Montpellier vs San Sebastián
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights San Sebastián edges it, 71 to 68, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Montpellier is stronger on nothing outright; San Sebastián on internet. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Montpellier | San Sebastián |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 28 | 33 ✓ |
| Safety | 69 | 77 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 85 | 87 ✓ |
| Internet | 78 | 88 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 90 | 90 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 41 ✓ | 41 |
| Climate | 50 | 50 |
| Air quality | 88 | 92 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 80 ✓ | 80 |
Cost
| Metric | Montpellier | San Sebastián |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $2,450 | $2,200 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Montpellier | San Sebastián |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 1 | 0.5 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 61.8 | 65.8 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 82 | 84 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 81.9 yrs | 82.7 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Montpellier | San Sebastián |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 62.3 Mbps | 93.8 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 43.5 Mbps | 86 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Montpellier | San Sebastián |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | International Telework Visa (Digital Nomad, Ley 14/2013 amended Dec 2022) ✓ |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | $2,714/mo |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Montpellier | San Sebastián |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 40 | 75 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 5 | 5 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 4 ✓ | 3 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Montpellier | San Sebastián |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 6 | 6 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 10.4 µg/m³ | 8.6 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Montpellier or San Sebastián?
- San Sebastián is cheaper: about $2,200 per month versus $2,450 for one person.
- Is Montpellier or San Sebastián safer?
- San Sebastián scores higher on safety (77 vs 69), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Montpellier or San Sebastián?
- San Sebastián: a measured median of 93.8 Mbps versus 62.3 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
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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); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; 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). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.