---
title: "Ensenada vs Zacatecas for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/ensenada-vs-zacatecas
description: "Under balanced weights the two cities tie at 61. Ensenada is stronger on internet; Zacatecas on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Ensenada vs Zacatecas for digital nomads

Under balanced weights the two cities tie at 61. Ensenada is stronger on internet; Zacatecas on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Internet.** Ensenada leads on internet, 66 to 56, against Zacatecas. Measured download: 33 Mbps vs 18.3 Mbps.
- **Air quality.** Zacatecas leads on air quality, 100 to 91, against Ensenada. PM2.5: 9 µg/m³ vs 4.8 µg/m³.

Where they are close: within five points on getting there & around, cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, climate, quality of life.

**Pick Ensenada if you want** faster internet (33 Mbps measured).

**Pick Zacatecas if you want** no clear edge over Ensenada in the data.

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

| Metric | Ensenada | Zacatecas | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 58 | 58 | tie |
| Safety | 28 | 28 | tie |
| Healthcare | 75 | 75 | tie |
| Internet | 66 | 56 | Ensenada |
| Visa ease | 90 | 90 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 21 | 21 | Zacatecas |
| Climate | 67 | 67 | tie |
| Air quality | 91 | 100 | Zacatecas |
| Quality of life | 57 | 57 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Ensenada | Zacatecas | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,400 | $1,400 | tie |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Ensenada | Zacatecas | 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 | 75.3 yrs | 75.3 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Ensenada | Zacatecas | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 33 Mbps | 18.3 Mbps | Ensenada |
| Upload | 9.4 Mbps | 6.4 Mbps | Ensenada |

## Visa

| Metric | Ensenada | Zacatecas | 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 | Ensenada | Zacatecas | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 38 | 7 | Ensenada |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 4 | Zacatecas |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Ensenada | Zacatecas | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 8 | 8 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 9 µg/m³ | 4.8 µg/m³ | Zacatecas |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Ensenada or Zacatecas?

Ensenada and Zacatecas cost about the same: roughly $1,400 per month for one person.

### Is Ensenada or Zacatecas safer?

Ensenada and Zacatecas score the same on safety (28), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Ensenada or Zacatecas?

Ensenada: a measured median of 33 Mbps versus 18.3 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Ensenada](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/ensenada) · [Zacatecas](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/zacatecas). 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); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); 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/ensenada-vs-zacatecas