---
title: "Manaus vs San Martín de los Andes for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/manaus-vs-san-martin-de-los-andes
description: "Under balanced weights San Martín de los Andes edges it, 53 to 45, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Manaus is stronger on internet; San Martín de los Andes on air quality, safety, 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
---

# Manaus vs San Martín de los Andes for digital nomads

Under balanced weights San Martín de los Andes edges it, 53 to 45, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Manaus is stronger on internet; San Martín de los Andes on air quality, safety, quality of life. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Air quality.** San Martín de los Andes leads on air quality, 50 to 7, against Manaus. PM2.5: 47 µg/m³ vs 27.6 µg/m³.
- **Safety.** San Martín de los Andes leads on safety, 61 to 35, against Manaus. Homicides per 100,000: 18.69 vs 3.94.
- **Quality of life.** San Martín de los Andes leads on quality of life, 80 to 56, against Manaus.

Where they are close: within five points on getting there & around, healthcare.

**Pick Manaus if you want** faster internet (25 Mbps measured).

**Pick San Martín de los Andes if you want** to spend about $150 less a month; the safer country figures; cleaner air.

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

| Metric | Manaus | San Martín de los Andes | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 61 | 67 | San Martín de los Andes |
| Safety | 35 | 61 | San Martín de los Andes |
| Healthcare | 79 | 79 | Manaus |
| Internet | 63 | 49 | Manaus |
| Visa ease | 77 | 71 | Manaus |
| Getting there & around | 14 | 15 | San Martín de los Andes |
| Climate | 8 | 0 | Manaus |
| Air quality | 7 | 50 | San Martín de los Andes |
| Quality of life | 56 | 80 | San Martín de los Andes |

## Cost

| Metric | Manaus | San Martín de los Andes | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,300 | $1,150 | San Martín de los Andes |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Manaus | San Martín de los Andes | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 18.69 | 3.94 | San Martín de los Andes |
| Political stability (0–100) | 58.9 | 68.4 | San Martín de los Andes |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 84 | 80 | Manaus |
| Life expectancy | 75.9 yrs | 77.2 yrs | San Martín de los Andes |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Manaus | San Martín de los Andes | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 25 Mbps | 11.7 Mbps | Manaus |
| Upload | 13.2 Mbps | 7 Mbps | Manaus |

## Visa

| Metric | Manaus | San Martín de los Andes | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad temporary visa (VITEM XIV) | Digital nomad transitory residence | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $1,500/mo | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Manaus | San Martín de los Andes | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 26 | 3 | Manaus |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 4 | San Martín de los Andes |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 1 | Manaus |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Manaus | San Martín de los Andes | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 1 | 0 | Manaus |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 47 µg/m³ | 27.6 µg/m³ | San Martín de los Andes |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Manaus or San Martín de los Andes?

San Martín de los Andes is cheaper: about $1,150 per month versus $1,300 for one person.

### Is Manaus or San Martín de los Andes safer?

San Martín de los Andes scores higher on safety (61 vs 35), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Manaus or San Martín de los Andes?

Manaus: a measured median of 25 Mbps versus 11.7 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Manaus](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/manaus) · [San Martín de los Andes](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/san-martin-de-los-andes). 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.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/manaus-vs-san-martin-de-los-andes