---
title: "Hamilton (New Zealand) vs New Plymouth for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/hamilton-nz-vs-new-plymouth
description: "Under balanced weights Hamilton (New Zealand) edges it, 65 to 63, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Hamilton (New Zealand) is stronger on nothing outright; New Plymouth on nothing outright. 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
---

# Hamilton (New Zealand) vs New Plymouth for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Hamilton (New Zealand) edges it, 65 to 63, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Hamilton (New Zealand) is stronger on nothing outright; New Plymouth on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Hamilton (New Zealand) | New Plymouth | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 17 | 18 | New Plymouth |
| Safety | 84 | 84 | tie |
| Healthcare | 90 | 90 | tie |
| Internet | 84 | 81 | Hamilton (New Zealand) |
| Visa ease | 42 | 42 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 36 | 26 | Hamilton (New Zealand) |
| Climate | 42 | 33 | Hamilton (New Zealand) |
| Air quality | 99 | 95 | Hamilton (New Zealand) |
| Quality of life | 95 | 95 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Hamilton (New Zealand) | New Plymouth | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $3,023 | $2,950 | New Plymouth |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Hamilton (New Zealand) | New Plymouth | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 1.46 | 1.46 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 86.3 | 86.3 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 89 | 89 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 82.2 yrs | 82.2 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Hamilton (New Zealand) | New Plymouth | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 71.7 Mbps | 56.5 Mbps | Hamilton (New Zealand) |
| Upload | 57.8 Mbps | 60.2 Mbps | New Plymouth |

## Visa

| Metric | Hamilton (New Zealand) | New Plymouth | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Hamilton (New Zealand) | New Plymouth | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 8 | 3 | Hamilton (New Zealand) |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Hamilton (New Zealand) | New Plymouth | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 4 | Hamilton (New Zealand) |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 5.5 µg/m³ | 7.4 µg/m³ | Hamilton (New Zealand) |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Hamilton (New Zealand) or New Plymouth?

New Plymouth is cheaper: about $2,950 per month versus $3,023 for one person.

### Is Hamilton (New Zealand) or New Plymouth safer?

Hamilton (New Zealand) scores higher on safety (84 vs 84), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Hamilton (New Zealand) or New Plymouth?

Hamilton (New Zealand): a measured median of 71.7 Mbps versus 56.5 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Hamilton (New Zealand)](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/hamilton-nz) · [New Plymouth](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/new-plymouth). 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); Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/hamilton-nz-vs-new-plymouth