Essaouira vs Nairobi
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Essaouira edges it, 59 to 58, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Essaouira is stronger on safety, healthcare; Nairobi on visa ease. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Windy walled port with surf, gnawa music and low costs
Full Essaouira profile →Where to stay in Essaouira →East Africa's startup hub with safari weekends
Full Nairobi profile →Where to stay in Nairobi →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Essaouira | Nairobi |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 50 | 55 ✓ |
| Safety | 61 ✓ | 43 |
| Healthcare | 61 ✓ | 48 |
| Internet | 41 | 43 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 46 | 63 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 50 ✓ | 45 |
| Climate | 100 | 100 |
| Air quality | 81 | 82 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 43 | 44 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Essaouira | Nairobi |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,300 | $1,127 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $541 |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Essaouira | Nairobi |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 1.67 ✓ | 4.65 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 56.1 ✓ | 46 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 65 ✓ | 57 |
| Life expectancy | 72.6 yrs ✓ | 66.8 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Essaouira | Nairobi |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 11 Mbps ✓ | 8.9 Mbps |
| Upload | 1 Mbps | 4.1 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Essaouira | Nairobi |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | Digital nomad work permit (Class N) ✓ |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | $4,583/mo |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days ✓ | eTA required (online, before travel) |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days ✓ | eTA required (online, before travel) |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days ✓ | eTA required (online, before travel) |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Essaouira | Nairobi |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 13 | 58 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 5 ✓ | 1 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Essaouira | Nairobi |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 12 | 12 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 13.7 µg/m³ | 13.1 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Essaouira or Nairobi?
- Nairobi is cheaper: about $1,127 per month versus $1,300 for one person.
- Is Essaouira or Nairobi safer?
- Essaouira scores higher on safety (61 vs 43), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Essaouira or Nairobi?
- Essaouira: a measured median of 11 Mbps versus 8.9 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); 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); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); 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.