Kupang vs Uluwatu (Bali)
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Uluwatu (Bali) edges it, 58 to 55, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Kupang is stronger on nothing outright; Uluwatu (Bali) on internet. 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 →Clifftop surf village on Bali's southern tip
Full Uluwatu (Bali) profile →Plan a trip to Uluwatu (Bali) →Where they differ
- Internet. Uluwatu (Bali) leads on internet, 56 to 44, against Kupang. Measured download: 9.3 Mbps vs 17 Mbps.
- Climate. Uluwatu (Bali) leads on climate, 58 to 50, against Kupang. Comfortable months: 6 vs 7.
Where they are close. Within five points on air quality, getting there & around, cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.
Pick Kupang if you want
- no clear edge over Uluwatu (Bali) in the data
Pick Uluwatu (Bali) if you want
- faster internet (17 Mbps measured)
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Kupang | Uluwatu (Bali) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 74 | 74 |
| Safety | 67 | 67 |
| Healthcare | 65 | 65 |
| Internet | 44 | 56 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 54 | 54 |
| Getting there & around | 7 | 9 ✓ |
| Climate | 50 | 58 ✓ |
| Air quality | 88 | 92 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 49 | 49 |
Cost
| Metric | Kupang | Uluwatu (Bali) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Uluwatu (Bali) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Uluwatu (Bali) |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 9.3 Mbps | 17 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 4.3 Mbps | 8.8 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Kupang | Uluwatu (Bali) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Uluwatu (Bali) |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 17 | 65 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 ✓ | 1 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Kupang | Uluwatu (Bali) |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 6 | 7 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 10.3 µg/m³ | 8.5 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Kupang or Uluwatu (Bali)?
- Kupang and Uluwatu (Bali) cost about the same: roughly $1,000 per month for one person.
- Is Kupang or Uluwatu (Bali) safer?
- Kupang and Uluwatu (Bali) score the same on safety (67), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Kupang or Uluwatu (Bali)?
- Uluwatu (Bali): a measured median of 17 Mbps versus 9.3 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Kupang vs Labuan Bajo
- Kupang vs Kuta (Lombok)
- Uluwatu (Bali) vs Nusa Penida
- Uluwatu (Bali) vs Kuta (Lombok)
- 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.