---
title: "Cozumel vs San Cristóbal de las Casas for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cozumel-vs-san-cristobal-de-las-casas
description: "Under balanced weights Cozumel edges it, 59 to 55, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Cozumel is stronger on air quality, internet; San Cristóbal de las Casas on nothing outright. 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
---

# Cozumel vs San Cristóbal de las Casas for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Cozumel edges it, 59 to 55, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Cozumel is stronger on air quality, internet; San Cristóbal de las Casas on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Cozumel | San Cristóbal de las Casas | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 47 | 47 | tie |
| Safety | 28 | 28 | tie |
| Healthcare | 67 | 67 | tie |
| Internet | 53 | 36 | Cozumel |
| Visa ease | 90 | 90 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 40 | 41 | San Cristóbal de las Casas |
| Climate | 58 | 58 | tie |
| Air quality | 93 | 75 | Cozumel |
| Quality of life | 54 | 54 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Cozumel | San Cristóbal de las Casas | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,400 | $1,400 | tie |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Cozumel | San Cristóbal de las Casas | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 25.64 | 25.64 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 55 | 55 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 79 | 79 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 70.8 yrs | 70.8 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Cozumel | San Cristóbal de las Casas | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 15.3 Mbps | 5.8 Mbps | Cozumel |
| Upload | 6.4 Mbps | 3.6 Mbps | Cozumel |

## Visa

| Metric | Cozumel | San Cristóbal de las Casas | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | 180 days | 180 days | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | 180 days | 180 days | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | 180 days | 180 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Cozumel | San Cristóbal de las Casas | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 13 | 8 | Cozumel |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 2 | San Cristóbal de las Casas |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Cozumel | San Cristóbal de las Casas | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 7 | 7 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 8 µg/m³ | 16.3 µg/m³ | Cozumel |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Cozumel or San Cristóbal de las Casas?

San Cristóbal de las Casas is cheaper: about $1,400 per month versus $1,400 for one person.

### Is Cozumel or San Cristóbal de las Casas safer?

Cozumel scores higher on safety (28 vs 28), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Cozumel or San Cristóbal de las Casas?

Cozumel: a measured median of 15.3 Mbps versus 5.8 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Cozumel](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/cozumel) · [San Cristóbal de las Casas](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/san-cristobal-de-las-casas). 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); 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/cozumel-vs-san-cristobal-de-las-casas