El Gouna vs Ismailia
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Ismailia edges it, 51 to 50, winning 2 of the 9 factors. El Gouna is stronger on nothing outright; Ismailia on air quality. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Private planned Red Sea town north of Hurghada with lagoons, kitesurfing and coworking
Full El Gouna profile →Plan a trip to El Gouna →Green garden city on the Suez Canal and Lake Timsah
Full Ismailia profile →Plan a trip to Ismailia →Where they differ
- Air quality. Ismailia leads on air quality, 34 to 21, against El Gouna. PM2.5: 40.7 µg/m³ vs 34.5 µg/m³.
- Climate. El Gouna leads on climate, 67 to 58, against Ismailia. Comfortable months: 8 vs 7.
Where they are close. Within five points on internet, getting there & around, cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.
Pick El Gouna if you want
- faster internet (12.1 Mbps measured)
Pick Ismailia if you want
- cleaner air
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | El Gouna | Ismailia |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 92 | 92 |
| Safety | 47 | 47 |
| Healthcare | 66 | 66 |
| Internet | 44 ✓ | 41 |
| Visa ease | 34 | 34 |
| Getting there & around | 32 | 33 ✓ |
| Climate | 67 ✓ | 58 |
| Air quality | 21 | 34 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 52 | 52 |
Cost
| Metric | El Gouna | Ismailia |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $700 | $700 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | El Gouna | Ismailia |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 4.2 | 4.2 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 50 | 50 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 71 | 71 |
| Life expectancy | 71.9 yrs | 71.9 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | El Gouna | Ismailia |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 12.1 Mbps ✓ | 9.6 Mbps |
| Upload | 1.6 Mbps | 1.6 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | El Gouna | Ismailia |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | El Gouna | Ismailia |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 85 | 128 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 ✓ | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | El Gouna | Ismailia |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 8 ✓ | 7 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 40.7 µg/m³ | 34.5 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, El Gouna or Ismailia?
- El Gouna and Ismailia cost about the same: roughly $700 per month for one person.
- Is El Gouna or Ismailia safer?
- El Gouna and Ismailia score the same on safety (47), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, El Gouna or Ismailia?
- El Gouna: a measured median of 12.1 Mbps versus 9.6 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); 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.