Dhaka vs Kumasi
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Kumasi edges it, 42 to 40, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Dhaka is stronger on nothing outright; Kumasi on air quality, safety. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Megacity on the delta with energy and gridlock
Full Dhaka profile →Plan a trip to Dhaka →Where they differ
- Air quality. Kumasi leads on air quality, 21 to 0, against Dhaka. PM2.5: 89.8 µg/m³ vs 40.7 µg/m³.
- Safety. Kumasi leads on safety, 68 to 55, against Dhaka. Homicides per 100,000: 1.76 vs 1.83.
- Cost of living. Dhaka leads on cost of living, 77 to 67, against Kumasi. Monthly cost, one person: $950 vs $1,150.
Where they are close. Within five points on getting there & around, visa ease.
Pick Dhaka if you want
- to spend about $200 less a month
- faster internet (5.5 Mbps measured)
- stronger healthcare
Pick Kumasi if you want
- the safer country figures
- cleaner air
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Dhaka | Kumasi |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 77 ✓ | 67 |
| Safety | 55 | 68 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 57 ✓ | 51 |
| Internet | 38 ✓ | 31 |
| Visa ease | 34 | 34 |
| Getting there & around | 14 ✓ | 10 |
| Climate | 42 | 50 ✓ |
| Air quality | 0 | 21 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 43 | 49 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Dhaka | Kumasi |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $950 ✓ | $1,150 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Dhaka | Kumasi |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 1.76 ✓ | 1.83 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 49.1 | 67.1 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 54 | 56 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 72.7 yrs ✓ | 67.7 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Dhaka | Kumasi |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 5.5 Mbps ✓ | 3.8 Mbps |
| Upload | 8.3 Mbps ✓ | 4.7 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Dhaka | Kumasi |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Dhaka | Kumasi |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 30 ✓ | 1 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Dhaka | Kumasi |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 6 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 89.8 µg/m³ | 40.7 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Dhaka or Kumasi?
- Dhaka is cheaper: about $950 per month versus $1,150 for one person.
- Is Dhaka or Kumasi safer?
- Kumasi scores higher on safety (68 vs 55), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Dhaka or Kumasi?
- Dhaka: a measured median of 5.5 Mbps versus 3.8 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More 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); OpenFlights airports and routes; 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 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.