Durban vs Lima
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Lima edges it, 58 to 51, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Durban is stronger on air quality; Lima on safety, healthcare, visa ease. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Durban | Lima |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 49 | 59 ✓ |
| Safety | 22 | 44 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 46 | 60 ✓ |
| Internet | 51 | 61 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 46 | 59 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 12 | 20 ✓ |
| Climate | 100 | 100 |
| Air quality | 74 ✓ | 62 |
| Quality of life | 60 ✓ | 54 |
Cost
| Metric | Durban | Lima |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,511 | $1,198 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Durban | Lima |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 33.8 | 6.2 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 55.4 ✓ | 54.7 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 74 ✓ | 68 |
| Life expectancy | 61.5 yrs | 71.7 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Durban | Lima |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 19.7 Mbps | 29.4 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 9.3 Mbps | 20 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Durban | Lima |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 90 days | 180 days ✓ |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 90 days | 180 days ✓ |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Durban | Lima |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 13 | 68 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Durban | Lima |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 12 | 12 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 16.7 µg/m³ ✓ | 22.2 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Durban or Lima?
- Lima is cheaper: about $1,198 per month versus $1,511 for one person.
- Is Durban or Lima safer?
- Lima scores higher on safety (44 vs 22), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Durban or Lima?
- Lima: a measured median of 29.4 Mbps versus 19.7 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); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; 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). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.