Marrakech vs Shahrisabz
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Marrakech edges it, 46 to 44, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Marrakech is stronger on visa ease, getting there & around; Shahrisabz on internet. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Medina life with desert and mountains close
Full Marrakech profile →Plan a trip to Marrakech →Timur's birthplace, over a mountain pass from Samarkand
Full Shahrisabz profile →Plan a trip to Shahrisabz →Where they differ
- Visa ease. Marrakech leads on visa ease, 46 to 33, against Shahrisabz.
- Internet. Shahrisabz leads on internet, 52 to 39, against Marrakech. Measured download: 10.1 Mbps vs 12.2 Mbps.
- Getting there & around. Marrakech leads on getting there & around, 26 to 14, against Shahrisabz. Non-stop airport destinations: 112 vs 28.
Where they are close. Within five points on quality of life, climate.
Pick Marrakech if you want
- more flights and easier getting around
Pick Shahrisabz if you want
- faster internet (12.2 Mbps measured)
- the safer country figures
- stronger healthcare
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Marrakech | Shahrisabz |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 61 | no data |
| Safety | 61 | 70 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 67 | 74 ✓ |
| Internet | 39 | 52 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 46 ✓ | 33 |
| Getting there & around | 26 ✓ | 14 |
| Climate | 42 | 42 |
| Air quality | 27 ✓ | 21 |
| Quality of life | 46 ✓ | 44 |
Cost
| Metric | Marrakech | Shahrisabz |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,300 | no data |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $475 | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Marrakech | Shahrisabz |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 1.67 | 1.4 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 56.1 | 67.4 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 65 | 79 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 75.2 yrs ✓ | 74 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Marrakech | Shahrisabz |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 10.1 Mbps | 12.2 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 0.8 Mbps | 12.9 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Marrakech | Shahrisabz |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days ✓ | e-visa required |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days ✓ | 30 days |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days ✓ | 30 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Marrakech | Shahrisabz |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 112 ✓ | 28 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Marrakech | Shahrisabz |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 5 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 38 µg/m³ ✓ | 40.5 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Marrakech or Shahrisabz?
- We lack a monthly cost figure for one of the two cities.
- Is Marrakech or Shahrisabz safer?
- Shahrisabz 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 Shahrisabz?
- Shahrisabz: a measured median of 12.2 Mbps versus 10.1 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); 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. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.