Lamu vs Tétouan
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights the two cities tie at 55. Lamu is stronger on visa ease; Tétouan on safety, healthcare. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Car-free Swahili island town, a UNESCO site of donkeys and dhows
Full Lamu profile →Plan a trip to Lamu →Andalusian white medina between the Rif and the Mediterranean
Full Tétouan profile →Plan a trip to Tétouan →Where they differ
- Safety. Tétouan leads on safety, 61 to 43, against Lamu. Homicides per 100,000: 4.65 vs 1.67.
- Visa ease. Lamu leads on visa ease, 63 to 46, against Tétouan.
- Healthcare. Tétouan leads on healthcare, 67 to 51, against Lamu. Health coverage index: 57 vs 65.
Where they are close. Within five points on internet, air quality, quality of life, climate.
Pick Lamu if you want
- to spend about $200 less a month
- a dedicated digital-nomad visa
Pick Tétouan if you want
- the safer country figures
- stronger healthcare
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Lamu | Tétouan |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 70 ✓ | 61 |
| Safety | 43 | 61 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 51 | 67 ✓ |
| Internet | 42 ✓ | 38 |
| Visa ease | 63 ✓ | 46 |
| Getting there & around | 21 | 27 ✓ |
| Climate | 58 | 58 |
| Air quality | 96 ✓ | 92 |
| Quality of life | 49 ✓ | 46 |
Cost
| Metric | Lamu | Tétouan |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,100 ✓ | $1,300 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Lamu | Tétouan |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 4.65 | 1.67 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 46 | 56.1 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 57 | 65 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 67.6 yrs | 75.2 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Lamu | Tétouan |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 8.5 Mbps | 9.7 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 4 Mbps ✓ | 0.8 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Lamu | Tétouan |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad work permit (Class N) ✓ | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | $4,583/mo | no data |
| Entry, US passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | 90 days ✓ |
| Entry, EU passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | 90 days ✓ |
| Entry, UK passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | 90 days ✓ |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Lamu | Tétouan |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 4 | 49 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 5 ✓ | 4 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 2 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Lamu | Tétouan |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 7 | 7 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 6.9 µg/m³ ✓ | 8.4 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Lamu or Tétouan?
- Lamu is cheaper: about $1,100 per month versus $1,300 for one person.
- Is Lamu or Tétouan safer?
- Tétouan scores higher on safety (61 vs 43), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Lamu or Tétouan?
- Tétouan: a measured median of 9.7 Mbps versus 8.5 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More 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); 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.