---
title: "Koh Chang vs San Juan del Sur for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/koh-chang-vs-san-juan-del-sur
description: "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."
dataset: 2026.10.7 (2026-10-13)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# 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.

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

| Metric | Koh Chang | San Juan del Sur | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 60 | no data | — |
| Safety | 51 | 55 | San Juan del Sur |
| Healthcare | 76 | 68 | Koh Chang |
| Internet | 57 | 57 | San Juan del Sur |
| Visa ease | 58 | 46 | Koh Chang |
| Getting there & around | 49 | 51 | San Juan del Sur |
| Climate | 42 | 42 | tie |
| Air quality | 76 | 81 | San Juan del Sur |
| Quality of life | 49 | 50 | San Juan del Sur |

## Cost

| Metric | Koh Chang | San Juan del Sur | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,000 | no data | — |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Koh Chang | San Juan del Sur | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 4.4 | 5.45 | Koh Chang |
| Political stability (0–100) | 55.8 | 65.4 | San Juan del Sur |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 82 | 70 | Koh Chang |
| Life expectancy | 75.3 yrs | 75 yrs | Koh Chang |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Koh Chang | San Juan del Sur | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 18.3 Mbps | 18.3 Mbps | tie |
| Upload | 9.4 Mbps | 9.6 Mbps | San Juan del Sur |

## Visa

| Metric | Koh Chang | San Juan del Sur | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) | none listed | Koh Chang |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | 30 days | 90 days | San Juan del Sur |
| Entry, EU passport | 30 days | 90 days | San Juan del Sur |
| Entry, UK passport | 30 days | 90 days | San Juan del Sur |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Koh Chang | San Juan del Sur | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 144 | 39 | Koh Chang |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 4 | San Juan del Sur |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Koh Chang | San Juan del Sur | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 5 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 16 µg/m³ | 13.4 µg/m³ | San Juan del Sur |

## FAQ

### 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).

City pages: [Koh Chang](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/koh-chang) · [San Juan del Sur](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/san-juan-del-sur). 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.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/koh-chang-vs-san-juan-del-sur