Pokhara vs Pune
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Pune edges it, 40 to 39, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Pokhara is stronger on air quality, safety; Pune on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Pokhara | Pune |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 75 | 80 ✓ |
| Safety | 59 ✓ | 49 |
| Healthcare | 51 | 53 ✓ |
| Internet | 47 | 57 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 6 | 6 |
| Getting there & around | 10 | 12 ✓ |
| Climate | 42 | 50 ✓ |
| Air quality | 31 ✓ | 11 |
| Quality of life | 29 | 38 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Pokhara | Pune |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $833 | $750 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Pokhara | Pune |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 2.3 ✓ | 3.6 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 58.8 ✓ | 52.5 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 58 | 69 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 70 yrs ✓ | 67.3 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Pokhara | Pune |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 14.7 Mbps | 29.8 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 15.8 Mbps ✓ | 7.7 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Pokhara | Pune |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Visa-free days, US passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Pokhara | Pune |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 1 | 12 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 ✓ | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 2 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Pokhara | Pune |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 6 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 36.1 µg/m³ ✓ | 45 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Pokhara or Pune?
- Pune is cheaper: about $750 per month versus $833 for one person.
- Is Pokhara or Pune safer?
- Pokhara scores higher on safety (59 vs 49), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Pokhara or Pune?
- Pune: a measured median of 29.8 Mbps versus 14.7 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; 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); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.