---
title: "Marrakech vs Samarkand for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/marrakech-vs-samarkand
description: "Under balanced weights Samarkand edges it, 49 to 47, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Marrakech is stronger on visa ease; Samarkand on internet. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.10.7 (2026-10-13)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Marrakech vs Samarkand for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Samarkand edges it, 49 to 47, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Marrakech is stronger on visa ease; Samarkand on internet. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Marrakech | Samarkand | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 49 | no data | — |
| Safety | 61 | 70 | Samarkand |
| Healthcare | 61 | 69 | Samarkand |
| Internet | 39 | 58 | Samarkand |
| Visa ease | 46 | 33 | Marrakech |
| Getting there & around | 57 | 48 | Marrakech |
| Climate | 42 | 42 | tie |
| Air quality | 27 | 32 | Samarkand |
| Quality of life | 43 | 41 | Marrakech |

## Cost

| Metric | Marrakech | Samarkand | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,332 | no data | — |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $483 | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Marrakech | Samarkand | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 1.67 | 1.4 | Samarkand |
| Political stability (0–100) | 56.1 | 67.4 | Samarkand |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 65 | 79 | Samarkand |
| Life expectancy | 72.6 yrs | 72.2 yrs | Marrakech |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Marrakech | Samarkand | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 10.1 Mbps | 16.3 Mbps | Samarkand |
| Upload | 0.8 Mbps | 18.5 Mbps | Samarkand |

## Visa

| Metric | Marrakech | Samarkand | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | e-visa required | Marrakech |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 30 days | Marrakech |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 30 days | Marrakech |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Marrakech | Samarkand | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 118 | 28 | Marrakech |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 2 | Samarkand |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Marrakech | Samarkand | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 5 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 38 µg/m³ | 35.8 µg/m³ | Samarkand |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Marrakech or Samarkand?

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

### Is Marrakech or Samarkand safer?

Samarkand scores higher on safety (70 vs 61), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Marrakech or Samarkand?

Samarkand: a measured median of 16.3 Mbps versus 10.1 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Marrakech](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/marrakech) · [Samarkand](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/samarkand). 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); 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); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/marrakech-vs-samarkand