---
title: "Kathmandu vs Vientiane for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/kathmandu-vs-vientiane
description: "Under balanced weights Vientiane edges it, 41 to 40, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Kathmandu is stronger on cost of living; Vientiane on air quality. 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 Vientiane for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Vientiane edges it, 41 to 40, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Kathmandu is stronger on cost of living; Vientiane on air quality. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Kathmandu | Vientiane | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 84 | 70 | Kathmandu |
| Safety | 59 | 62 | Vientiane |
| Healthcare | 51 | 51 | Vientiane |
| Internet | 50 | 49 | Kathmandu |
| Visa ease | 6 | 6 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 12 | 17 | Vientiane |
| Climate | 42 | 42 | tie |
| Air quality | 29 | 54 | Vientiane |
| Quality of life | 29 | 22 | Kathmandu |

## Cost

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

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Kathmandu | Vientiane | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 2.3 | 6.4 | Kathmandu |
| Political stability (0–100) | 58.8 | 75.4 | Vientiane |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 58 | 64 | Vientiane |
| Life expectancy | 70 yrs | 68.2 yrs | Kathmandu |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Kathmandu | Vientiane | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 17.1 Mbps | 19.3 Mbps | Vientiane |
| Upload | 16.2 Mbps | 7.6 Mbps | Kathmandu |

## Visa

| Metric | Kathmandu | Vientiane | 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 | Vientiane | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 50 | 46 | Kathmandu |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 | Vientiane |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Kathmandu | Vientiane | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 5 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 37 µg/m³ | 25.8 µg/m³ | Vientiane |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Kathmandu or Vientiane?

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

### Is Kathmandu or Vientiane safer?

Vientiane scores higher on safety (62 vs 59), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

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

Vientiane: a measured median of 19.3 Mbps versus 17.1 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Kathmandu](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/kathmandu) · [Vientiane](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/vientiane). 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); 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-vientiane