Labuan Bajo vs Manado
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Labuan Bajo edges it, 55 to 52, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Labuan Bajo is stronger on climate; Manado on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Harbour town on Flores and the gateway to Komodo
Full Labuan Bajo profile →Where to stay in Labuan Bajo →North Sulawesi's capital and the gateway to Bunaken diving
Full Manado profile →Where to stay in Manado →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Labuan Bajo | Manado |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 60 | 60 |
| Safety | 67 | 67 |
| Healthcare | 56 | 56 |
| Internet | 45 ✓ | 37 |
| Visa ease | 54 | 54 |
| Getting there & around | 35 | 40 ✓ |
| Climate | 50 ✓ | 25 |
| Air quality | 87 ✓ | 84 |
| Quality of life | 45 | 45 |
Cost
| Metric | Labuan Bajo | Manado |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Labuan Bajo | Manado |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.41 | 0.41 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 52.7 | 52.7 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 67 | 67 |
| Life expectancy | 68.3 yrs | 68.3 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Labuan Bajo | Manado |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 9.5 Mbps ✓ | 6.6 Mbps |
| Upload | 4.5 Mbps ✓ | 2.7 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Labuan Bajo | Manado |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Labuan Bajo | Manado |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 13 | 20 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 ✓ | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 2 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Labuan Bajo | Manado |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 6 ✓ | 3 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 10.9 µg/m³ ✓ | 12.1 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Labuan Bajo or Manado?
- Manado is cheaper: about $1,000 per month versus $1,000 for one person.
- Is Labuan Bajo or Manado safer?
- Labuan Bajo scores higher on safety (67 vs 67), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Labuan Bajo or Manado?
- Labuan Bajo: a measured median of 9.5 Mbps versus 6.6 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More 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); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); 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 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.