Karaganda vs Suva
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Karaganda edges it, 54 to 53, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Karaganda is stronger on healthcare; Suva on safety. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Soviet coal city on the steppe, built around a Gulag past
Full Karaganda profile →Plan a trip to Karaganda →Fiji's rainy working capital rather than its resort coast
Full Suva profile →Plan a trip to Suva →Where they differ
- Healthcare. Karaganda leads on healthcare, 77 to 60, against Suva. Health coverage index: 83 vs 69.
- Safety. Suva leads on safety, 77 to 61, against Karaganda. Homicides per 100,000: 2.55 vs 2.37.
- Getting there & around. Suva leads on getting there & around, 21 to 11, against Karaganda. Non-stop airport destinations: 8 vs 40.
Where they are close. Within five points on internet, climate.
Pick Karaganda if you want
- stronger healthcare
- a dedicated digital-nomad visa
Pick Suva if you want
- the safer country figures
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Karaganda | Suva |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | no data | 48 |
| Safety | 61 | 77 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 77 ✓ | 60 |
| Internet | 41 | 42 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 60 ✓ | 52 |
| Getting there & around | 11 | 21 ✓ |
| Climate | 25 | 25 |
| Air quality | 90 | 98 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 63 ✓ | 55 |
Cost
| Metric | Karaganda | Suva |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | no data | $1,700 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Karaganda | Suva |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 2.55 | 2.37 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 62 | 82.8 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 83 ✓ | 69 |
| Life expectancy | 74.8 yrs ✓ | 68.5 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Karaganda | Suva |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 7.2 Mbps | 8.2 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 5.8 Mbps ✓ | 3.9 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Karaganda | Suva |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Neo Nomad visa (B12-1) ✓ | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | $3,000/mo | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 30 days | 120 days ✓ |
| Entry, EU passport | 30 days | 120 days ✓ |
| Entry, UK passport | 30 days | 120 days ✓ |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Karaganda | Suva |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 8 | 40 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Karaganda | Suva |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 3 | 3 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 9.6 µg/m³ | 5.9 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Karaganda or Suva?
- We lack a monthly cost figure for one of the two cities.
- Is Karaganda or Suva safer?
- Suva scores higher on safety (77 vs 61), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Karaganda or Suva?
- Suva: a measured median of 8.2 Mbps versus 7.2 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); 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); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.