---
title: "San Miguel de Allende vs Tampico for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/san-miguel-de-allende-vs-tampico
description: "Under balanced weights the two cities tie at 60. Neither leads on any factor by 10 points or more. 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
---

# San Miguel de Allende vs Tampico for digital nomads

Under balanced weights the two cities tie at 60. Neither leads on any factor by 10 points or more. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Internet.** Tampico leads on internet, 69 to 61, against San Miguel de Allende. Measured download: 25 Mbps vs 37.4 Mbps.
- **Getting there & around.** San Miguel de Allende leads on getting there & around, 23 to 16, against Tampico. Non-stop airport destinations: 22 vs 8.

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

**Pick San Miguel de Allende if you want** no clear edge over Tampico in the data.

**Pick Tampico if you want** faster internet (37.4 Mbps measured).

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

| Metric | San Miguel de Allende | Tampico | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 58 | 58 | tie |
| Safety | 28 | 28 | tie |
| Healthcare | 75 | 75 | tie |
| Internet | 61 | 69 | Tampico |
| Visa ease | 90 | 90 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 23 | 16 | San Miguel de Allende |
| Climate | 67 | 67 | tie |
| Air quality | 80 | 80 | San Miguel de Allende |
| Quality of life | 57 | 57 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | San Miguel de Allende | Tampico | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,400 | $1,400 | tie |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | San Miguel de Allende | Tampico | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 25.64 | 25.64 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 55 | 55 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 79 | 79 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 75.3 yrs | 75.3 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | San Miguel de Allende | Tampico | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 25 Mbps | 37.4 Mbps | Tampico |
| Upload | 7.8 Mbps | 15.1 Mbps | Tampico |

## Visa

| Metric | San Miguel de Allende | Tampico | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | 180 days | 180 days | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | 180 days | 180 days | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | 180 days | 180 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | San Miguel de Allende | Tampico | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 22 | 8 | San Miguel de Allende |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 5 | 3 | San Miguel de Allende |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 2 | Tampico |

## Climate and air

| Metric | San Miguel de Allende | Tampico | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 8 | 8 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 13.9 µg/m³ | 14 µg/m³ | San Miguel de Allende |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, San Miguel de Allende or Tampico?

San Miguel de Allende and Tampico cost about the same: roughly $1,400 per month for one person.

### Is San Miguel de Allende or Tampico safer?

San Miguel de Allende and Tampico score the same on safety (28), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, San Miguel de Allende or Tampico?

Tampico: a measured median of 37.4 Mbps versus 25 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [San Miguel de Allende](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/san-miguel-de-allende) · [Tampico](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/tampico). 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); 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); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/san-miguel-de-allende-vs-tampico