---
title: "Memphis vs San Bernardino for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/memphis-vs-san-bernardino
description: "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."
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# 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.

## 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 | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 25 | 18 | Memphis |
| Safety | 51 | 51 | tie |
| Healthcare | 85 | 85 | tie |
| Internet | 74 | 81 | San Bernardino |
| Visa ease | 61 | 61 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 10 | 14 | San Bernardino |
| Climate | 58 | 58 | tie |
| Air quality | 92 | 90 | Memphis |
| Quality of life | 96 | 96 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Memphis | San Bernardino | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,765 | $3,193 | Memphis |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Memphis | San Bernardino | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 5.76 | 5.76 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 60.3 | 60.3 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 88 | 88 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 78.5 yrs | 78.5 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Memphis | San Bernardino | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 56.2 Mbps | 85.6 Mbps | San Bernardino |
| Upload | 11.1 Mbps | 11.5 Mbps | San Bernardino |

## Visa

| Metric | Memphis | San Bernardino | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | home country | home country | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Memphis | San Bernardino | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 36 | 29 | Memphis |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 2 | San Bernardino |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Memphis | San Bernardino | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 7 | 7 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 8.4 µg/m³ | 9.6 µg/m³ | Memphis |

## FAQ

### 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).

City pages: [Memphis](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/memphis) · [San Bernardino](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/san-bernardino). 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.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/memphis-vs-san-bernardino