---
title: "Kathmandu vs Sylhet for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/kathmandu-vs-sylhet
description: "Under balanced weights Kathmandu edges it, 46 to 42, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Kathmandu is stronger on cost of living, internet; Sylhet on nothing outright. 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 Sylhet for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Kathmandu edges it, 46 to 42, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Kathmandu is stronger on cost of living, internet; Sylhet on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Cost of living.** Kathmandu leads on cost of living, 91 to 77, against Sylhet. Monthly cost, one person: $716 vs $950.
- **Internet.** Kathmandu leads on internet, 58 to 44, against Sylhet. Measured download: 17.1 Mbps vs 8.3 Mbps.
- **Quality of life.** Sylhet leads on quality of life, 43 to 35, against Kathmandu.

Where they are close: within five points on safety, healthcare, visa ease, climate.

**Pick Kathmandu if you want** to spend about $234 less a month; faster internet (17.1 Mbps measured).

**Pick Sylhet if you want** no clear edge over Kathmandu in the data.

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

| Metric | Kathmandu | Sylhet | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 91 | 77 | Kathmandu |
| Safety | 60 | 55 | Kathmandu |
| Healthcare | 58 | 57 | Kathmandu |
| Internet | 58 | 44 | Kathmandu |
| Visa ease | 34 | 34 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 12 | 7 | Kathmandu |
| Climate | 42 | 42 | tie |
| Air quality | 29 | 21 | Kathmandu |
| Quality of life | 35 | 43 | Sylhet |

## Cost

| Metric | Kathmandu | Sylhet | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $716 | $950 | Kathmandu |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Kathmandu | Sylhet | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 2.13 | 1.76 | Sylhet |
| Political stability (0–100) | 57.8 | 49.1 | Kathmandu |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 58 | 54 | Kathmandu |
| Life expectancy | 72.1 yrs | 72.7 yrs | Sylhet |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Kathmandu | Sylhet | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 17.1 Mbps | 8.3 Mbps | Kathmandu |
| Upload | 16.2 Mbps | 7.7 Mbps | Kathmandu |

## Visa

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

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Kathmandu | Sylhet | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 50 | 11 | Kathmandu |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Kathmandu | Sylhet | 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 Sylhet?

Kathmandu is cheaper: about $716 per month versus $950 for one person.

### Is Kathmandu or Sylhet safer?

Kathmandu scores higher on safety (60 vs 55), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

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

Kathmandu: a measured median of 17.1 Mbps versus 8.3 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Kathmandu](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/kathmandu) · [Sylhet](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/sylhet). 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-sylhet