Where they are close. Within five points on air quality, internet, healthcare, visa ease, getting there & around.
Pick Battambang if you want
- the safer country figures
Pick Kathmandu if you want
- to spend about $334 less a month
- a longer comfortable season (5 months against 3)
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Battambang | Kathmandu |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 72 | 91 ✓ |
| Safety | 71 ✓ | 60 |
| Healthcare | 59 ✓ | 58 |
| Internet | 54 | 58 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 34 | 34 |
| Getting there & around | 12 | 12 |
| Climate | 25 | 42 ✓ |
| Air quality | 33 ✓ | 29 |
| Quality of life | 26 | 35 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Battambang | Kathmandu |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,050 | $716 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Battambang | Kathmandu |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 1.8 ✓ | 2.13 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 71.5 ✓ | 57.8 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 62 ✓ | 58 |
| Life expectancy | 71.2 yrs | 72.1 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Battambang | Kathmandu |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 15 Mbps | 17.1 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 9.9 Mbps | 16.2 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Battambang | Kathmandu |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Battambang | Kathmandu |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 15 | 50 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 ✓ | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Battambang | Kathmandu |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 3 | 5 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 35 µg/m³ ✓ | 37 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Battambang or Kathmandu?
- Kathmandu is cheaper: about $716 per month versus $1,050 for one person.
- Is Battambang or Kathmandu safer?
- Battambang scores higher on safety (71 vs 60), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Battambang or Kathmandu?
- Kathmandu: a measured median of 17.1 Mbps versus 15 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
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- Battambang vs Pokhara
- Kathmandu vs Pokhara
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- 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; 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); OpenFlights airports and routes; Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); 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); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.