Bali vs Hoi An

Real cost of living, rent, internet, safety and visa terms for both cities, side by side — then open the interactive tool to weight them against your own priorities.

Bali, Indonesia
🇮🇩Indonesia

Bali

83Freedom Score#11Global rank$1,200Per month

Bali combines spiritual beauty, a world-leading coworking scene, and low cost of living into one of the most beloved nomad islands on earth.

Hoi An, Vietnam
🇻🇳Vietnam

Hoi An

71Freedom Score#43Global rank$1,050Per month

A UNESCO lantern-lit old town between rice paddies and the river — Vietnam's most picturesque base, with 45-day visa-free and rock-bottom costs.

The short answer

Compare these two in the full toolBoth cities pre-loaded — add your income and priorities to get a personal match score

Cost of living

Monthly figures for one person. Rent, meals and coworking are measured values, not shares of the total budget.

ExpenseBaliHoi An
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,200$1,050✓
Rent, 1BR city centre$900$400✓
Meal, mid-range$3✓$6
Coworking deskper month$150$100✓
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper35.4✓40.0

Quality of life

Scored 0–100 on the same attributes the match engine weights, so these agree with the interactive tool.

MeasureBaliHoi An
Safety
70
82
Healthcare
60
48
Walkability
60
88
English spoken
75
35
Food & dining
80
82
Nightlife
80
45
Outdoors
92
70
Nomad community
100
58
Climate quality
80
75
Public transit
80
40

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureBaliHoi An
Freedom Score83/100✓71/100
Global rankof 100 cities#11✓#43
Internet100 Mbps✓45 Mbps
Average temperature82°F79°F
Air quality70/100✓40/100
Airport connectivity70/100✓35/100
Nomad visa60 days45 days free
Headline tax rateon local income10%20%

Which should you choose?

Choose Bali if internet is faster at 100 Mbps, English is more widely spoken, the climate scores better and the nomad community is larger.

Choose Hoi An if runs $150/mo cheaper, rent is $500/mo lower, it scores higher on safety (82 vs 70) and it is more walkable.

What each city is known for

Bali

  • Biggest coworking density of any island on the planet
  • 0% tax on foreign-sourced income for most nomads
  • Massive global nomad community — instant social circle
  • Canggu & Seminyak: luxury villa lifestyle at startup prices

Hoi An

  • UNESCO old town of lanterns and tailors
  • 45-day visa-free for Westerners
  • Among the cheapest nomad towns
  • Rice paddies and river beaches

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for digital nomads: Bali or Hoi An?
Bali scores higher on the Freedom Score (83/100 against 71/100), which makes it the stronger all-round base. That is an average, though — if cost, climate or community is what actually decides it for you, the tables above will point the other way as often as not.
Which is cheaper: Bali or Hoi An?
Hoi An is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $1,050 against $1,200, a difference of $150 a month or about $1,800 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $900/mo in Bali versus $400/mo in Hoi An.
Which is safer: Bali or Hoi An?
Hoi An scores higher on safety, 82/100 against 70/100. Safety scores blend crime levels, political stability and healthcare access, and they describe a city as a whole — individual neighbourhoods vary far more than the headline number suggests.
How fast is the internet in Bali and Hoi An?
Bali averages 100 Mbps and Hoi An averages 45 Mbps, so Bali has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Bali or Hoi An?
Bali sits in Indonesia (60 days) and Hoi An in Vietnam (45 days free). Requirements, income floors and processing times change often, so check the visa and residency guide before you commit to either.
Open the interactive comparison

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Cost, connectivity and quality-of-life figures come from the YourLifeMatch city dataset. Where a value is not confirmed it reads n.a. rather than an estimate. Figures are for planning, not professional advice.