---
title: "Jakarta vs Pokhara for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/jakarta-vs-pokhara
description: "Under balanced weights Jakarta edges it, 43 to 39, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Jakarta is stronger on visa ease, quality of life, getting there & around; Pokhara on cost of living. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Jakarta vs Pokhara for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Jakarta edges it, 43 to 39, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Jakarta is stronger on visa ease, quality of life, getting there & around; Pokhara on cost of living. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Jakarta | Pokhara | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 61 | 75 | Pokhara |
| Safety | 50 | 59 | Pokhara |
| Healthcare | 53 | 51 | Jakarta |
| Internet | 46 | 47 | Pokhara |
| Visa ease | 22 | 6 | Jakarta |
| Getting there & around | 24 | 10 | Jakarta |
| Climate | 50 | 42 | Jakarta |
| Air quality | 36 | 31 | Jakarta |
| Quality of life | 45 | 29 | Jakarta |

## Cost

| Metric | Jakarta | Pokhara | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,146 | $833 | Pokhara |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $550 | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Jakarta | Pokhara | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 4.1 | 2.3 | Pokhara |
| Political stability (0–100) | 55.5 | 58.8 | Pokhara |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 67 | 58 | Jakarta |
| Life expectancy | 68.3 yrs | 70 yrs | Pokhara |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Jakarta | Pokhara | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 15.8 Mbps | 14.7 Mbps | Jakarta |
| Upload | 8.3 Mbps | 15.8 Mbps | Pokhara |

## Visa

| Metric | Jakarta | Pokhara | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Visa Rumah Kedua Pekerja Jarak Jauh | none listed | Jakarta |
| Minimum income for the visa | $4,998/mo | no data | — |
| Visa-free days, US passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required | tie |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required | tie |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Jakarta | Pokhara | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 98 | 1 | Jakarta |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 3 | Pokhara |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 1 | Jakarta |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Jakarta | Pokhara | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 6 | 5 | Jakarta |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 33.8 µg/m³ | 36.1 µg/m³ | Jakarta |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Jakarta or Pokhara?

Pokhara is cheaper: about $833 per month versus $1,146 for one person.

### Is Jakarta or Pokhara safer?

Pokhara scores higher on safety (59 vs 50), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Jakarta or Pokhara?

Jakarta: a measured median of 15.8 Mbps versus 14.7 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Jakarta](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/jakarta) · [Pokhara](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/pokhara). 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); 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); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages).

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/jakarta-vs-pokhara