---
title: "Alor Setar vs Langkawi for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/alor-setar-vs-langkawi
description: "Under balanced weights the two cities tie at 62. Neither leads on any factor by 10 points or more. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Alor Setar vs Langkawi for digital nomads

Under balanced weights the two cities tie at 62. Neither leads on any factor by 10 points or more. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Climate.** Alor Setar leads on climate, 25 to 17, against Langkawi. Comfortable months: 3 vs 2.
- **Air quality.** Langkawi leads on air quality, 81 to 73, against Alor Setar. PM2.5: 17.3 µg/m³ vs 13.7 µg/m³.

Where they are close: within five points on internet, getting there & around, cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.

**Pick Alor Setar if you want** no clear edge over Langkawi in the data.

**Pick Langkawi if you want** faster internet (68.2 Mbps measured).

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Alor Setar | Langkawi | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 72 | 72 | tie |
| Safety | 78 | 78 | tie |
| Healthcare | 75 | 75 | tie |
| Internet | 79 | 82 | Langkawi |
| Visa ease | 76 | 76 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 5 | 6 | Langkawi |
| Climate | 25 | 17 | Alor Setar |
| Air quality | 73 | 81 | Langkawi |
| Quality of life | 74 | 74 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Alor Setar | Langkawi | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,050 | $1,050 | tie |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Alor Setar | Langkawi | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.69 | 0.69 | tie |
| Political stability (0–100) | 71.6 | 71.6 | tie |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 80 | 80 | tie |
| Life expectancy | 74.6 yrs | 74.6 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Alor Setar | Langkawi | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 57.7 Mbps | 68.2 Mbps | Langkawi |
| Upload | 33.7 Mbps | 41.7 Mbps | Langkawi |

## Visa

| Metric | Alor Setar | Langkawi | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | DE Rantau Nomad Pass | DE Rantau Nomad Pass | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $2,000/mo | $2,000/mo | tie |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Alor Setar | Langkawi | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 3 | 8 | Langkawi |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Alor Setar | Langkawi | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 3 | 2 | Alor Setar |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 17.3 µg/m³ | 13.7 µg/m³ | Langkawi |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Alor Setar or Langkawi?

Alor Setar and Langkawi cost about the same: roughly $1,050 per month for one person.

### Is Alor Setar or Langkawi safer?

Alor Setar and Langkawi score the same on safety (78), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Alor Setar or Langkawi?

Langkawi: a measured median of 68.2 Mbps versus 57.7 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Alor Setar](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/alor-setar) · [Langkawi](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/langkawi). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/alor-setar-vs-langkawi