---
title: "Gyumri vs Kota Kinabalu for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/gyumri-vs-kota-kinabalu
description: "Under balanced weights Kota Kinabalu edges it, 61 to 60, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Gyumri is stronger on visa ease, getting there & around; Kota Kinabalu on safety, quality of life. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.10.7 (2026-10-13)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Gyumri vs Kota Kinabalu for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Kota Kinabalu edges it, 61 to 60, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Gyumri is stronger on visa ease, getting there & around; Kota Kinabalu on safety, quality of life. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Gyumri | Kota Kinabalu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | no data | 57 | — |
| Safety | 59 | 78 | Kota Kinabalu |
| Healthcare | 64 | 71 | Kota Kinabalu |
| Internet | 59 | 65 | Kota Kinabalu |
| Visa ease | 90 | 76 | Gyumri |
| Getting there & around | 64 | 50 | Gyumri |
| Climate | 17 | 17 | tie |
| Air quality | 67 | 62 | Gyumri |
| Quality of life | 57 | 72 | Kota Kinabalu |

## Cost

| Metric | Gyumri | Kota Kinabalu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | no data | $1,076 | — |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Gyumri | Kota Kinabalu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 2.19 | 0.69 | Kota Kinabalu |
| Political stability (0–100) | 58 | 71.6 | Kota Kinabalu |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 69 | 80 | Kota Kinabalu |
| Life expectancy | 73 yrs | 72.8 yrs | Gyumri |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Gyumri | Kota Kinabalu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 16.9 Mbps | 27.1 Mbps | Kota Kinabalu |
| Upload | 22.6 Mbps | 16.9 Mbps | Gyumri |

## Visa

| Metric | Gyumri | Kota Kinabalu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | DE Rantau Nomad Pass | Kota Kinabalu |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | $2,000/mo | — |
| Entry, US passport | 180 days | 90 days | Gyumri |
| Entry, EU passport | 180 days | 90 days | Gyumri |
| Entry, UK passport | 180 days | 90 days | Gyumri |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Gyumri | Kota Kinabalu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 82 | 34 | Gyumri |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 3 | Gyumri |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Gyumri | Kota Kinabalu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 2 | 2 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 20 µg/m³ | 22.3 µg/m³ | Gyumri |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Gyumri or Kota Kinabalu?

We lack a monthly cost figure for one of the two cities.

### Is Gyumri or Kota Kinabalu safer?

Kota Kinabalu scores higher on safety (78 vs 59), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Gyumri or Kota Kinabalu?

Kota Kinabalu: a measured median of 27.1 Mbps versus 16.9 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Gyumri](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/gyumri) · [Kota Kinabalu](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/kota-kinabalu). 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); 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.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/gyumri-vs-kota-kinabalu