Hoi An vs Oaxaca

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.

Oaxaca, Mexico
🇲🇽Mexico

Oaxaca

73Freedom Score#38Global rank$1,108Per month

Mexico's culinary capital — mole, mezcal, and colonial streets at ultra-low cost, with a fast-growing slow-travel nomad scene.

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 AnOaxaca
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,050✓$1,108
Rent, 1BR city centre$400✓$498
Meal, mid-range$6✓$8
Coworking deskper month$100$99✓
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper40.024.6✓

Quality of life

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

MeasureHoi AnOaxaca
Safety
82
57
Healthcare
48
55
Walkability
88
75
English spoken
35
50
Food & dining
82
95
Nightlife
45
65
Outdoors
70
66
Nomad community
58
60
Climate quality
75
90
Public transit
40
45

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureHoi AnOaxaca
Freedom Score71/10073/100✓
Global rankof 100 cities#43#38✓
Internet45 Mbps✓35 Mbps
Average temperature79°F68°F
Air quality40/10042/100✓
Airport connectivity35/10042/100✓
Nomad visa45 days freeMexico DN visa
Headline tax rateon local income20%15%

Which should you choose?

Choose Hoi An if runs $58/mo cheaper, rent is $98/mo lower, internet is faster at 45 Mbps and it scores higher on safety (82 vs 57).

Choose Oaxaca if English is more widely spoken, the climate scores better, the nomad community is larger and the headline tax rate is lower.

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

Oaxaca

  • Legendary food scene — mole, mezcal, and street markets
  • Among the cheapest cities on this list — under $1,200/mo
  • US market opens 8:30am local — early-bird trading
  • Colonial UNESCO centre, walkable and deeply cultural

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for digital nomads: Hoi An or Oaxaca?
Oaxaca scores higher on the Freedom Score (73/100 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: Hoi An or Oaxaca?
Hoi An is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $1,050 against $1,108, a difference of $58 a month or about $696 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $400/mo in Hoi An versus $498/mo in Oaxaca.
Which is safer: Hoi An or Oaxaca?
Hoi An scores higher on safety, 82/100 against 57/100. 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 Oaxaca?
Hoi An averages 45 Mbps and Oaxaca averages 35 Mbps, so Hoi An has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Hoi An or Oaxaca?
Hoi An sits in Vietnam (45 days free) and Oaxaca in Mexico (Mexico DN visa). 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.