Jos vs Kampala
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Jos edges it, 38 to 35, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Jos is stronger on climate; Kampala on safety. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Plateau city in central Nigeria, cooler than the lowlands at 1,200 metres
Full Jos profile →Plan a trip to Jos →Where they differ
- Safety. Kampala leads on safety, 39 to 20, against Jos. Homicides per 100,000: 15.75 vs 8.82.
- Climate. Jos leads on climate, 83 to 67, against Kampala. Comfortable months: 10 vs 8.
- Healthcare. Kampala leads on healthcare, 48 to 39, against Jos. Health coverage index: 47 vs 54.
Where they are close. Within five points on getting there & around, quality of life, visa ease, air quality.
Pick Jos if you want
- faster internet (10.5 Mbps measured)
- a longer comfortable season (10 months against 8)
Pick Kampala if you want
- the safer country figures
- stronger healthcare
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Jos | Kampala |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 72 | no data |
| Safety | 20 | 39 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 39 | 48 ✓ |
| Internet | 46 ✓ | 41 |
| Visa ease | 32 | 32 |
| Getting there & around | 5 | 9 ✓ |
| Climate | 83 ✓ | 67 |
| Air quality | 0 | 0 |
| Quality of life | 40 | 43 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Jos | Kampala |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,050 | no data |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Jos | Kampala |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 15.75 | 8.82 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 35.1 | 50.4 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 47 | 54 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 62.9 yrs | 66.7 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Jos | Kampala |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 10.5 Mbps ✓ | 8 Mbps |
| Upload | 4.8 Mbps ✓ | 3.8 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Jos | Kampala |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | e-visa required | e-visa required |
| Entry, EU passport | e-visa required | e-visa required |
| Entry, UK passport | e-visa required | e-visa required |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Jos | Kampala |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 2 | 27 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 ✓ | 1 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 2 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Jos | Kampala |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 10 ✓ | 8 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 64.7 µg/m³ | 60.2 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Jos or Kampala?
- We lack a monthly cost figure for one of the two cities.
- Is Jos or Kampala safer?
- Kampala scores higher on safety (39 vs 20), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Jos or Kampala?
- Jos: a measured median of 10.5 Mbps versus 8 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); 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); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.