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Africa · Sub-Saharan

🇸🇩 Sudan

#194 of 203 overall~$1050/mo (single)

Sudan holds astonishing, almost tourist-free archaeology — the Nubian pyramids of Meroë actually outnumber Egypt's — and was known for genuine hospitality. But since April 2023 it has been engulfed in a catastrophic civil war between rival generals (SAF and RSF), devastating Khartoum and triggering one of the world's largest humanitarian crises, with blanket do-not-travel advisories. It is not a travel or nomad destination in any sense right now; the cooler November–February season is irrelevant until the war ends.

Nomad quick facts

Cost (single)

$1050/mo

Cost (couple)

$1680/mo

Internet speed

Safety

3.323 (#188 of 190)

Public transit

Limited

Best months

Nov–Feb

Digital nomad visa

Not available

Nomad score

39 / 100

Score breakdown

89Cost
15Internet
13Safety
18Tourism
60Visa

Cost of living

89/ 100 score

Sudan offers low operational living expenses for foreign currency holders, keeping baseline market costs low. Nomads manage daily expenditures by choosing long-term residential accommodation outside primary commercial centers.

Estimated monthly cost

Single

$1,050/mo

Couple

$1,680/mo

Local spending breakdown

Housing & utilities

$9/mo

Food & groceries

$41/mo

Dining & hotels

$2/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

15/ 100 score

Sudan is lacking official internet performance data, while the ongoing war has severely damaged both electricity and telecom infrastructure; frequent blackouts make reliable remote work impractical.

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

13/ 100 score

Sudan has been in an active civil war since April 2023, with fighting between the army and the Rapid Support Forces devastating Khartoum and Omdurman and displacing millions; this isn't currently a safe or viable destination for nomads.

Global safety rank

#188 of 190

Peace Index score

3.32 (lower = safer)

WJP Rule of Law rank

#133 of 143

WJP Rule of Law score

0.5 (higher = 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

18/ 100 score

The Nubian pyramids of Meroë actually outnumber Egypt's, reflecting almost tourist-free archaeology once genuinely worth the trip. Since April 2023, though, a catastrophic civil war has devastated Khartoum, and this isn't a travel or nomad destination in any sense right now.

English Proficiency Index

421.0

Within-city transit

Limited

Between-city transit

Limited

Climate

Desert to semi-arid; extremely hot, with brief southern rains Jun–Sep and dusty winds.

Best months: Nov–Feb

Transit

Sudan's transit has been devastated by the civil war that erupted in 2023. Before the conflict, Khartoum relied on minibuses, buses and 'amjad' rickshaws, cheap but informal, with a largely defunct railway. Movement is now severely restricted by fighting and displacement across much of the country. Where travel is possible it is by shared vehicle; safety is the overriding concern.

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 Sudan

KhartoumCapital

Capital; at the meeting of the Blue & White Niles; heavily damaged and largely emptied by the ongoing war.

OmdurmanLargest City

The historic twin city across the Nile (national largest by some counts); old souq & Sufi dervish traditions; also war-hit.

Port SudanPopular

Red Sea port that became the wartime seat of government; the country's main functioning gateway.

MeroëHidden Gem

A field of steep Nubian pyramids in the desert north; a UNESCO site rivalling Egypt's, almost tourist-free.

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