Bend vs Hilo
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Bend edges it, 58 to 56, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Bend is stronger on getting there & around; Hilo on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
High-desert mountain town for skiing, climbing and craft beer
Full Bend profile →Plan a trip to Bend →Rainy, unhurried bay town on the windward side of Hawaii's Big Island
Full Hilo profile →Plan a trip to Hilo →Where they differ
- Getting there & around. Bend leads on getting there & around, 16 to 5, against Hilo. Non-stop airport destinations: 10 vs 3.
- Climate. Bend leads on climate, 17 to 8, against Hilo. Comfortable months: 2 vs 1.
- Air quality. Hilo leads on air quality, 100 to 94, against Bend. PM2.5: 7.8 µg/m³ vs 3 µg/m³.
Where they are close. Within five points on internet, cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.
Pick Bend if you want
- faster internet (99.8 Mbps measured)
- more flights and easier getting around
Pick Hilo if you want
- to spend about $108 less a month
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Bend | Hilo |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 19 | 21 ✓ |
| Safety | 51 | 51 |
| Healthcare | 85 | 85 |
| Internet | 84 ✓ | 79 |
| Visa ease | 61 | 61 |
| Getting there & around | 16 ✓ | 5 |
| Climate | 17 ✓ | 8 |
| Air quality | 94 | 100 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 96 | 96 |
Cost
| Metric | Bend | Hilo |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $3,108 | $3,000 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Bend | Hilo |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 5.76 | 5.76 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 60.3 | 60.3 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 88 | 88 |
| Life expectancy | 78.5 yrs | 78.5 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Bend | Hilo |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 99.8 Mbps ✓ | 76.1 Mbps |
| Upload | 12.8 Mbps ✓ | 10.4 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Bend | Hilo |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | home country | home country |
| Entry, EU passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
| Entry, UK passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Bend | Hilo |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 10 ✓ | 3 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 ✓ | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 ✓ | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Bend | Hilo |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 2 ✓ | 1 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 7.8 µg/m³ | 3 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Bend or Hilo?
- Hilo is cheaper: about $3,000 per month versus $3,108 for one person.
- Is Bend or Hilo safer?
- Bend and Hilo score the same on safety (51), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Bend or Hilo?
- Bend: a measured median of 99.8 Mbps versus 76.1 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); 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); Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (all items); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.