Hoi An vs Lombok

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.

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.

Lombok, Indonesia
🇮🇩Indonesia

Lombok

70Freedom Score#47Global rank$536Per month

Bali's quieter, rawer neighbour — pristine beaches, world-class surf, volcano trekking, and a rapidly growing nomad scene at a fraction of Bali's prices.

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.

ExpenseHoi AnLombok
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,050$536✓
Rent, 1BR city centre$400$332✓
Meal, mid-range$6✓$10
Coworking deskper month$100$49✓
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper40.022.0✓

Quality of life

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

MeasureHoi AnLombok
Safety
82
60
Healthcare
48
40
Walkability
88
40
English spoken
35
40
Food & dining
82
70
Nightlife
45
50
Outdoors
70
90
Nomad community
58
50
Climate quality
75
82
Public transit
40
30

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureHoi AnLombok
Freedom Score71/100✓70/100
Global rankof 100 cities#43✓#47
Internet45 Mbps46 Mbps✓
Average temperature79°F82°F
Air quality40/10048/100✓
Airport connectivity35/10060/100✓
Nomad visa45 days free60 days
Headline tax rateon local income20%0%

Which should you choose?

Choose Hoi An if it scores higher on safety (82 vs 60), it is more walkable and the nomad community is larger.

Choose Lombok if runs $514/mo cheaper, rent is $68/mo lower, internet is faster at 46 Mbps and English is more widely spoken.

What each city is known for

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

Lombok

  • Lowest cost of living of any beach destination on this list
  • Selong Belanak: one of the world's most perfect surf breaks
  • Gili Islands 30 minutes by boat — no motorised vehicles
  • Mount Rinjani trek: one of Southeast Asia's best hikes

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for digital nomads: Hoi An or Lombok?
Hoi An scores higher on the Freedom Score (71/100 against 70/100), 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: Hoi An or Lombok?
Lombok is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $536 against $1,050, a difference of $514 a month or about $6,168 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $400/mo in Hoi An versus $332/mo in Lombok.
Which is safer: Hoi An or Lombok?
Hoi An scores higher on safety, 82/100 against 60/100. 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 Hoi An and Lombok?
Hoi An averages 45 Mbps and Lombok averages 46 Mbps, so Lombok has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Hoi An or Lombok?
Hoi An sits in Vietnam (45 days free) and Lombok in Indonesia (60 days). 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.