Punta del Este vs San Antonio
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights San Antonio edges it, 60 to 58, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Punta del Este is stronger on cost of living, safety; San Antonio on quality of life. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Texas's most affordable big city, with the River Walk
Full San Antonio profile →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Punta del Este | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 37 ✓ | 22 |
| Safety | 69 ✓ | 54 |
| Healthcare | 75 | 79 ✓ |
| Internet | no data | 80 |
| Visa ease | 46 | 53 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 18 ✓ | 16 |
| Climate | 58 ✓ | 50 |
| Air quality | 88 | 91 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 72 | 95 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Punta del Este | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,006 ✓ | $2,841 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $1,055 | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Punta del Este | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 9.2 | 5.8 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 87.7 ✓ | 64.3 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 85 | 88 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 75 yrs | 76.4 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Punta del Este | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Download | no data | 88.1 Mbps |
| Upload | no data | 15.8 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Punta del Este | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 90 days | unlimited ✓ |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | 90 days ✓ | visa or e-visa required |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 90 days ✓ | visa or e-visa required |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Punta del Este | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 19 | 39 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 ✓ | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Punta del Este | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 7 ✓ | 6 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 10.5 µg/m³ | 9 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Punta del Este or San Antonio?
- Punta del Este is cheaper: about $2,006 per month versus $2,841 for one person.
- Is Punta del Este or San Antonio safer?
- Punta del Este scores higher on safety (69 vs 54), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Punta del Este or San Antonio?
- M-Lab has no reliable measurement for one of the two cities.
More comparisons
- Punta del Este vs Montevideo
- Punta del Este vs Viña del Mar
- San Antonio vs Austin
- San Antonio vs Charleston
- All 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); 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); Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (all items). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.