Pakse vs Yangon
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Pakse edges it, 47 to 41, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Pakse is stronger on safety, air quality; Yangon on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Southern Laos hub for the Bolaven Plateau and the 4,000 islands
Full Pakse profile →Plan a trip to Pakse →Myanmar's largest city, now largely off-limits under an ongoing civil conflict
Full Yangon profile →Plan a trip to Yangon →Where they differ
- Safety. Pakse leads on safety, 61 to 32, against Yangon. Homicides per 100,000: 6.4 vs 3.9.
- Air quality. Pakse leads on air quality, 54 to 43, against Yangon. PM2.5: 25.6 µg/m³ vs 30.7 µg/m³.
- Internet. Pakse leads on internet, 53 to 44, against Yangon. Measured download: 15.2 Mbps vs 8.1 Mbps.
Where they are close. Within five points on getting there & around, visa ease, cost of living, quality of life, climate.
Pick Pakse if you want
- faster internet (15.2 Mbps measured)
- the safer country figures
- stronger healthcare
- cleaner air
Pick Yangon if you want
- to spend about $19 less a month
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Pakse | Yangon |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 79 | 80 ✓ |
| Safety | 61 ✓ | 32 |
| Healthcare | 59 ✓ | 51 |
| Internet | 53 ✓ | 44 |
| Visa ease | 34 ✓ | 32 |
| Getting there & around | 11 | 14 ✓ |
| Climate | 42 | 42 |
| Air quality | 54 ✓ | 43 |
| Quality of life | 28 ✓ | 27 |
Cost
| Metric | Pakse | Yangon |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $900 | $881 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Pakse | Yangon |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 6.4 | 3.9 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 75.3 ✓ | 28.5 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 64 ✓ | 52 |
| Life expectancy | 69.7 yrs ✓ | 69.4 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Pakse | Yangon |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 15.2 Mbps ✓ | 8.1 Mbps |
| Upload | 6.9 Mbps | 8 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Pakse | Yangon |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival ✓ | e-visa required |
| Entry, EU passport | visa on arrival ✓ | e-visa required |
| Entry, UK passport | visa on arrival ✓ | e-visa required |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Pakse | Yangon |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 5 | 29 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 ✓ | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 2 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Pakse | Yangon |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 5 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 25.6 µg/m³ ✓ | 30.7 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Pakse or Yangon?
- Yangon is cheaper: about $881 per month versus $900 for one person.
- Is Pakse or Yangon safer?
- Pakse scores higher on safety (61 vs 32), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Pakse or Yangon?
- Pakse: a measured median of 15.2 Mbps versus 8.1 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); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; 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); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.