---
title: "Napier vs Wellington for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/napier-vs-wellington
description: "Under balanced weights Wellington edges it, 68 to 66, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Napier is stronger on nothing outright; Wellington on getting there & around. 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
---

# Napier vs Wellington for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Wellington edges it, 68 to 66, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Napier is stronger on nothing outright; Wellington on getting there & around. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Napier | Wellington | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 18 | 26 | Wellington |
| Safety | 84 | 84 | tie |
| Healthcare | 90 | 90 | tie |
| Internet | 84 | 88 | Wellington |
| Visa ease | 42 | 42 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 41 | 56 | Wellington |
| Climate | 42 | 33 | Napier |
| Air quality | 94 | 100 | Wellington |
| Quality of life | 95 | 95 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Napier | Wellington | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,950 | $2,396 | Wellington |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $1,576 | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Napier | Wellington | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 1.46 | 1.46 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 86.3 | 86.3 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 89 | 89 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 82.2 yrs | 82.2 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Napier | Wellington | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 69.6 Mbps | 90.1 Mbps | Wellington |
| Upload | 60.9 Mbps | 68 Mbps | Wellington |

## Visa

| Metric | Napier | Wellington | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) | tie |
| 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 | Napier | Wellington | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 8 | 22 | Wellington |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 | Wellington |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Napier | Wellington | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 4 | Napier |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 7.7 µg/m³ | 5 µg/m³ | Wellington |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Napier or Wellington?

Wellington is cheaper: about $2,396 per month versus $2,950 for one person.

### Is Napier or Wellington 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 Wellington?

Wellington: a measured median of 90.1 Mbps versus 69.6 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Napier](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/napier) · [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); 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.

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