---
title: "Lilongwe vs Paje (Zanzibar) for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/lilongwe-vs-paje
description: "Under balanced weights Lilongwe edges it, 42 to 41, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Lilongwe is stronger on internet, climate; Paje (Zanzibar) on getting there & around, quality of life. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Lilongwe vs Paje (Zanzibar) for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Lilongwe edges it, 42 to 41, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Lilongwe is stronger on internet, climate; Paje (Zanzibar) on getting there & around, quality of life. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Internet.** Lilongwe leads on internet, 39 to 13, against Paje (Zanzibar). Measured download: 8.4 Mbps vs 1.6 Mbps.
- **Climate.** Lilongwe leads on climate, 67 to 50, against Paje (Zanzibar). Comfortable months: 8 vs 6.
- **Getting there & around.** Paje (Zanzibar) leads on getting there & around, 15 to 2, against Lilongwe. Non-stop airport destinations: 11 vs 34.

Where they are close: within five points on healthcare, visa ease.

**Pick Lilongwe if you want** faster internet (8.4 Mbps measured); the safer country figures; a longer comfortable season (8 months against 6).

**Pick Paje (Zanzibar) if you want** more flights and easier getting around.

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

| Metric | Lilongwe | Paje (Zanzibar) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | no data | no data | — |
| Safety | 64 | 55 | Lilongwe |
| Healthcare | 44 | 48 | Paje (Zanzibar) |
| Internet | 39 | 13 | Lilongwe |
| Visa ease | 33 | 34 | Paje (Zanzibar) |
| Getting there & around | 2 | 15 | Paje (Zanzibar) |
| Climate | 67 | 50 | Lilongwe |
| Air quality | 76 | 83 | Paje (Zanzibar) |
| Quality of life | 15 | 26 | Paje (Zanzibar) |

## Cost

| Metric | Lilongwe | Paje (Zanzibar) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | no data | no data | — |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Lilongwe | Paje (Zanzibar) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 1.9 | 3.3 | Lilongwe |
| Political stability (0–100) | 62.7 | 57.3 | Lilongwe |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 52 | 49 | Lilongwe |
| Life expectancy | 64.3 yrs | 68.3 yrs | Paje (Zanzibar) |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Lilongwe | Paje (Zanzibar) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 8.4 Mbps | 1.6 Mbps | Lilongwe |
| Upload | 1.6 Mbps | 1.4 Mbps | Lilongwe |

## Visa

| Metric | Lilongwe | Paje (Zanzibar) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | 30 days | visa on arrival | Paje (Zanzibar) |
| Entry, EU passport | 30 days | visa on arrival | Paje (Zanzibar) |
| Entry, UK passport | 30 days | visa on arrival | Paje (Zanzibar) |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Lilongwe | Paje (Zanzibar) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 11 | 34 | Paje (Zanzibar) |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 3 | Paje (Zanzibar) |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Lilongwe | Paje (Zanzibar) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 8 | 6 | Lilongwe |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 15.6 µg/m³ | 12.5 µg/m³ | Paje (Zanzibar) |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Lilongwe or Paje (Zanzibar)?

We lack a monthly cost figure for one of the two cities.

### Is Lilongwe or Paje (Zanzibar) safer?

Lilongwe scores higher on safety (64 vs 55), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Lilongwe or Paje (Zanzibar)?

Lilongwe: a measured median of 8.4 Mbps versus 1.6 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Lilongwe](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/lilongwe) · [Paje (Zanzibar)](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/paje). 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); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/lilongwe-vs-paje