---
title: "Cali vs Manta for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cali-vs-manta
description: "Under balanced weights Cali edges it, 62 to 59, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Cali is stronger on cost of living; Manta on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Cali vs Manta for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Cali edges it, 62 to 59, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Cali is stronger on cost of living; Manta on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Cost of living.** Cali leads on cost of living, 74 to 60, against Manta. Monthly cost, one person: $1,000 vs $1,350.
- **Getting there & around.** Cali leads on getting there & around, 19 to 10, against Manta. Non-stop airport destinations: 31 vs 2.

Where they are close: within five points on healthcare, internet, safety, quality of life, air quality, visa ease, climate.

**Pick Cali if you want** to spend about $350 less a month.

**Pick Manta if you want** no clear edge over Cali in the data.

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

| Metric | Cali | Manta | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 74 | 60 | Cali |
| Safety | 25 | 23 | Cali |
| Healthcare | 81 | 78 | Cali |
| Internet | 62 | 65 | Manta |
| Visa ease | 77 | 78 | Manta |
| Getting there & around | 19 | 10 | Cali |
| Climate | 83 | 83 | tie |
| Air quality | 77 | 78 | Manta |
| Quality of life | 56 | 55 | Cali |

## Cost

| Metric | Cali | Manta | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,000 | $1,350 | Cali |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Cali | Manta | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 24.35 | 38.94 | Cali |
| Political stability (0–100) | 48.9 | 54.4 | Manta |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 82 | 78 | Cali |
| Life expectancy | 78.2 yrs | 77.6 yrs | Cali |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Cali | Manta | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 22.6 Mbps | 25.3 Mbps | Manta |
| Upload | 14.9 Mbps | 21.3 Mbps | Manta |

## Visa

| Metric | Cali | Manta | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad visitor visa (Visa V) | Digital nomad temporary residence visa (rentista for remote work) | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $1,605/mo | $1,446/mo | Manta |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Cali | Manta | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 31 | 2 | Cali |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 2 | Cali |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Cali | Manta | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 10 | 10 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 15.5 µg/m³ | 14.9 µg/m³ | Manta |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Cali or Manta?

Cali is cheaper: about $1,000 per month versus $1,350 for one person.

### Is Cali or Manta safer?

Cali scores higher on safety (25 vs 23), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Cali or Manta?

Manta: a measured median of 25.3 Mbps versus 22.6 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Cali](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/cali) · [Manta](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/manta). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); 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); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cali-vs-manta