Hilo vs Reno
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Reno edges it, 60 to 56, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Hilo is stronger on nothing outright; Reno on climate. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Rainy, unhurried bay town on the windward side of Hawaii's Big Island
Full Hilo profile →Plan a trip to Hilo →High-desert casino town turned Tahoe gateway with no state income tax
Full Reno profile →Plan a trip to Reno →Where they differ
- Climate. Reno leads on climate, 33 to 8, against Hilo. Comfortable months: 1 vs 4.
- Getting there & around. Reno leads on getting there & around, 14 to 5, against Hilo. Non-stop airport destinations: 3 vs 25.
Where they are close. Within five points on cost of living, safety, healthcare, internet, visa ease, air quality, quality of life.
Pick Hilo if you want
- to spend about $30 less a month
Pick Reno if you want
- a longer comfortable season (4 months against 1)
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Hilo | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 21 ✓ | 20 |
| Safety | 51 | 51 |
| Healthcare | 85 | 85 |
| Internet | 79 | 79 |
| Visa ease | 61 | 61 |
| Getting there & around | 5 | 14 ✓ |
| Climate | 8 | 33 ✓ |
| Air quality | 100 | 100 |
| Quality of life | 96 | 96 |
Cost
| Metric | Hilo | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $3,000 ✓ | $3,030 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Hilo | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 5.76 | 5.76 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 60.3 | 60.3 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 88 | 88 |
| Life expectancy | 78.5 yrs | 78.5 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Hilo | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 76.1 Mbps ✓ | 74.9 Mbps |
| Upload | 10.4 Mbps | 11.2 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Hilo | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | home country | home country |
| Entry, EU passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
| Entry, UK passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Hilo | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 3 | 25 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 2 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Hilo | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 1 | 4 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 3 µg/m³ ✓ | 4.8 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Hilo or Reno?
- Hilo is cheaper: about $3,000 per month versus $3,030 for one person.
- Is Hilo or Reno safer?
- Hilo and Reno score the same on safety (51), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Hilo or Reno?
- Hilo: a measured median of 76.1 Mbps versus 74.9 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); OpenFlights airports and routes; Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); 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); Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (all items); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.