---
title: "Cologne vs Southampton for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cologne-vs-southampton
description: "Under balanced weights Southampton edges it, 70 to 69, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Cologne is stronger on nothing outright; Southampton on visa ease. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.10.7 (2026-10-13)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Cologne vs Southampton for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Southampton edges it, 70 to 69, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Cologne is stronger on nothing outright; Southampton on visa ease. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Cologne | Southampton | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 23 | 19 | Cologne |
| Safety | 75 | 76 | Southampton |
| Healthcare | 86 | 86 | tie |
| Internet | 70 | 77 | Southampton |
| Visa ease | 64 | 77 | Southampton |
| Getting there & around | 77 | 74 | Cologne |
| Climate | 33 | 33 | tie |
| Air quality | 93 | 91 | Cologne |
| Quality of life | 97 | 96 | Cologne |

## Cost

| Metric | Cologne | Southampton | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,562 | $2,900 | Cologne |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Cologne | Southampton | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.92 | 0.93 | Cologne |
| Political stability (0–100) | 69.3 | 70.7 | Southampton |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 87 | 88 | Southampton |
| Life expectancy | 80.5 yrs | 80.1 yrs | Cologne |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Cologne | Southampton | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 42.4 Mbps | 58.3 Mbps | Southampton |
| Upload | 10.1 Mbps | 17.2 Mbps | Southampton |

## Visa

| Metric | Cologne | Southampton | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | eTA required (online, before travel) | Cologne |
| Entry, EU passport | home country | 180 days | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | home country | Southampton |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Cologne | Southampton | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 112 | 230 | Southampton |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 3 | Cologne |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 3 | Cologne |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Cologne | Southampton | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 4 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 8.3 µg/m³ | 9.1 µg/m³ | Cologne |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Cologne or Southampton?

Cologne is cheaper: about $2,562 per month versus $2,900 for one person.

### Is Cologne or Southampton safer?

Southampton scores higher on safety (76 vs 75), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Cologne or Southampton?

Southampton: a measured median of 58.3 Mbps versus 42.4 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Cologne](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/cologne) · [Southampton](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/southampton). 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); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cologne-vs-southampton