---
title: "Nanaimo vs Wellington for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/nanaimo-vs-wellington
description: "Under balanced weights Nanaimo edges it, 69 to 68, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Nanaimo is stronger on visa ease; Wellington on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.10.7 (2026-10-13)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Nanaimo vs Wellington for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Nanaimo edges it, 69 to 68, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Nanaimo is stronger on visa ease; Wellington on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Nanaimo | Wellington | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 19 | 26 | Wellington |
| Safety | 76 | 84 | Wellington |
| Healthcare | 91 | 90 | Nanaimo |
| Internet | 87 | 88 | Wellington |
| Visa ease | 58 | 42 | Nanaimo |
| Getting there & around | 62 | 56 | Nanaimo |
| Climate | 33 | 33 | tie |
| Air quality | 99 | 100 | Wellington |
| Quality of life | 95 | 95 | Nanaimo |

## Cost

| Metric | Nanaimo | Wellington | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,850 | $2,396 | Wellington |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $1,576 | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Nanaimo | Wellington | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 1.98 | 1.46 | Wellington |
| Political stability (0–100) | 79.8 | 86.3 | Wellington |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 92 | 89 | Nanaimo |
| Life expectancy | 81.6 yrs | 82.2 yrs | Wellington |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Nanaimo | Wellington | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 87.5 Mbps | 90.1 Mbps | Wellington |
| Upload | 52.9 Mbps | 68 Mbps | Wellington |

## Visa

| Metric | Nanaimo | Wellington | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | 180 days | eTA required (online, before travel) | Nanaimo |
| 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 | Nanaimo | Wellington | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 119 | 22 | Nanaimo |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 4 | Wellington |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 | Wellington |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Nanaimo | Wellington | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 4 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 5.5 µg/m³ | 5 µg/m³ | Wellington |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Nanaimo or Wellington?

Wellington is cheaper: about $2,396 per month versus $2,850 for one person.

### Is Nanaimo or Wellington safer?

Wellington scores higher on safety (84 vs 76), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Nanaimo or Wellington?

Wellington: a measured median of 90.1 Mbps versus 87.5 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Nanaimo](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/nanaimo) · [Wellington](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/wellington). 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.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/nanaimo-vs-wellington