Napier vs New Plymouth
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Napier edges it, 66 to 63, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Napier is stronger on getting there & around; New Plymouth on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Art Deco city on sunny Hawke's Bay, with wineries on the doorstep
Full Napier profile →Where to stay in Napier →Taranaki's surf city under a volcano, far from everywhere
Full New Plymouth profile →Where to stay in New Plymouth →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Napier | New Plymouth |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 18 | 18 |
| Safety | 84 | 84 |
| Healthcare | 90 | 90 |
| Internet | 84 ✓ | 81 |
| Visa ease | 42 | 42 |
| Getting there & around | 41 ✓ | 26 |
| Climate | 42 ✓ | 33 |
| Air quality | 94 | 95 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 95 | 95 |
Cost
| Metric | Napier | New Plymouth |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $2,950 | $2,950 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Napier | New Plymouth |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 1.46 | 1.46 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 86.3 | 86.3 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 89 | 89 |
| Life expectancy | 82.2 yrs | 82.2 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Napier | New Plymouth |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 69.6 Mbps ✓ | 56.5 Mbps |
| Upload | 60.9 Mbps ✓ | 60.2 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Napier | New Plymouth |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
| 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 | Napier | New Plymouth |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 8 ✓ | 3 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 ✓ | 3 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Napier | New Plymouth |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 5 ✓ | 4 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 7.7 µg/m³ | 7.4 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Napier or New Plymouth?
- New Plymouth is cheaper: about $2,950 per month versus $2,950 for one person.
- Is Napier or New Plymouth safer?
- Napier scores higher on safety (84 vs 84), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Napier or New Plymouth?
- Napier: a measured median of 69.6 Mbps versus 56.5 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Napier vs Hamilton (New Zealand)
- Napier vs Tauranga
- New Plymouth vs Rotorua
- New Plymouth vs Taupō
- All 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); 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); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.