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Africa · Sub-Saharan

🇸🇸 South Sudan

#201 of 203 overall~$630/mo (single)

South Sudan is the world's youngest country (independent 2011) but has been mired in conflict since — a 2013–18 civil war, fragile peace and do-not-travel advisories. Its draws are extraordinary yet almost inaccessible: the Boma–Bandingilo antelope migration reportedly rivals the Serengeti's but is virtually unknown, and the Mundari cattle-camp cultures are mesmerising. Juba is an expensive aid-hub with minimal infrastructure, so it's an expedition frontier for the very few, not a travel-easy or nomad destination — the dry December–March season is academic given the security situation.

Nomad quick facts

Cost (single)

$630/mo

Cost (couple)

$1010/mo

Internet speed

Safety

3.117 (#183 of 190)

Public transit

Limited

Best months

Dec–Mar

Digital nomad visa

Not available

Nomad score

30.2 / 100

Score breakdown

96Cost
8Internet
15Safety
20Tourism
12Visa

Cost of living

96/ 100 score

South Sudan provides low baseline day-to-day living costs outside high-end international NGO and diplomatic compounds. Remote workers in Juba maintain lower monthly burn rates by securing standard residential housing outside luxury zones.

Estimated monthly cost

Single

$630/mo

Couple

$1,010/mo

Local spending breakdown

Housing & utilities

$5/mo

Food & groceries

$74/mo

Dining & hotels

$0/mo

Score is based off objective cost-of-living data with World Bank and C2ER Cost of Living Index. The limitation of this data is that it tracks spending of locals, which will be far less than travelers. We applied a nomad-realistic monthly cost estimate to make the amount more accurate. Prices displayed in USD.

World Bank figures reflect national average consumption, which can run high in countries with large wealth gaps (e.g. the US) — the nomad estimate aims to correct for this. Likewise, lower CoL countries will have very low local spending figures, and will not reflect the spending patterns of travelers or nomads.

Sources: C2ER Cost of Living Index · World Bank ICP 2021 · Independent nomad cost estimates

Internet

8/ 100 score

South Sudan is lacking official internet performance data, while limited infrastructure, power shortages and recurring network disruptions make dependable remote work difficult; Juba offers the best connectivity.

Blends download speed (Ookla Speedtest Global Index) with upload speed and latency (Cloudflare Radar). Speeds are scored between 10 Mbps (0) and 200 Mbps (100); latency counts the opposite way — lower is better. A missing metric doesn't penalize a country, it's scored on whatever data is available.

A national average — city and neighbourhood speeds vary, especially outside major hubs.

Sources: Ookla Speedtest Global Index · Cloudflare Radar

Safety

15/ 100 score

South Sudan has experienced ongoing conflict and political instability since gaining independence in 2011, with Juba and the rest of the country carrying serious safety risk and very limited infrastructure; this isn't currently a viable destination for nomads.

Global safety rank

#183 of 190

Peace Index score

3.12 (lower = safer)

Blends three published safety indices: the Global Peace Index, the WJP Rule of Law Index (Order & Security factor), and the Gallup Global Law and Order Index. Each is rescaled 0-100 and combined with weights favoring GPI and Gallup slightly over WJP. Not every country is tracked by all three — the blend adjusts to whichever are available (weights are renormalized) rather than penalizing a country for a missing source, though a country tracked by fewer sources carries lower confidence.

As this is national average data, be aware that safety varies significantly by city and region within a country.

Sources: Global Peace Index (Institute for Economics & Peace) · WJP Rule of Law Index (World Justice Project) · Gallup Global Law and Order Index

Tourism & infrastructure

20/ 100 score

The Boma–Bandingilo antelope migration reportedly rivals the Serengeti's, and the Mundari cattle-camp cultures are genuinely mesmerizing, though almost entirely inaccessible in practice. Ongoing conflict and minimal infrastructure make this an expedition frontier for the very few rather than a travel-easy or nomad destination.

Within-city transit

Limited

Between-city transit

Limited

Climate

Tropical; hot year-round with a long wet season Apr–Nov and a hot dry season.

Best months: Dec–Mar

Transit

South Sudan, the world's youngest country, has virtually no formal transit or passenger rail. Juba relies on 'boda-boda' motorbike taxis and minibuses, cheap but informal, and most roads are unpaved and impassable in the rainy season. Intercity travel depends on rugged 4x4 convoys, riverboats and flights, and insecurity restricts movement. Getting around is difficult and shaped by safety.

A weighted blend of published indices: the World Economic Forum's Tourism Development Index (weighted highest — the strongest predictor of appeal), Numbeo's Quality of Life Index, the World Happiness Report, Gallup's day-to-day enjoyment data, the EF English Proficiency Index, and a public transit assessment covering both within-city and between-city transport. Not every country is scored on all six — the blend adjusts to whichever are available rather than penalizing a country for a missing one.

Sources: WEF Tourism Development Index · Numbeo Quality of Life Index · World Happiness Report · Gallup · EF English Proficiency Index · Public transit assessment

Visa & entry

Tourist entry — USA passport

Visa required — 30 days

Digital nomad visa

Visa and immigration laws are rapidly changing, always double-check official sources. Tax figures are estimated only — actual liability depends on your residency status, income structure, and tax treaties. Consult a tax professional prior to travel.

Top cities for nomads in South Sudan

JubaCapital & Largest

Capital & largest; a hot, fast-growing but chaotic city on the White Nile; the aid & government hub.

WauPopular

Western second city; an old riverside trading & rail town with colonial-era churches.

Boma–BandingiloHidden Gem

Parks hosting one of Africa's largest antelope migrations (white-eared kob & tiang).

Sudd WetlandsHidden Gem

One of the world's biggest freshwater swamps on the White Nile, rich in birdlife & Nilotic cattle-camp cultures.

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