Cape Coast vs Zanzibar City
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Cape Coast edges it, 49 to 43, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Cape Coast is stronger on quality of life, internet, safety; Zanzibar City on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Ghana's historic coast: slave-trade castles, Kakum's canopy walk and a laid-back university town
Full Cape Coast profile →Where to stay in Cape Coast →Stone Town and the island beaches beyond
Full Zanzibar City profile →Where to stay in Zanzibar City →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Cape Coast | Zanzibar City |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 55 | no data |
| Safety | 68 ✓ | 55 |
| Healthcare | 46 ✓ | 43 |
| Internet | 42 ✓ | 21 |
| Visa ease | 34 | 34 |
| Getting there & around | 46 | 49 ✓ |
| Climate | 42 | 50 ✓ |
| Air quality | 67 | 71 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 44 ✓ | 20 |
Cost
| Metric | Cape Coast | Zanzibar City |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,150 | no data |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Cape Coast | Zanzibar City |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 1.83 ✓ | 3.3 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 67.1 ✓ | 57.3 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 56 ✓ | 49 |
| Life expectancy | 66.1 yrs | 66.8 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Cape Coast | Zanzibar City |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 7.5 Mbps ✓ | 2.6 Mbps |
| Upload | 5.4 Mbps ✓ | 1.5 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Cape Coast | Zanzibar City |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Cape Coast | Zanzibar City |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 36 ✓ | 32 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 4 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Cape Coast | Zanzibar City |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 6 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 20 µg/m³ | 17.9 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Cape Coast or Zanzibar City?
- We lack a monthly cost figure for one of the two cities.
- Is Cape Coast or Zanzibar City safer?
- Cape Coast scores higher on safety (68 vs 55), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Cape Coast or Zanzibar City?
- Cape Coast: a measured median of 7.5 Mbps versus 2.6 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Cape Coast vs Accra
- Cape Coast vs Makassar
- Zanzibar City vs Paje (Zanzibar)
- Zanzibar City vs Harare
- 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); 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); 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); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.