---
title: "Semey vs Trincomalee for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/semey-vs-trincomalee
description: "Under balanced weights Trincomalee edges it, 55 to 54, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Semey is stronger on air quality; Trincomalee 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
---

# Semey vs Trincomalee for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Trincomalee edges it, 55 to 54, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Semey is stronger on air quality; Trincomalee on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Air quality.** Semey leads on air quality, 92 to 73, against Trincomalee. PM2.5: 8.7 µg/m³ vs 17.1 µg/m³.
- **Quality of life.** Semey leads on quality of life, 63 to 55, against Trincomalee.

Where they are close: within five points on healthcare, visa ease, getting there & around, internet, safety, climate.

**Pick Semey if you want** cleaner air.

**Pick Trincomalee if you want** no clear edge over Semey in the data.

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

| Metric | Semey | Trincomalee | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | no data | 88 | — |
| Safety | 61 | 63 | Trincomalee |
| Healthcare | 77 | 72 | Semey |
| Internet | 42 | 39 | Semey |
| Visa ease | 60 | 64 | Trincomalee |
| Getting there & around | 16 | 19 | Trincomalee |
| Climate | 25 | 25 | tie |
| Air quality | 92 | 73 | Semey |
| Quality of life | 63 | 55 | Semey |

## Cost

| Metric | Semey | Trincomalee | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | no data | $750 | — |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Semey | Trincomalee | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 2.55 | 2.51 | Trincomalee |
| Political stability (0–100) | 62 | 64.9 | Trincomalee |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 83 | 72 | Semey |
| Life expectancy | 74.8 yrs | 76.2 yrs | Trincomalee |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Semey | Trincomalee | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 7.4 Mbps | 7.8 Mbps | Trincomalee |
| Upload | 6.6 Mbps | 2.5 Mbps | Semey |

## Visa

| Metric | Semey | Trincomalee | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Neo Nomad visa (B12-1) | Digital nomad visa | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $3,000/mo | $2,000/mo | Trincomalee |
| Entry, US passport | 30 days | visa on arrival | Trincomalee |
| Entry, EU passport | 30 days | visa on arrival | Trincomalee |
| Entry, UK passport | 30 days | visa on arrival | Trincomalee |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Semey | Trincomalee | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 4 | 61 | Trincomalee |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 1 | Semey |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Semey | Trincomalee | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 3 | 3 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 8.7 µg/m³ | 17.1 µg/m³ | Semey |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Semey or Trincomalee?

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

### Is Semey or Trincomalee safer?

Trincomalee scores higher on safety (63 vs 61), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Semey or Trincomalee?

Trincomalee: a measured median of 7.8 Mbps versus 7.4 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Semey](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/semey) · [Trincomalee](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/trincomalee). 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/semey-vs-trincomalee