---
title: "Jos vs Marsa Alam for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/jos-vs-marsa-alam
description: "Under balanced weights Marsa Alam edges it, 47 to 38, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Jos is stronger on climate; Marsa Alam on healthcare, safety, cost of living. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Jos vs Marsa Alam for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Marsa Alam edges it, 47 to 38, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Jos is stronger on climate; Marsa Alam on healthcare, safety, cost of living. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Healthcare.** Marsa Alam leads on healthcare, 66 to 39, against Jos. Health coverage index: 47 vs 71.
- **Safety.** Marsa Alam leads on safety, 47 to 20, against Jos. Homicides per 100,000: 15.75 vs 4.2.
- **Cost of living.** Marsa Alam leads on cost of living, 92 to 72, against Jos. Monthly cost, one person: $1,050 vs $700.

Where they are close: within five points on visa ease, internet, getting there & around.

**Pick Jos if you want** a longer comfortable season (10 months against 8).

**Pick Marsa Alam if you want** to spend about $350 less a month; faster internet (12.1 Mbps measured); the safer country figures; stronger healthcare; cleaner air.

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

| Metric | Jos | Marsa Alam | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 72 | 92 | Marsa Alam |
| Safety | 20 | 47 | Marsa Alam |
| Healthcare | 39 | 66 | Marsa Alam |
| Internet | 46 | 44 | Jos |
| Visa ease | 32 | 34 | Marsa Alam |
| Getting there & around | 5 | 4 | Jos |
| Climate | 83 | 67 | Jos |
| Air quality | 0 | 16 | Marsa Alam |
| Quality of life | 40 | 52 | Marsa Alam |

## Cost

| Metric | Jos | Marsa Alam | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,050 | $700 | Marsa Alam |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Jos | Marsa Alam | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 15.75 | 4.2 | Marsa Alam |
| Political stability (0–100) | 35.1 | 50 | Marsa Alam |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 47 | 71 | Marsa Alam |
| Life expectancy | 62.9 yrs | 71.9 yrs | Marsa Alam |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Jos | Marsa Alam | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 10.5 Mbps | 12.1 Mbps | Marsa Alam |
| Upload | 4.8 Mbps | 1.6 Mbps | Jos |

## Visa

| Metric | Jos | Marsa Alam | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | e-visa required | visa on arrival | Marsa Alam |
| Entry, EU passport | e-visa required | visa on arrival | Marsa Alam |
| Entry, UK passport | e-visa required | visa on arrival | Marsa Alam |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Jos | Marsa Alam | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 2 | 26 | Marsa Alam |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 1 | Jos |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Jos | Marsa Alam | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 10 | 8 | Jos |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 64.7 µg/m³ | 42.7 µg/m³ | Marsa Alam |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Jos or Marsa Alam?

Marsa Alam is cheaper: about $700 per month versus $1,050 for one person.

### Is Jos or Marsa Alam safer?

Marsa Alam scores higher on safety (47 vs 20), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Jos or Marsa Alam?

Marsa Alam: a measured median of 12.1 Mbps versus 10.5 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Jos](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/jos) · [Marsa Alam](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/marsa-alam). 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); 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/jos-vs-marsa-alam