Nairobi vs Ubud (Bali)
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Ubud (Bali) edges it, 50 to 46, winning 7 of the 9 factors. Nairobi is stronger on climate; Ubud (Bali) on visa ease, safety. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Nairobi | Ubud (Bali) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 61 | 65 ✓ |
| Safety | 35 | 50 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 45 | 53 ✓ |
| Internet | 33 | no data |
| Visa ease | 6 | 22 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 13 | 14 ✓ |
| Climate | 100 ✓ | 67 |
| Air quality | 82 | 85 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 43 | 45 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Nairobi | Ubud (Bali) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,146 | $1,042 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $541 ✓ | $739 |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Nairobi | Ubud (Bali) |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 5.8 | 4.1 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 42.7 | 55.5 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 57 | 67 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 66.8 yrs | 68.3 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Nairobi | Ubud (Bali) |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 8.9 Mbps | no data |
| Upload | 4.1 Mbps | no data |
Visa
| Metric | Nairobi | Ubud (Bali) |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | Visa Rumah Kedua Pekerja Jarak Jauh ✓ |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | $4,998/mo |
| Visa-free days, US passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Nairobi | Ubud (Bali) |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 58 | 65 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 2 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 ✓ | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Nairobi | Ubud (Bali) |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 12 ✓ | 8 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 13.1 µg/m³ | 11.9 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Nairobi or Ubud (Bali)?
- Ubud (Bali) is cheaper: about $1,042 per month versus $1,146 for one person.
- Is Nairobi or Ubud (Bali) safer?
- Ubud (Bali) scores higher on safety (50 vs 35), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Nairobi or Ubud (Bali)?
- M-Lab has no reliable measurement for one of the two cities.
More comparisons
- Nairobi vs Mombasa
- Nairobi vs Dar es Salaam
- Ubud (Bali) vs Canggu (Bali)
- Ubud (Bali) vs Yogyakarta
- All comparisons
Sources: 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); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.