NavoyNostos

Lucknow vs Rishikesh

for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Lucknow edges it, 44 to 44, winning 1 of the 9 factors. Lucknow is stronger on getting there & around; Rishikesh on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

Cost of living: 7.9 of 44 points (scores 71/100)Safety: 6.1 of 44 points (scores 55/100)Healthcare: 6.2 of 44 points (scores 56/100)Internet: 6.3 of 44 points (scores 56/100)Visa ease: 3.6 of 44 points (scores 32/100)Getting there & around: 4.9 of 44 points (scores 44/100)Climate: 4.6 of 44 points (scores 42/100)Air quality: 0.0 of 44 points (scores 0/100)Quality of life: 4.3 of 44 points (scores 39/100)44
Lucknow
out of 100

Nawabi capital of Uttar Pradesh: kebabs, chikan embroidery and a new metro

Full Lucknow profile →Hotels in India →
Cost of living: 7.9 of 43 points (scores 71/100)Safety: 6.1 of 43 points (scores 55/100)Healthcare: 6.2 of 43 points (scores 56/100)Internet: 7.3 of 43 points (scores 66/100)Visa ease: 3.6 of 43 points (scores 32/100)Getting there & around: 3.4 of 43 points (scores 31/100)Climate: 4.6 of 43 points (scores 42/100)Air quality: 0.0 of 43 points (scores 0/100)Quality of life: 4.3 of 43 points (scores 39/100)44
Rishikesh
out of 100

Yoga capital on the Ganges at the foot of the Himalaya

Full Rishikesh profile →Hotels in India →

Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

MetricLucknowRishikesh
Cost of living7171
Safety5555
Healthcare5656
Internet5666 ✓
Visa ease3232
Getting there & around44 ✓31
Climate4242
Air quality00
Quality of life3939

Cost

MetricLucknowRishikesh
Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city$750$750
Central one-bedroom rentno datano data

Safety and health (country-level)

MetricLucknowRishikesh
Homicides per 100k2.722.72
Political stability (0–100)5555
UHC service coverage (0–100)6969
Life expectancy67.3 yrs67.3 yrs

Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

MetricLucknowRishikesh
Download21.3 Mbps27.9 Mbps ✓
Upload4.2 Mbps17.2 Mbps ✓

Visa

MetricLucknowRishikesh
Nomad visanone listednone listed
Minimum income for the visano datano data
Entry, US passporte-visa requirede-visa required
Entry, EU passporte-visa requirede-visa required
Entry, UK passporte-visa requirede-visa required

Getting there and around

MetricLucknowRishikesh
Non-stop airport destinations19 ✓8
Walkability (1–5, editorial)23 ✓
Transit (1–5, editorial)3 ✓1

Climate and air

MetricLucknowRishikesh
Comfortable months per year55
Annual mean PM2.580 µg/m³76 µg/m³ ✓

✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.

Frequently asked

Which is cheaper, Lucknow or Rishikesh?
Rishikesh is cheaper: about $750 per month versus $750 for one person.
Is Lucknow or Rishikesh safer?
Lucknow scores higher on safety (55 vs 55), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
Where is the internet faster, Lucknow or Rishikesh?
Rishikesh: a measured median of 27.9 Mbps versus 21.3 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); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); 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. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.