---
title: "Islamabad vs Lahore for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/islamabad-vs-lahore
description: "Under balanced weights Islamabad edges it, 33 to 31, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Islamabad is stronger on nothing outright; Lahore 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
---

# Islamabad vs Lahore for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Islamabad edges it, 33 to 31, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Islamabad is stronger on nothing outright; Lahore on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Islamabad | Lahore | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | no data | no data | — |
| Safety | 33 | 33 | tie |
| Healthcare | 46 | 46 | tie |
| Internet | 34 | 31 | Islamabad |
| Visa ease | 42 | 42 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 47 | 47 | Islamabad |
| Climate | 42 | 33 | Islamabad |
| Air quality | 0 | 0 | tie |
| Quality of life | 19 | 19 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Islamabad | Lahore | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | no data | no data | — |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Islamabad | Lahore | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 4.33 | 4.33 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 31.4 | 31.4 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 56 | 56 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 66 yrs | 66 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Islamabad | Lahore | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 4.9 Mbps | 4.1 Mbps | Islamabad |
| Upload | 4.3 Mbps | 3.7 Mbps | Islamabad |

## Visa

| Metric | Islamabad | Lahore | 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 | Islamabad | Lahore | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 42 | 25 | Islamabad |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 | Lahore |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Islamabad | Lahore | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 4 | Islamabad |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 85.3 µg/m³ | 86.1 µg/m³ | Islamabad |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Islamabad or Lahore?

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

### Is Islamabad or Lahore safer?

Islamabad scores higher on safety (33 vs 33), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Islamabad or Lahore?

Islamabad: a measured median of 4.9 Mbps versus 4.1 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Islamabad](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/islamabad) · [Lahore](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/lahore). 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); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/islamabad-vs-lahore