Medan vs Ulaanbaatar
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Medan edges it, 47 to 39, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Medan is stronger on air quality, climate, visa ease; Ulaanbaatar on nothing outright. 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 →Where to stay in Medan →World's coldest capital, with the steppe at the edge of town
Full Ulaanbaatar profile →Where to stay in Ulaanbaatar →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Medan | Ulaanbaatar |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 60 ✓ | 46 |
| Safety | 67 ✓ | 62 |
| Healthcare | 56 | 61 ✓ |
| Internet | 52 ✓ | 40 |
| Visa ease | 54 ✓ | 38 |
| Getting there & around | 42 | 45 ✓ |
| Climate | 25 ✓ | 8 |
| Air quality | 22 ✓ | 0 |
| Quality of life | 45 | 48 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Medan | Ulaanbaatar |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,000 ✓ | $1,435 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Medan | Ulaanbaatar |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.41 ✓ | 5.64 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 52.7 | 75.5 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 67 | 70 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 68.3 yrs | 70.1 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Medan | Ulaanbaatar |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 14.4 Mbps ✓ | 7 Mbps |
| Upload | 6.5 Mbps ✓ | 4.3 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Medan | Ulaanbaatar |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Remote worker visa (E33G) ✓ | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | $5,000/mo | no data |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival | 90 days ✓ |
| Entry, EU passport | visa on arrival ✓ | 30 days |
| Entry, UK passport | visa on arrival ✓ | 30 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Medan | Ulaanbaatar |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 26 | 35 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Medan | Ulaanbaatar |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 3 ✓ | 1 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 39.9 µg/m³ ✓ | 60 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Medan or Ulaanbaatar?
- Medan is cheaper: about $1,000 per month versus $1,435 for one person.
- Is Medan or Ulaanbaatar safer?
- Medan scores higher on safety (67 vs 62), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Medan or Ulaanbaatar?
- Medan: a measured median of 14.4 Mbps versus 7 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); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.