Pokhara vs Sylhet
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Pokhara edges it, 46 to 42, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Pokhara is stronger on internet; Sylhet on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Tea-garden city of northeast Bangladesh with deep UK links
Full Sylhet profile →Plan a trip to Sylhet →Where they differ
- Internet. Pokhara leads on internet, 56 to 44, against Sylhet. Measured download: 14.7 Mbps vs 8.3 Mbps.
- Air quality. Pokhara leads on air quality, 31 to 21, against Sylhet. PM2.5: 36.1 µg/m³ vs 40.5 µg/m³.
- Cost of living. Pokhara leads on cost of living, 85 to 77, against Sylhet. Monthly cost, one person: $800 vs $950.
Where they are close. Within five points on safety, healthcare, visa ease, climate.
Pick Pokhara if you want
- to spend about $150 less a month
- faster internet (14.7 Mbps measured)
Pick Sylhet if you want
- no clear edge over Pokhara in the data
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Pokhara | Sylhet |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 85 ✓ | 77 |
| Safety | 60 ✓ | 55 |
| Healthcare | 58 ✓ | 57 |
| Internet | 56 ✓ | 44 |
| Visa ease | 34 | 34 |
| Getting there & around | 12 ✓ | 7 |
| Climate | 42 | 42 |
| Air quality | 31 ✓ | 21 |
| Quality of life | 35 | 43 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Pokhara | Sylhet |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $800 ✓ | $950 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Pokhara | Sylhet |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 2.13 | 1.76 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 57.8 ✓ | 49.1 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 58 ✓ | 54 |
| Life expectancy | 72.1 yrs | 72.7 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Pokhara | Sylhet |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 14.7 Mbps ✓ | 8.3 Mbps |
| Upload | 15.8 Mbps ✓ | 7.7 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Pokhara | Sylhet |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
| Entry, EU passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
| Entry, UK passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Pokhara | Sylhet |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 12 ✓ | 11 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 ✓ | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Pokhara | Sylhet |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 5 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 36.1 µg/m³ ✓ | 40.5 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Pokhara or Sylhet?
- Pokhara is cheaper: about $800 per month versus $950 for one person.
- Is Pokhara or Sylhet safer?
- Pokhara scores higher on safety (60 vs 55), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Pokhara or Sylhet?
- Pokhara: a measured median of 14.7 Mbps versus 8.3 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); 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. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.