---
title: "Salvador vs Vilcabamba for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/salvador-vs-vilcabamba
description: "Under balanced weights Salvador edges it, 63 to 60, winning 7 of the 9 factors. Salvador is stronger on safety, getting there & around; Vilcabamba 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
---

# Salvador vs Vilcabamba for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Salvador edges it, 63 to 60, winning 7 of the 9 factors. Salvador is stronger on safety, getting there & around; Vilcabamba on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Safety.** Salvador leads on safety, 35 to 23, against Vilcabamba. Homicides per 100,000: 18.69 vs 38.94.
- **Getting there & around.** Salvador leads on getting there & around, 25 to 15, against Vilcabamba. Non-stop airport destinations: 37 vs 1.
- **Climate.** Vilcabamba leads on climate, 100 to 92, against Salvador. Comfortable months: 11 vs 12.

Where they are close: within five points on air quality, cost of living, healthcare, quality of life, visa ease.

**Pick Salvador if you want** to spend about $50 less a month; faster internet (26.7 Mbps measured); the safer country figures; more flights and easier getting around.

**Pick Vilcabamba if you want** no clear edge over Salvador in the data.

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

| Metric | Salvador | Vilcabamba | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 61 | 60 | Salvador |
| Safety | 35 | 23 | Salvador |
| Healthcare | 79 | 78 | Salvador |
| Internet | 64 | 59 | Salvador |
| Visa ease | 77 | 78 | Vilcabamba |
| Getting there & around | 25 | 15 | Salvador |
| Climate | 92 | 100 | Vilcabamba |
| Air quality | 78 | 73 | Salvador |
| Quality of life | 56 | 55 | Salvador |

## Cost

| Metric | Salvador | Vilcabamba | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,300 | $1,350 | Salvador |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Salvador | Vilcabamba | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 18.69 | 38.94 | Salvador |
| Political stability (0–100) | 58.9 | 54.4 | Salvador |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 84 | 78 | Salvador |
| Life expectancy | 75.9 yrs | 77.6 yrs | Vilcabamba |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Salvador | Vilcabamba | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 26.7 Mbps | 18.8 Mbps | Salvador |
| Upload | 14.6 Mbps | 15.8 Mbps | Vilcabamba |

## Visa

| Metric | Salvador | Vilcabamba | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad temporary visa (VITEM XIV) | Digital nomad temporary residence visa (rentista for remote work) | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $1,500/mo | $1,446/mo | Vilcabamba |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Salvador | Vilcabamba | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 37 | 1 | Salvador |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 4 | Vilcabamba |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 1 | Salvador |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Salvador | Vilcabamba | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 11 | 12 | Vilcabamba |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 15.1 µg/m³ | 17.1 µg/m³ | Salvador |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Salvador or Vilcabamba?

Salvador is cheaper: about $1,300 per month versus $1,350 for one person.

### Is Salvador or Vilcabamba safer?

Salvador scores higher on safety (35 vs 23), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Salvador or Vilcabamba?

Salvador: a measured median of 26.7 Mbps versus 18.8 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Salvador](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/salvador) · [Vilcabamba](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/vilcabamba). 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.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/salvador-vs-vilcabamba