Memphis vs San Bernardino
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights San Bernardino edges it, 62 to 61, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Neither leads on any factor by 10 points or more. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Blues and barbecue on the Mississippi, with very low rents
Full Memphis profile →Plan a trip to Memphis →Inland Empire hub at the foot of the San Bernardino Mountains
Full San Bernardino profile →Plan a trip to San Bernardino →Where they differ
- Cost of living. Memphis leads on cost of living, 25 to 18, against San Bernardino. Monthly cost, one person: $2,765 vs $3,193.
- Internet. San Bernardino leads on internet, 81 to 74, against Memphis. Measured download: 56.2 Mbps vs 85.6 Mbps.
Where they are close. Within five points on getting there & around, air quality, safety, healthcare, visa ease, climate, quality of life.
Pick Memphis if you want
- to spend about $428 less a month
Pick San Bernardino if you want
- faster internet (85.6 Mbps measured)
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Memphis | San Bernardino |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 25 ✓ | 18 |
| Safety | 51 | 51 |
| Healthcare | 85 | 85 |
| Internet | 74 | 81 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 61 | 61 |
| Getting there & around | 10 | 14 ✓ |
| Climate | 58 | 58 |
| Air quality | 92 ✓ | 90 |
| Quality of life | 96 | 96 |
Cost
| Metric | Memphis | San Bernardino |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,765 ✓ | $3,193 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Memphis | San Bernardino |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 5.76 | 5.76 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 60.3 | 60.3 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 88 | 88 |
| Life expectancy | 78.5 yrs | 78.5 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Memphis | San Bernardino |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 56.2 Mbps | 85.6 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 11.1 Mbps | 11.5 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Memphis | San Bernardino |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | home country | home country |
| Entry, EU passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
| Entry, UK passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Memphis | San Bernardino |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 36 ✓ | 29 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 2 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Memphis | San Bernardino |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 7 | 7 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 8.4 µg/m³ ✓ | 9.6 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Memphis or San Bernardino?
- Memphis is cheaper: about $2,765 per month versus $3,193 for one person.
- Is Memphis or San Bernardino safer?
- Memphis and San Bernardino score the same on safety (51), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Memphis or San Bernardino?
- San Bernardino: a measured median of 85.6 Mbps versus 56.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Memphis vs Birmingham (Alabama)
- Memphis vs Rincón (Puerto Rico)
- San Bernardino vs Rincón (Puerto Rico)
- San Bernardino vs San Diego
- All 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); 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); Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (all items); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.