Todos Santos vs Zihuatanejo
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Todos Santos edges it, 63 to 61, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Todos Santos is stronger on nothing outright; Zihuatanejo on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Desert art town between Baja's Pacific surf and Cabo's airport
Full Todos Santos profile →Hotels in Mexico →Fishing-town bay beside the Ixtapa resort strip
Full Zihuatanejo profile →Where to stay in Zihuatanejo →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Todos Santos | Zihuatanejo |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 47 | 47 |
| Safety | 28 | 28 |
| Healthcare | 67 | 67 |
| Internet | 64 | 65 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 90 | 90 |
| Getting there & around | 51 ✓ | 43 |
| Climate | 75 ✓ | 67 |
| Air quality | 90 ✓ | 86 |
| Quality of life | 54 | 54 |
Cost
| Metric | Todos Santos | Zihuatanejo |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,400 | $1,400 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Todos Santos | Zihuatanejo |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 25.64 | 25.64 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 55 | 55 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 79 | 79 |
| Life expectancy | 70.8 yrs | 70.8 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Todos Santos | Zihuatanejo |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 26 Mbps | 32.1 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 12.6 Mbps ✓ | 7.9 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Todos Santos | Zihuatanejo |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 180 days | 180 days |
| Entry, EU passport | 180 days | 180 days |
| Entry, UK passport | 180 days | 180 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Todos Santos | Zihuatanejo |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 59 ✓ | 17 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 2 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Todos Santos | Zihuatanejo |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 9 ✓ | 8 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 9.6 µg/m³ ✓ | 11.4 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Todos Santos or Zihuatanejo?
- Zihuatanejo is cheaper: about $1,400 per month versus $1,400 for one person.
- Is Todos Santos or Zihuatanejo safer?
- Todos Santos scores higher on safety (28 vs 28), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Todos Santos or Zihuatanejo?
- Zihuatanejo: a measured median of 32.1 Mbps versus 26 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Todos Santos vs Mazatlán
- Todos Santos vs Ensenada
- Zihuatanejo vs Mazatlán
- Zihuatanejo vs Ensenada
- All comparisons
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. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.