Ella vs Osh
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Ella edges it, 59 to 53, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Ella is stronger on quality of life, air quality; Osh on visa ease. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Hill-country village of tea, trains and viewpoints
Full Ella profile →Where to stay in Ella →Kyrgyzstan's southern bazaar city at the edge of the Fergana Valley
Full Osh profile →Where to stay in Osh →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Ella | Osh |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 71 | no data |
| Safety | 63 ✓ | 57 |
| Healthcare | 72 ✓ | 66 |
| Internet | 39 | 42 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 64 | 75 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 55 ✓ | 48 |
| Climate | 50 ✓ | 42 |
| Air quality | 66 ✓ | 56 |
| Quality of life | 52 ✓ | 38 |
Cost
| Metric | Ella | Osh |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $750 | no data |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Ella | Osh |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 2.51 ✓ | 4.7 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 64.9 | 65.3 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 72 | 74 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 77.2 yrs ✓ | 72.2 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Ella | Osh |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 7.8 Mbps ✓ | 7.1 Mbps |
| Upload | 2.5 Mbps | 7.3 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Ella | Osh |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad visa | Digital Nomad status (DN visa) |
| Minimum income for the visa | $2,000/mo | $417/mo ✓ |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival | 60 days ✓ |
| Entry, EU passport | visa on arrival | 60 days ✓ |
| Entry, UK passport | visa on arrival | 60 days ✓ |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Ella | Osh |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 55 ✓ | 28 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 ✓ | 3 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 2 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Ella | Osh |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 6 ✓ | 5 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 20.3 µg/m³ ✓ | 25 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Ella or Osh?
- We lack a monthly cost figure for one of the two cities.
- Is Ella or Osh safer?
- Ella scores higher on safety (63 vs 57), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Ella or Osh?
- Ella: a measured median of 7.8 Mbps versus 7.1 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
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); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; 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. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.