---
title: "Hoi An vs Sapa for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/hoi-an-vs-sapa
description: "Under balanced weights Sapa edges it, 59 to 56, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Hoi An is stronger on nothing outright; Sapa on climate. 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
---

# Hoi An vs Sapa for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Sapa edges it, 59 to 56, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Hoi An is stronger on nothing outright; Sapa on climate. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Hoi An | Sapa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 64 | 64 | tie |
| Safety | 68 | 68 | tie |
| Healthcare | 67 | 67 | tie |
| Internet | 62 | 63 | Sapa |
| Visa ease | 35 | 35 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 51 | 55 | Sapa |
| Climate | 17 | 42 | Sapa |
| Air quality | 81 | 79 | Hoi An |
| Quality of life | 58 | 58 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Hoi An | Sapa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $900 | $900 | tie |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Hoi An | Sapa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 1.9 | 1.9 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 67.7 | 67.7 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 71 | 71 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 73.8 yrs | 73.8 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Hoi An | Sapa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 20.4 Mbps | 22.7 Mbps | Sapa |
| Upload | 20.4 Mbps | 20.7 Mbps | Sapa |

## Visa

| Metric | Hoi An | Sapa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | e-visa required | e-visa required | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | 45 days | 45 days | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | 45 days | 45 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Hoi An | Sapa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 36 | 89 | Sapa |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 3 | Hoi An |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Hoi An | Sapa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 2 | 5 | Sapa |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 13.4 µg/m³ | 14.6 µg/m³ | Hoi An |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Hoi An or Sapa?

Sapa is cheaper: about $900 per month versus $900 for one person.

### Is Hoi An or Sapa safer?

Hoi An scores higher on safety (68 vs 68), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Hoi An or Sapa?

Sapa: a measured median of 22.7 Mbps versus 20.4 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Hoi An](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/hoi-an) · [Sapa](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/sapa). 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; 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); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/hoi-an-vs-sapa