---
title: "Kaohsiung vs San José for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/kaohsiung-vs-san-jose
description: "Under balanced weights Kaohsiung edges it, 63 to 58, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Kaohsiung is stronger on safety, climate, quality of life; San José on visa ease. 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
---

# Kaohsiung vs San José for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Kaohsiung edges it, 63 to 58, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Kaohsiung is stronger on safety, climate, quality of life; San José on visa ease. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Kaohsiung | San José | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 46 | 50 | San José |
| Safety | 89 | 62 | Kaohsiung |
| Healthcare | 82 | 81 | Kaohsiung |
| Internet | 67 | 60 | Kaohsiung |
| Visa ease | 69 | 89 | San José |
| Getting there & around | 30 | 22 | Kaohsiung |
| Climate | 58 | 42 | Kaohsiung |
| Air quality | 44 | 47 | San José |
| Quality of life | 81 | 68 | Kaohsiung |

## Cost

| Metric | Kaohsiung | San José | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,615 | $1,479 | San José |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $738 | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Kaohsiung | San José | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.8 | 13.5 | Kaohsiung |
| Political stability (0–100) | 81.6 | 86 | San José |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | no data | 84 | — |
| Life expectancy | 80.2 yrs | 78.6 yrs | Kaohsiung |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Kaohsiung | San José | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 41.3 Mbps | 32.5 Mbps | Kaohsiung |
| Upload | 17.8 Mbps | 10.2 Mbps | Kaohsiung |

## Visa

| Metric | Kaohsiung | San José | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Digital Nomad Visitor Visa | Estancia para Trabajador y Prestador Remoto de Servicios | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $3,333/mo | $2,999/mo | San José |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 90 days | 180 days | San José |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | 90 days | 180 days | San José |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 90 days | 180 days | San José |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Kaohsiung | San José | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 0 | 52 | San José |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 3 | Kaohsiung |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 2 | Kaohsiung |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Kaohsiung | San José | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 7 | 5 | Kaohsiung |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 30.3 µg/m³ | 29 µg/m³ | San José |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Kaohsiung or San José?

San José is cheaper: about $1,479 per month versus $1,615 for one person.

### Is Kaohsiung or San José safer?

Kaohsiung scores higher on safety (89 vs 62), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Kaohsiung or San José?

Kaohsiung: a measured median of 41.3 Mbps versus 32.5 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Kaohsiung](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/kaohsiung) · [San José](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/san-jose). 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); 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); Life expectancy at birth, Taiwan (Ministry of the Interior); Intentional homicide rate, Taiwan (National Police Agency via Wikipedia); Human Development Index, Taiwan (DGBAS calculation); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); Taiwan Digital Nomad Visitor Visa; WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages).

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/kaohsiung-vs-san-jose