Medan vs Shahrisabz
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Medan edges it, 47 to 44, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Medan is stronger on visa ease; Shahrisabz on climate. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
North Sumatra's big, hectic city and the road to Lake Toba
Full Medan profile →Plan a trip to Medan →Timur's birthplace, over a mountain pass from Samarkand
Full Shahrisabz profile →Plan a trip to Shahrisabz →Where they differ
- Visa ease. Medan leads on visa ease, 54 to 33, against Shahrisabz.
- Climate. Shahrisabz leads on climate, 42 to 25, against Medan. Comfortable months: 3 vs 5.
- Healthcare. Shahrisabz leads on healthcare, 74 to 65, against Medan. Health coverage index: 67 vs 79.
Where they are close. Within five points on quality of life, safety, air quality, getting there & around, internet.
Pick Medan if you want
- faster internet (14.4 Mbps measured)
- a dedicated digital-nomad visa
Pick Shahrisabz if you want
- stronger healthcare
- a longer comfortable season (5 months against 3)
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Medan | Shahrisabz |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 74 | no data |
| Safety | 67 | 70 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 65 | 74 ✓ |
| Internet | 52 | 52 |
| Visa ease | 54 ✓ | 33 |
| Getting there & around | 14 | 14 ✓ |
| Climate | 25 | 42 ✓ |
| Air quality | 22 ✓ | 21 |
| Quality of life | 49 ✓ | 44 |
Cost
| Metric | Medan | Shahrisabz |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,000 | no data |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Medan | Shahrisabz |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.41 ✓ | 1.4 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 52.7 | 67.4 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 67 | 79 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 72.7 yrs | 74 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Medan | Shahrisabz |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 14.4 Mbps ✓ | 12.2 Mbps |
| Upload | 6.5 Mbps | 12.9 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Medan | Shahrisabz |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Remote worker visa (E33G) ✓ | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | $5,000/mo | no data |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival ✓ | e-visa required |
| Entry, EU passport | visa on arrival ✓ | 30 days |
| Entry, UK passport | visa on arrival ✓ | 30 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Medan | Shahrisabz |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 26 | 28 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 ✓ | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Medan | Shahrisabz |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 3 | 5 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 39.9 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, Medan or Shahrisabz?
- We lack a monthly cost figure for one of the two cities.
- Is Medan or Shahrisabz safer?
- Shahrisabz scores higher on safety (70 vs 67), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Medan or Shahrisabz?
- Medan: a measured median of 14.4 Mbps versus 12.2 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); 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 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.