Nanaimo vs Victoria
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Nanaimo edges it, 69 to 67, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Nanaimo is stronger on nothing outright; Victoria on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Vancouver Island's affordable harbour city, a ferry from Vancouver
Full Nanaimo profile →Hotels in Canada →Canada's mildest city, on Vancouver Island
Full Victoria profile →Where to stay in Victoria →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Nanaimo | Victoria |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 19 | 19 |
| Safety | 76 | 76 |
| Healthcare | 91 | 91 |
| Internet | 87 ✓ | 87 |
| Visa ease | 58 | 58 |
| Getting there & around | 62 ✓ | 58 |
| Climate | 33 ✓ | 25 |
| Air quality | 99 ✓ | 98 |
| Quality of life | 95 | 95 |
Cost
| Metric | Nanaimo | Victoria |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $2,850 | $2,850 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Nanaimo | Victoria |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 1.98 | 1.98 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 79.8 | 79.8 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 92 | 92 |
| Life expectancy | 81.6 yrs | 81.6 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Nanaimo | Victoria |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 87.5 Mbps | 88.4 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 52.9 Mbps ✓ | 47.2 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Nanaimo | Victoria |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 180 days | 180 days |
| 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 | Nanaimo | Victoria |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 119 ✓ | 16 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 5 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Nanaimo | Victoria |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 4 ✓ | 3 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 5.5 µg/m³ ✓ | 6 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Nanaimo or Victoria?
- Victoria is cheaper: about $2,850 per month versus $2,850 for one person.
- Is Nanaimo or Victoria safer?
- Nanaimo scores higher on safety (76 vs 76), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Nanaimo or Victoria?
- Victoria: a measured median of 88.4 Mbps versus 87.5 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More 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); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.