---
title: "Changsha vs Lanzhou for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/changsha-vs-lanzhou
description: "Under balanced weights the two cities tie at 46. 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
---

# Changsha vs Lanzhou for digital nomads

Under balanced weights the two cities tie at 46. 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

- **Getting there & around.** Changsha leads on getting there & around, 40 to 34, against Lanzhou. Non-stop airport destinations: 102 vs 99.

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

**Pick Changsha if you want** no clear edge over Lanzhou in the data.

**Pick Lanzhou if you want** faster internet (17 Mbps measured).

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

| Metric | Changsha | Lanzhou | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 44 | 44 | tie |
| Safety | 76 | 76 | tie |
| Healthcare | 83 | 83 | tie |
| Internet | 53 | 57 | Lanzhou |
| Visa ease | 15 | 15 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 40 | 34 | Changsha |
| Climate | 25 | 25 | tie |
| Air quality | 24 | 21 | Changsha |
| Quality of life | 58 | 58 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Changsha | Lanzhou | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,850 | $1,850 | tie |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Changsha | Lanzhou | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.5 | 0.5 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 66 | 66 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 85 | 85 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 77.9 yrs | 77.9 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Changsha | Lanzhou | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 14.4 Mbps | 17 Mbps | Lanzhou |
| Upload | 9.8 Mbps | 12.3 Mbps | Lanzhou |

## Visa

| Metric | Changsha | Lanzhou | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | visa required | visa required | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | 30 days | 30 days | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | visa required | visa required | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Changsha | Lanzhou | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 102 | 99 | Changsha |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 3 | Changsha |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Changsha | Lanzhou | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 3 | 3 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 39.2 µg/m³ | 40.7 µg/m³ | Changsha |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Changsha or Lanzhou?

Changsha and Lanzhou cost about the same: roughly $1,850 per month for one person.

### Is Changsha or Lanzhou safer?

Changsha and Lanzhou score the same on safety (76), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Changsha or Lanzhou?

Lanzhou: a measured median of 17 Mbps versus 14.4 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Changsha](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/changsha) · [Lanzhou](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/lanzhou). 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); 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); Official entry rules that changed after the Passport Index snapshot; OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/changsha-vs-lanzhou