Port Blair vs Shillong
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Port Blair edges it, 52 to 51, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Neither leads on any factor by 10 points or more. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Andaman Islands capital, with ferries to Havelock's beaches and reefs
Full Port Blair profile →Plan a trip to Port Blair →Pine-clad hill capital of the northeast with a live-music scene
Full Shillong profile →Plan a trip to Shillong →Where they differ
- Air quality. Shillong leads on air quality, 84 to 75, against Port Blair. PM2.5: 16.3 µg/m³ vs 12 µg/m³.
- Climate. Port Blair leads on climate, 25 to 17, against Shillong. Comfortable months: 3 vs 2.
- Getting there & around. Port Blair leads on getting there & around, 16 to 9, against Shillong. Non-stop airport destinations: 7 vs 28.
Where they are close. Within five points on internet, cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.
Pick Port Blair if you want
- faster internet (29.1 Mbps measured)
Pick Shillong if you want
- no clear edge over Port Blair in the data
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Port Blair | Shillong |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 88 | 88 |
| Safety | 55 | 55 |
| Healthcare | 63 | 63 |
| Internet | 66 ✓ | 63 |
| Visa ease | 32 | 32 |
| Getting there & around | 16 ✓ | 9 |
| Climate | 25 ✓ | 17 |
| Air quality | 75 | 84 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 43 | 43 |
Cost
| Metric | Port Blair | Shillong |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $750 | $750 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Port Blair | Shillong |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 2.72 | 2.72 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 55 | 55 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 69 | 69 |
| Life expectancy | 71 yrs | 71 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Port Blair | Shillong |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 29.1 Mbps ✓ | 24.6 Mbps |
| Upload | 18.7 Mbps ✓ | 14.1 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Port Blair | Shillong |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | e-visa required | e-visa required |
| Entry, EU passport | e-visa required | e-visa required |
| Entry, UK passport | e-visa required | e-visa required |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Port Blair | Shillong |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 7 | 28 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 ✓ | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 ✓ | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Port Blair | Shillong |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 3 ✓ | 2 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 16.3 µg/m³ | 12 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Port Blair or Shillong?
- Port Blair and Shillong cost about the same: roughly $750 per month for one person.
- Is Port Blair or Shillong safer?
- Port Blair and Shillong score the same on safety (55), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Port Blair or Shillong?
- Port Blair: a measured median of 29.1 Mbps versus 24.6 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.