Kathmandu vs Shahrisabz
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Kathmandu edges it, 46 to 44, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Kathmandu is stronger on nothing outright; Shahrisabz on healthcare, safety. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Timur's birthplace, over a mountain pass from Samarkand
Full Shahrisabz profile →Plan a trip to Shahrisabz →Where they differ
- Healthcare. Shahrisabz leads on healthcare, 74 to 58, against Kathmandu. Health coverage index: 58 vs 79.
- Safety. Shahrisabz leads on safety, 70 to 60, against Kathmandu. Homicides per 100,000: 2.13 vs 1.4.
- Quality of life. Shahrisabz leads on quality of life, 44 to 35, against Kathmandu.
Where they are close. Within five points on getting there & around, visa ease, climate.
Pick Kathmandu if you want
- faster internet (17.1 Mbps measured)
Pick Shahrisabz if you want
- the safer country figures
- stronger healthcare
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Kathmandu | Shahrisabz |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 91 | no data |
| Safety | 60 | 70 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 58 | 74 ✓ |
| Internet | 58 ✓ | 52 |
| Visa ease | 34 ✓ | 33 |
| Getting there & around | 12 | 14 ✓ |
| Climate | 42 | 42 |
| Air quality | 29 ✓ | 21 |
| Quality of life | 35 | 44 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Kathmandu | Shahrisabz |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $716 | no data |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Kathmandu | Shahrisabz |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 2.13 | 1.4 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 57.8 | 67.4 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 58 | 79 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 72.1 yrs | 74 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Kathmandu | Shahrisabz |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 17.1 Mbps ✓ | 12.2 Mbps |
| Upload | 16.2 Mbps ✓ | 12.9 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Kathmandu | Shahrisabz |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival ✓ | e-visa required |
| Entry, EU passport | visa on arrival ✓ | 30 days |
| Entry, UK passport | visa on arrival ✓ | 30 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Kathmandu | Shahrisabz |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 50 ✓ | 28 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Kathmandu | Shahrisabz |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 5 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 37 µg/m³ ✓ | 40.5 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Kathmandu or Shahrisabz?
- We lack a monthly cost figure for one of the two cities.
- Is Kathmandu or Shahrisabz safer?
- Shahrisabz scores higher on safety (70 vs 60), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Kathmandu or Shahrisabz?
- Kathmandu: a measured median of 17.1 Mbps versus 12.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Kathmandu vs Pokhara
- Kathmandu vs Bhubaneswar
- Shahrisabz vs Samarkand
- Shahrisabz vs Fergana
- All 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); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.