---
title: "Willemstad vs Zihuatanejo for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/willemstad-vs-zihuatanejo
description: "Under balanced weights Willemstad edges it, 63 to 60, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Willemstad is stronger on nothing outright; Zihuatanejo on visa ease. 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
---

# Willemstad vs Zihuatanejo for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Willemstad edges it, 63 to 60, winning 2 of the 9 factors. Willemstad is stronger on nothing outright; Zihuatanejo on visa ease. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Visa ease.** Zihuatanejo leads on visa ease, 90 to 77, against Willemstad.

Where they are close: within five points on internet, air quality, getting there & around, climate.

**Pick Willemstad if you want** a dedicated digital-nomad visa.

**Pick Zihuatanejo if you want** the safer country figures; stronger healthcare.

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

| Metric | Willemstad | Zihuatanejo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | no data | 58 | — |
| Safety | no data | 28 | — |
| Healthcare | no data | 75 | — |
| Internet | 67 | 65 | Willemstad |
| Visa ease | 77 | 90 | Zihuatanejo |
| Getting there & around | 18 | 17 | Willemstad |
| Climate | 67 | 67 | tie |
| Air quality | 84 | 86 | Zihuatanejo |
| Quality of life | no data | 57 | — |

## Cost

| Metric | Willemstad | Zihuatanejo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | no data | $1,400 | — |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Willemstad | Zihuatanejo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | no data | 25.64 | — |
| Political stability (0–100) | no data | 55 | — |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | no data | 79 | — |
| Life expectancy | no data | 75.3 yrs | — |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Willemstad | Zihuatanejo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 36.6 Mbps | 32.1 Mbps | Willemstad |
| Upload | 9.3 Mbps | 7.9 Mbps | Willemstad |

## Visa

| Metric | Willemstad | Zihuatanejo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | @HOME in Curaçao remote-worker permit | none listed | Willemstad |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 180 days | Zihuatanejo |
| Entry, EU passport | unlimited | 180 days | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 180 days | Zihuatanejo |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Willemstad | Zihuatanejo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 21 | 17 | Willemstad |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Willemstad | Zihuatanejo | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 8 | 8 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 12.2 µg/m³ | 11.4 µg/m³ | Zihuatanejo |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Willemstad or Zihuatanejo?

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

### Is Willemstad or Zihuatanejo safer?

Safety data is missing for one of the two cities.

### Where is the internet faster, Willemstad or Zihuatanejo?

Willemstad: a measured median of 36.6 Mbps versus 32.1 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Willemstad](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/willemstad) · [Zihuatanejo](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/zihuatanejo). 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); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; 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/willemstad-vs-zihuatanejo