Hoi An vs Lijiang
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Hoi An edges it, 56 to 51, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Hoi An is stronger on cost of living, visa ease; Lijiang on healthcare. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Lantern-lit old town with a beach and a slower Vietnam
Full Hoi An profile →Where to stay in Hoi An →Naxi old town at 2,400 m below Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
Full Lijiang profile →Where to stay in Lijiang →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Hoi An | Lijiang |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 64 ✓ | 36 |
| Safety | 68 | 76 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 67 | 81 ✓ |
| Internet | 62 ✓ | 57 |
| Visa ease | 35 ✓ | 15 |
| Getting there & around | 51 | 51 |
| Climate | 17 ✓ | 8 |
| Air quality | 81 ✓ | 81 |
| Quality of life | 58 ✓ | 55 |
Cost
| Metric | Hoi An | Lijiang |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $900 ✓ | $1,850 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Hoi An | Lijiang |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 1.9 | 0.5 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 67.7 ✓ | 66 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 71 | 85 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 73.8 yrs | 77.6 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Hoi An | Lijiang |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 20.4 Mbps ✓ | 17 Mbps |
| Upload | 20.4 Mbps ✓ | 12.3 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Hoi An | Lijiang |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | e-visa required ✓ | visa required |
| Entry, EU passport | 45 days ✓ | 30 days |
| Entry, UK passport | 45 days ✓ | visa required |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Hoi An | Lijiang |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 36 | 60 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 ✓ | 3 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Hoi An | Lijiang |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 2 ✓ | 1 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 13.4 µg/m³ ✓ | 13.7 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Hoi An or Lijiang?
- Hoi An is cheaper: about $900 per month versus $1,850 for one person.
- Is Hoi An or Lijiang safer?
- Lijiang scores higher on safety (76 vs 68), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Hoi An or Lijiang?
- Hoi An: a measured median of 20.4 Mbps versus 17 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); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; 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); Official entry rules that changed after the Passport Index snapshot; OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.