Nairobi vs Port Louis
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Port Louis edges it, 71 to 58, winning 7 of the 9 factors. Nairobi is stronger on nothing outright; Port Louis on safety, internet, quality of life. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
East Africa's startup hub with safari weekends
Full Nairobi profile →Where to stay in Nairobi →Indian Ocean island with a one-year nomad visa
Full Port Louis profile →Where to stay in Port Louis →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Nairobi | Port Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 55 ✓ | 52 |
| Safety | 43 | 75 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 48 | 68 ✓ |
| Internet | 43 | 65 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 63 | 77 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 45 | 49 ✓ |
| Climate | 100 | 100 |
| Air quality | 82 | 90 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 44 | 66 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Nairobi | Port Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,127 ✓ | $1,230 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $541 | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Nairobi | Port Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 4.65 | 2.67 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 46 | 81.9 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 57 | 75 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 66.8 yrs | 73.4 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Nairobi | Port Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 8.9 Mbps | 30.1 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 4.1 Mbps | 9.8 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Nairobi | Port Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad work permit (Class N) | Premium Visa (long-stay remote work visa) |
| Minimum income for the visa | $4,583/mo | $1,500/mo ✓ |
| Entry, US passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | 90 days ✓ |
| Entry, EU passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | 90 days ✓ |
| Entry, UK passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | 90 days ✓ |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Nairobi | Port Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 58 ✓ | 31 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 3 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Nairobi | Port Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 12 | 12 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 13.1 µg/m³ | 9.4 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Nairobi or Port Louis?
- Nairobi is cheaper: about $1,127 per month versus $1,230 for one person.
- Is Nairobi or Port Louis safer?
- Port Louis scores higher on safety (75 vs 43), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Nairobi or Port Louis?
- Port Louis: a measured median of 30.1 Mbps versus 8.9 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Nairobi vs Mombasa
- Nairobi vs Watamu
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Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); 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.