---
title: "Shillong vs Varkala for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/shillong-vs-varkala
description: "Under balanced weights the two cities tie at 51. Shillong is stronger on air quality; Varkala 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
---

# Shillong vs Varkala for digital nomads

Under balanced weights the two cities tie at 51. Shillong is stronger on air quality; Varkala on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Air quality.** Shillong leads on air quality, 84 to 66, against Varkala. PM2.5: 12 µg/m³ vs 20.1 µg/m³.
- **Getting there & around.** Varkala leads on getting there & around, 19 to 9, against Shillong. Non-stop airport destinations: 28 vs 25.
- **Climate.** Varkala leads on climate, 25 to 17, against Shillong. Comfortable months: 2 vs 3.

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

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

**Pick Varkala if you want** faster internet (29.2 Mbps measured).

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

| Metric | Shillong | Varkala | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 88 | 88 | tie |
| Safety | 55 | 55 | tie |
| Healthcare | 63 | 63 | tie |
| Internet | 63 | 66 | Varkala |
| Visa ease | 32 | 32 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 9 | 19 | Varkala |
| Climate | 17 | 25 | Varkala |
| Air quality | 84 | 66 | Shillong |
| Quality of life | 43 | 43 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Shillong | Varkala | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $750 | $750 | tie |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Shillong | Varkala | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 2.72 | 2.72 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 55 | 55 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 69 | 69 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 71 yrs | 71 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Shillong | Varkala | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 24.6 Mbps | 29.2 Mbps | Varkala |
| Upload | 14.1 Mbps | 16.1 Mbps | Varkala |

## Visa

| Metric | Shillong | Varkala | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | e-visa required | e-visa required | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | e-visa required | e-visa required | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | e-visa required | e-visa required | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Shillong | Varkala | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 28 | 25 | Shillong |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 4 | Varkala |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Shillong | Varkala | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 2 | 3 | Varkala |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 12 µg/m³ | 20.1 µg/m³ | Shillong |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Shillong or Varkala?

Shillong and Varkala cost about the same: roughly $750 per month for one person.

### Is Shillong or Varkala safer?

Shillong and Varkala score the same on safety (55), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Shillong or Varkala?

Varkala: a measured median of 29.2 Mbps versus 24.6 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Shillong](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/shillong) · [Varkala](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/varkala). 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); 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); Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/shillong-vs-varkala