---
title: "Champaign vs Louisville for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/champaign-vs-louisville
description: "Under balanced weights Champaign edges it, 62 to 61, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Neither leads on any factor by 10 points or more. 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
---

# Champaign vs Louisville for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Champaign edges it, 62 to 61, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Neither leads on any factor by 10 points or more. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Internet.** Champaign leads on internet, 88 to 82, against Louisville. Measured download: 105.1 Mbps vs 90.2 Mbps.

Where they are close: within five points on getting there & around, air quality, cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, climate, quality of life.

**Pick Champaign if you want** to spend about $11 less a month; faster internet (105.1 Mbps measured).

**Pick Louisville if you want** no clear edge over Champaign in the data.

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

| Metric | Champaign | Louisville | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 24 | 24 | Champaign |
| Safety | 51 | 51 | tie |
| Healthcare | 85 | 85 | tie |
| Internet | 88 | 82 | Champaign |
| Visa ease | 61 | 61 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 20 | 16 | Champaign |
| Climate | 42 | 42 | tie |
| Air quality | 94 | 92 | Champaign |
| Quality of life | 96 | 96 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Champaign | Louisville | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,781 | $2,792 | Champaign |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Champaign | Louisville | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 5.76 | 5.76 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 60.3 | 60.3 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 88 | 88 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 78.5 yrs | 78.5 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Champaign | Louisville | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 105.1 Mbps | 90.2 Mbps | Champaign |
| Upload | 33.1 Mbps | 11.1 Mbps | Champaign |

## Visa

| Metric | Champaign | Louisville | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | home country | home country | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Champaign | Louisville | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 2 | 41 | Louisville |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 2 | Champaign |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 2 | Champaign |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Champaign | Louisville | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 5 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 7.5 µg/m³ | 8.5 µg/m³ | Champaign |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Champaign or Louisville?

Champaign is cheaper: about $2,781 per month versus $2,792 for one person.

### Is Champaign or Louisville safer?

Champaign and Louisville score the same on safety (51), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Champaign or Louisville?

Champaign: a measured median of 105.1 Mbps versus 90.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Champaign](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/champaign) · [Louisville](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/louisville). 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.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/champaign-vs-louisville
