Lucca vs Siena
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Siena edges it, 68 to 66, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Lucca is stronger on nothing outright; Siena on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Flat walled town built for bicycles, 30 minutes from Pisa airport
Full Lucca profile →Where to stay in Lucca →Gothic hill town of the Palio, with Chianti at the door
Full Siena profile →Where to stay in Siena →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Lucca | Siena |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 28 | 28 |
| Safety | 81 | 81 |
| Healthcare | 86 | 86 |
| Internet | 59 | 62 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 81 | 81 |
| Getting there & around | 69 ✓ | 66 |
| Climate | 33 | 42 ✓ |
| Air quality | 81 | 84 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 80 | 80 |
Cost
| Metric | Lucca | Siena |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $2,300 | $2,300 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Lucca | Siena |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.57 | 0.57 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 73.6 | 73.6 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 82 | 82 |
| Life expectancy | 82.2 yrs | 82.2 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Lucca | Siena |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 23.2 Mbps | 25.5 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 6.4 Mbps | 9.2 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Lucca | Siena |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad and remote worker visa | Digital nomad and remote worker visa |
| Minimum income for the visa | $2,385/mo | $2,385/mo |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Lucca | Siena |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 82 | 99 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 5 ✓ | 4 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Lucca | Siena |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 5 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 13.5 µg/m³ | 12.4 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Lucca or Siena?
- Siena is cheaper: about $2,300 per month versus $2,300 for one person.
- Is Lucca or Siena safer?
- Lucca scores higher on safety (81 vs 81), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Lucca or Siena?
- Siena: a measured median of 25.5 Mbps versus 23.2 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); 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.