---
title: "Kathmandu vs Shahrisabz for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/kathmandu-vs-shahrisabz
description: "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."
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# 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.

## 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 | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 91 | no data | — |
| Safety | 60 | 70 | Shahrisabz |
| Healthcare | 58 | 74 | Shahrisabz |
| Internet | 58 | 52 | Kathmandu |
| Visa ease | 34 | 33 | Kathmandu |
| Getting there & around | 12 | 14 | Shahrisabz |
| Climate | 42 | 42 | tie |
| Air quality | 29 | 21 | Kathmandu |
| Quality of life | 35 | 44 | Shahrisabz |

## Cost

| Metric | Kathmandu | Shahrisabz | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $716 | no data | — |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Kathmandu | Shahrisabz | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 2.13 | 1.4 | Shahrisabz |
| Political stability (0–100) | 57.8 | 67.4 | Shahrisabz |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 58 | 79 | Shahrisabz |
| Life expectancy | 72.1 yrs | 74 yrs | Shahrisabz |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Kathmandu | Shahrisabz | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 17.1 Mbps | 12.2 Mbps | Kathmandu |
| Upload | 16.2 Mbps | 12.9 Mbps | Kathmandu |

## Visa

| Metric | Kathmandu | Shahrisabz | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival | e-visa required | Kathmandu |
| Entry, EU passport | visa on arrival | 30 days | Kathmandu |
| Entry, UK passport | visa on arrival | 30 days | Kathmandu |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Kathmandu | Shahrisabz | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 50 | 28 | Kathmandu |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 | Shahrisabz |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Kathmandu | Shahrisabz | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 5 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 37 µg/m³ | 40.5 µg/m³ | Kathmandu |

## FAQ

### 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).

City pages: [Kathmandu](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/kathmandu) · [Shahrisabz](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/shahrisabz). 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.

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