Port Louis vs Windhoek
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Port Louis edges it, 70 to 57, winning 8 of the 9 factors. Port Louis is stronger on internet, safety, climate; Windhoek on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Indian Ocean island with a one-year nomad visa
Full Port Louis profile →Plan a trip to Port Louis →Clean, safe base for Namibia's deserts
Full Windhoek profile →Plan a trip to Windhoek →Where they differ
- Internet. Port Louis leads on internet, 65 to 36, against Windhoek. Measured download: 30.1 Mbps vs 6.2 Mbps.
- Safety. Port Louis leads on safety, 75 to 56, against Windhoek. Homicides per 100,000: 2.67 vs 11.21.
- Climate. Port Louis leads on climate, 100 to 83, against Windhoek. Comfortable months: 12 vs 10.
Where they are close. Within five points on air quality, visa ease.
Pick Port Louis if you want
- faster internet (30.1 Mbps measured)
- the safer country figures
- stronger healthcare
- a longer comfortable season (12 months against 10)
Pick Windhoek if you want
- no clear edge over Port Louis in the data
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Port Louis | Windhoek |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 65 | no data |
| Safety | 75 ✓ | 56 |
| Healthcare | 71 ✓ | 54 |
| Internet | 65 ✓ | 36 |
| Visa ease | 77 ✓ | 76 |
| Getting there & around | 19 ✓ | 13 |
| Climate | 100 ✓ | 83 |
| Air quality | 90 ✓ | 87 |
| Quality of life | 69 ✓ | 54 |
Cost
| Metric | Port Louis | Windhoek |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,200 | no data |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Port Louis | Windhoek |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 2.67 ✓ | 11.21 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 81.9 ✓ | 78.6 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 75 ✓ | 66 |
| Life expectancy | 73.6 yrs ✓ | 65.7 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Port Louis | Windhoek |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 30.1 Mbps ✓ | 6.2 Mbps |
| Upload | 9.8 Mbps ✓ | 2.6 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Port Louis | Windhoek |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Premium Visa (long-stay remote work visa) | Digital nomad visa |
| Minimum income for the visa | $1,500/mo ✓ | $2,000/mo |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Port Louis | Windhoek |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 31 ✓ | 20 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 ✓ | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Port Louis | Windhoek |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 12 ✓ | 10 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 9.4 µg/m³ ✓ | 11 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Port Louis or Windhoek?
- We lack a monthly cost figure for one of the two cities.
- Is Port Louis or Windhoek safer?
- Port Louis scores higher on safety (75 vs 56), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Port Louis or Windhoek?
- Port Louis: a measured median of 30.1 Mbps versus 6.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Port Louis vs Flic en Flac
- Port Louis vs Grand Baie
- Windhoek vs Swakopmund
- Windhoek vs Mombasa
- All comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); 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); 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); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.