---
title: "Quetzaltenango vs Skardu for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/quetzaltenango-vs-skardu
description: "Under balanced weights Quetzaltenango edges it, 47 to 33, winning 8 of the 9 factors. Quetzaltenango is stronger on internet, getting there & around, climate; Skardu on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Quetzaltenango vs Skardu for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Quetzaltenango edges it, 47 to 33, winning 8 of the 9 factors. Quetzaltenango is stronger on internet, getting there & around, climate; Skardu on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Internet.** Quetzaltenango leads on internet, 50 to 27, against Skardu. Measured download: 13.1 Mbps vs 3.6 Mbps.
- **Getting there & around.** Quetzaltenango leads on getting there & around, 23 to 6, against Skardu. Non-stop airport destinations: 20 vs 4.
- **Climate.** Quetzaltenango leads on climate, 17 to 0, against Skardu. Comfortable months: 2 vs 0.

Where they are close: within five points on visa ease, safety.

**Pick Quetzaltenango if you want** faster internet (13.1 Mbps measured); stronger healthcare; a longer comfortable season (2 months against 0); more flights and easier getting around.

**Pick Skardu if you want** no clear edge over Quetzaltenango in the data.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Quetzaltenango | Skardu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 63 | no data | — |
| Safety | 35 | 33 | Quetzaltenango |
| Healthcare | 58 | 52 | Quetzaltenango |
| Internet | 50 | 27 | Quetzaltenango |
| Visa ease | 46 | 42 | Quetzaltenango |
| Getting there & around | 23 | 6 | Quetzaltenango |
| Climate | 17 | 0 | Quetzaltenango |
| Air quality | 88 | 78 | Quetzaltenango |
| Quality of life | 40 | 24 | Quetzaltenango |

## Cost

| Metric | Quetzaltenango | Skardu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,250 | no data | — |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Quetzaltenango | Skardu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 22.76 | 4.33 | Skardu |
| Political stability (0–100) | 61.9 | 31.4 | Quetzaltenango |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 58 | 56 | Quetzaltenango |
| Life expectancy | 71.6 yrs | 68.2 yrs | Quetzaltenango |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Quetzaltenango | Skardu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 13.1 Mbps | 3.6 Mbps | Quetzaltenango |
| Upload | 5.2 Mbps | 1.9 Mbps | Quetzaltenango |

## Visa

| Metric | Quetzaltenango | Skardu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | eTA required (online, before travel) | Quetzaltenango |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | eTA required (online, before travel) | Quetzaltenango |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | eTA required (online, before travel) | Quetzaltenango |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Quetzaltenango | Skardu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 20 | 4 | Quetzaltenango |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 2 | Quetzaltenango |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 1 | Quetzaltenango |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Quetzaltenango | Skardu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 2 | 0 | Quetzaltenango |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 10.6 µg/m³ | 14.7 µg/m³ | Quetzaltenango |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Quetzaltenango or Skardu?

We lack a monthly cost figure for one of the two cities.

### Is Quetzaltenango or Skardu safer?

Quetzaltenango scores higher on safety (35 vs 33), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Quetzaltenango or Skardu?

Quetzaltenango: a measured median of 13.1 Mbps versus 3.6 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Quetzaltenango](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/quetzaltenango) · [Skardu](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/skardu). 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); 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.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/quetzaltenango-vs-skardu