---
title: "Kathmandu vs Lagos for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/kathmandu-vs-lagos
description: "Under balanced weights Kathmandu edges it, 40 to 30, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Kathmandu is stronger on safety, healthcare, cost of living; Lagos on nothing outright. 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
---

# Kathmandu vs Lagos for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Kathmandu edges it, 40 to 30, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Kathmandu is stronger on safety, healthcare, cost of living; Lagos on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Kathmandu | Lagos | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 84 | 70 | Kathmandu |
| Safety | 59 | 19 | Kathmandu |
| Healthcare | 51 | 33 | Kathmandu |
| Internet | 50 | 38 | Kathmandu |
| Visa ease | 6 | 6 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 12 | 7 | Kathmandu |
| Climate | 42 | 33 | Kathmandu |
| Air quality | 29 | 34 | Lagos |
| Quality of life | 29 | 33 | Lagos |

## Cost

| Metric | Kathmandu | Lagos | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $677 | $938 | Kathmandu |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $532 | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Kathmandu | Lagos | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 2.3 | 8.8 | Kathmandu |
| Political stability (0–100) | 58.8 | 31.7 | Kathmandu |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 58 | 47 | Kathmandu |
| Life expectancy | 70 yrs | 63.4 yrs | Kathmandu |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Kathmandu | Lagos | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 17.1 Mbps | 11.2 Mbps | Kathmandu |
| Upload | 16.2 Mbps | 4.7 Mbps | Kathmandu |

## Visa

| Metric | Kathmandu | Lagos | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | 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 | Kathmandu | Lagos | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 50 | 50 | tie |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 1 | Kathmandu |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Kathmandu | Lagos | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 4 | Kathmandu |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 37 µg/m³ | 34.6 µg/m³ | Lagos |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Kathmandu or Lagos?

Kathmandu is cheaper: about $677 per month versus $938 for one person.

### Is Kathmandu or Lagos safer?

Kathmandu scores higher on safety (59 vs 19), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Kathmandu or Lagos?

Kathmandu: a measured median of 17.1 Mbps versus 11.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Kathmandu](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/kathmandu) · [Lagos](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/lagos). 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); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages).

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/kathmandu-vs-lagos