---
title: "Cluj-Napoca vs Penang (George Town) for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cluj-napoca-vs-penang
description: "Under balanced weights Cluj-Napoca edges it, 66 to 62, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Cluj-Napoca is stronger on visa ease, getting there & around, air quality; Penang (George Town) on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Cluj-Napoca vs Penang (George Town) for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Cluj-Napoca edges it, 66 to 62, winning 6 of the 9 factors. Cluj-Napoca is stronger on visa ease, getting there & around, air quality; Penang (George Town) on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Cluj-Napoca | Penang (George Town) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 59 | 68 | Penang (George Town) |
| Safety | 75 | 70 | Cluj-Napoca |
| Healthcare | 67 | 69 | Penang (George Town) |
| Internet | 80 | 86 | Penang (George Town) |
| Visa ease | 90 | 74 | Cluj-Napoca |
| Getting there & around | 33 | 19 | Cluj-Napoca |
| Climate | 42 | 33 | Cluj-Napoca |
| Air quality | 74 | 64 | Cluj-Napoca |
| Quality of life | 75 | 72 | Cluj-Napoca |

## Cost

| Metric | Cluj-Napoca | Penang (George Town) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,198 | $974 | Penang (George Town) |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $450 | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Cluj-Napoca | Penang (George Town) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 1.1 | 2.6 | Cluj-Napoca |
| Political stability (0–100) | 68.6 | 72.5 | Penang (George Town) |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 77 | 80 | Penang (George Town) |
| Life expectancy | 72.8 yrs | 72.8 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Cluj-Napoca | Penang (George Town) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 77.4 Mbps | 93.6 Mbps | Penang (George Town) |
| Upload | 25.7 Mbps | 55.3 Mbps | Penang (George Town) |

## Visa

| Metric | Cluj-Napoca | Penang (George Town) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | DE Rantau Sarawak | Penang (George Town) |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | $1,999/mo | — |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | unlimited | 90 days | Cluj-Napoca |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Cluj-Napoca | Penang (George Town) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 53 | 30 | Cluj-Napoca |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 3 | Cluj-Napoca |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 2 | Cluj-Napoca |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Cluj-Napoca | Penang (George Town) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 5 | 4 | Cluj-Napoca |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 16.5 µg/m³ | 21.2 µg/m³ | Cluj-Napoca |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Cluj-Napoca or Penang (George Town)?

Penang (George Town) is cheaper: about $974 per month versus $1,198 for one person.

### Is Cluj-Napoca or Penang (George Town) safer?

Cluj-Napoca scores higher on safety (75 vs 70), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Cluj-Napoca or Penang (George Town)?

Penang (George Town): a measured median of 93.6 Mbps versus 77.4 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Cluj-Napoca](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/cluj-napoca) · [Penang (George Town)](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/penang). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; 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); 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); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages).

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cluj-napoca-vs-penang