Banda Aceh vs Gili Trawangan
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights the two cities tie at 57. Banda Aceh is stronger on internet; Gili Trawangan on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Aceh's capital, rebuilt after the 2004 tsunami, and the gateway to Weh Island
Full Banda Aceh profile →Plan a trip to Banda Aceh →Car-free party island off Lombok with turtles in the shallows
Full Gili Trawangan profile →Plan a trip to Gili Trawangan →Where they differ
- Internet. Banda Aceh leads on internet, 52 to 37, against Gili Trawangan. Measured download: 15.8 Mbps vs 6.2 Mbps.
- Air quality. Gili Trawangan leads on air quality, 84 to 76, against Banda Aceh. PM2.5: 16 µg/m³ vs 12.2 µg/m³.
- Getting there & around. Gili Trawangan leads on getting there & around, 22 to 16, against Banda Aceh. Non-stop airport destinations: 9 vs 13.
Where they are close. Within five points on cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, climate, quality of life.
Pick Banda Aceh if you want
- faster internet (15.8 Mbps measured)
Pick Gili Trawangan if you want
- no clear edge over Banda Aceh in the data
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Banda Aceh | Gili Trawangan |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 74 | 74 |
| Safety | 67 | 67 |
| Healthcare | 65 | 65 |
| Internet | 52 ✓ | 37 |
| Visa ease | 54 | 54 |
| Getting there & around | 16 | 22 ✓ |
| Climate | 58 | 58 |
| Air quality | 76 | 84 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 49 | 49 |
Cost
| Metric | Banda Aceh | Gili Trawangan |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Banda Aceh | Gili Trawangan |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.41 | 0.41 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 52.7 | 52.7 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 67 | 67 |
| Life expectancy | 72.7 yrs | 72.7 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Banda Aceh | Gili Trawangan |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 15.8 Mbps ✓ | 6.2 Mbps |
| Upload | 4.9 Mbps ✓ | 3.2 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Banda Aceh | Gili Trawangan |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Remote worker visa (E33G) | Remote worker visa (E33G) |
| Minimum income for the visa | $5,000/mo | $5,000/mo |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
| Entry, EU passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
| Entry, UK passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Banda Aceh | Gili Trawangan |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 9 | 13 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 5 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 ✓ | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Banda Aceh | Gili Trawangan |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 7 | 7 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 16 µg/m³ | 12.2 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Banda Aceh or Gili Trawangan?
- Banda Aceh and Gili Trawangan cost about the same: roughly $1,000 per month for one person.
- Is Banda Aceh or Gili Trawangan safer?
- Banda Aceh and Gili Trawangan score the same on safety (67), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Banda Aceh or Gili Trawangan?
- Banda Aceh: a measured median of 15.8 Mbps versus 6.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Banda Aceh vs Yogyakarta
- Banda Aceh vs Amed (Bali)
- Gili Trawangan vs Sanur (Bali)
- Gili Trawangan vs Labuan Bajo
- All comparisons
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); 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. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.