---
title: "Tulum vs Zacatecas for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/tulum-vs-zacatecas
description: "Under balanced weights Tulum edges it, 63 to 61, winning 3 of the 9 factors. 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
---

# Tulum vs Zacatecas for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Tulum edges it, 63 to 61, winning 3 of the 9 factors. 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

- **Climate.** Tulum leads on climate, 75 to 67, against Zacatecas. Comfortable months: 9 vs 8.
- **Getting there & around.** Tulum leads on getting there & around, 29 to 21, against Zacatecas. Non-stop airport destinations: 133 vs 7.
- **Air quality.** Zacatecas leads on air quality, 100 to 93, against Tulum. PM2.5: 8 µg/m³ vs 4.8 µg/m³.

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

**Pick Tulum if you want** no clear edge over Zacatecas in the data.

**Pick Zacatecas if you want** no clear edge over Tulum in the data.

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

| Metric | Tulum | Zacatecas | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 58 | 58 | tie |
| Safety | 28 | 28 | tie |
| Healthcare | 75 | 75 | tie |
| Internet | 58 | 56 | Tulum |
| Visa ease | 90 | 90 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 29 | 21 | Tulum |
| Climate | 75 | 67 | Tulum |
| Air quality | 93 | 100 | Zacatecas |
| Quality of life | 57 | 57 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Tulum | Zacatecas | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,400 | $1,400 | tie |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $821 | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Tulum | Zacatecas | 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 | Tulum | Zacatecas | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 19.3 Mbps | 18.3 Mbps | Tulum |
| Upload | 8.8 Mbps | 6.4 Mbps | Tulum |

## Visa

| Metric | Tulum | Zacatecas | 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 | Tulum | Zacatecas | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 133 | 7 | Tulum |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 4 | Zacatecas |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 2 | Zacatecas |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Tulum | Zacatecas | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 9 | 8 | Tulum |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 8 µg/m³ | 4.8 µg/m³ | Zacatecas |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Tulum or Zacatecas?

Tulum and Zacatecas cost about the same: roughly $1,400 per month for one person.

### Is Tulum or Zacatecas safer?

Tulum and Zacatecas score the same on safety (28), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Tulum or Zacatecas?

Tulum: a measured median of 19.3 Mbps versus 18.3 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Tulum](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/tulum) · [Zacatecas](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/zacatecas). 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); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/tulum-vs-zacatecas