Koh Chang vs San Juan del Sur
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Koh Chang edges it, 58 to 56, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Koh Chang is stronger on visa ease; San Juan del Sur on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Big jungle island near the Cambodian border, quieter than the southern islands
Full Koh Chang profile →Where to stay in Koh Chang →Surf bay with a backpacker scene and cheap living
Full San Juan del Sur profile →Where to stay in San Juan del Sur →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Koh Chang | San Juan del Sur |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 60 | no data |
| Safety | 51 | 55 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 76 ✓ | 68 |
| Internet | 57 | 57 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 58 ✓ | 46 |
| Getting there & around | 49 | 51 ✓ |
| Climate | 42 | 42 |
| Air quality | 76 | 81 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 49 | 50 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Koh Chang | San Juan del Sur |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,000 | no data |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Koh Chang | San Juan del Sur |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 4.4 ✓ | 5.45 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 55.8 | 65.4 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 82 ✓ | 70 |
| Life expectancy | 75.3 yrs ✓ | 75 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Koh Chang | San Juan del Sur |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 18.3 Mbps | 18.3 Mbps |
| Upload | 9.4 Mbps | 9.6 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Koh Chang | San Juan del Sur |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) ✓ | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 30 days | 90 days ✓ |
| Entry, EU passport | 30 days | 90 days ✓ |
| Entry, UK passport | 30 days | 90 days ✓ |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Koh Chang | San Juan del Sur |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 144 ✓ | 39 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 4 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Koh Chang | San Juan del Sur |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 5 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 16 µg/m³ | 13.4 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Koh Chang or San Juan del Sur?
- We lack a monthly cost figure for one of the two cities.
- Is Koh Chang or San Juan del Sur safer?
- San Juan del Sur scores higher on safety (55 vs 51), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Koh Chang or San Juan del Sur?
- Koh Chang: a measured median of 18.3 Mbps versus 18.3 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Koh Chang vs Kanchanaburi
- Koh Chang vs Khao Lak
- San Juan del Sur vs Granada (Nicaragua)
- San Juan del Sur vs Encarnación
- 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); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; 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); 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); Official entry rules that changed after the Passport Index snapshot; OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.