Kupang vs Kuta (Lombok)
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Kuta (Lombok) edges it, 57 to 55, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Neither leads on any factor by 10 points or more. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Dry, sunny capital of West Timor and gateway to Rote's surf
Full Kupang profile →Plan a trip to Kupang →Surf town with Bali's landscape and a fraction of the crowds
Full Kuta (Lombok) profile →Plan a trip to Kuta (Lombok) →Where they differ
- Climate. Kuta (Lombok) leads on climate, 58 to 50, against Kupang. Comfortable months: 6 vs 7.
Where they are close. Within five points on internet, air quality, getting there & around, cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.
Pick Kupang if you want
- no clear edge over Kuta (Lombok) in the data
Pick Kuta (Lombok) if you want
- faster internet (11.8 Mbps measured)
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Kupang | Kuta (Lombok) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 74 | 74 |
| Safety | 67 | 67 |
| Healthcare | 65 | 65 |
| Internet | 44 | 49 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 54 | 54 |
| Getting there & around | 7 ✓ | 7 |
| Climate | 50 | 58 ✓ |
| Air quality | 88 | 90 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 49 | 49 |
Cost
| Metric | Kupang | Kuta (Lombok) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Kupang | Kuta (Lombok) |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.41 | 0.41 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 52.7 | 52.7 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 67 | 67 |
| Life expectancy | 72.7 yrs | 72.7 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Kupang | Kuta (Lombok) |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 9.3 Mbps | 11.8 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 4.3 Mbps | 5.8 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Kupang | Kuta (Lombok) |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Remote worker visa (E33G) | Remote worker visa (E33G) |
| Minimum income for the visa | $5,000/mo | $5,000/mo |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
| Entry, EU passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
| Entry, UK passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Kupang | Kuta (Lombok) |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 17 ✓ | 13 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Kupang | Kuta (Lombok) |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 6 | 7 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 10.3 µg/m³ | 9.4 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Kupang or Kuta (Lombok)?
- Kupang and Kuta (Lombok) cost about the same: roughly $1,000 per month for one person.
- Is Kupang or Kuta (Lombok) safer?
- Kupang and Kuta (Lombok) score the same on safety (67), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Kupang or Kuta (Lombok)?
- Kuta (Lombok): a measured median of 11.8 Mbps versus 9.3 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Kupang vs Labuan Bajo
- Kupang vs Uluwatu (Bali)
- Kuta (Lombok) vs Uluwatu (Bali)
- Kuta (Lombok) vs Nusa Penida
- All comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); 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); 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); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.