---
title: "Batumi vs Kota Kinabalu for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/batumi-vs-kota-kinabalu
description: "Under balanced weights Batumi edges it, 58 to 57, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Batumi is stronger on climate, visa ease, cost of living; Kota Kinabalu on safety, air quality. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Batumi vs Kota Kinabalu for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Batumi edges it, 58 to 57, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Batumi is stronger on climate, visa ease, cost of living; Kota Kinabalu on safety, air quality. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Batumi | Kota Kinabalu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 75 | 63 | Batumi |
| Safety | 58 | 70 | Kota Kinabalu |
| Healthcare | 61 | 69 | Kota Kinabalu |
| Internet | 53 | 59 | Kota Kinabalu |
| Visa ease | 90 | 74 | Batumi |
| Getting there & around | 25 | 20 | Batumi |
| Climate | 33 | 17 | Batumi |
| Air quality | 58 | 70 | Kota Kinabalu |
| Quality of life | 69 | 72 | Kota Kinabalu |

## Cost

| Metric | Batumi | Kota Kinabalu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $833 | $1,094 | Batumi |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $485 | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Batumi | Kota Kinabalu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 1.9 | 2.6 | Batumi |
| Political stability (0–100) | 55.4 | 72.5 | Kota Kinabalu |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 71 | 80 | Kota Kinabalu |
| Life expectancy | 71.2 yrs | 72.8 yrs | Kota Kinabalu |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Batumi | Kota Kinabalu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 21.5 Mbps | 27.1 Mbps | Kota Kinabalu |
| Upload | 11.7 Mbps | 16.9 Mbps | Kota Kinabalu |

## Visa

| Metric | Batumi | Kota Kinabalu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | DE Rantau Sarawak | Kota Kinabalu |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | $1,999/mo | — |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 360 days | 90 days | Batumi |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | 360 days | 90 days | Batumi |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 360 days | 90 days | Batumi |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Batumi | Kota Kinabalu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 38 | 34 | Batumi |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 3 | Batumi |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Batumi | Kota Kinabalu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 2 | Batumi |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 23.7 µg/m³ | 18.7 µg/m³ | Kota Kinabalu |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Batumi or Kota Kinabalu?

Batumi is cheaper: about $833 per month versus $1,094 for one person.

### Is Batumi or Kota Kinabalu safer?

Kota Kinabalu scores higher on safety (70 vs 58), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Batumi or Kota Kinabalu?

Kota Kinabalu: a measured median of 27.1 Mbps versus 21.5 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Batumi](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/batumi) · [Kota Kinabalu](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/kota-kinabalu). 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); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages).

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/batumi-vs-kota-kinabalu