---
title: "Kota Kinabalu vs Penang (George Town) for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/kota-kinabalu-vs-penang
description: "Under balanced weights Penang (George Town) edges it, 62 to 57, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Kota Kinabalu is stronger on nothing outright; Penang (George Town) on internet, climate. 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
---

# Kota Kinabalu vs Penang (George Town) for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Penang (George Town) edges it, 62 to 57, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Kota Kinabalu is stronger on nothing outright; Penang (George Town) on internet, climate. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Kota Kinabalu | Penang (George Town) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 63 | 68 | Penang (George Town) |
| Safety | 70 | 70 | tie |
| Healthcare | 69 | 69 | tie |
| Internet | 59 | 86 | Penang (George Town) |
| Visa ease | 74 | 74 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 20 | 19 | Kota Kinabalu |
| Climate | 17 | 33 | Penang (George Town) |
| Air quality | 70 | 64 | Kota Kinabalu |
| Quality of life | 72 | 72 | tie |

## Cost

| Metric | Kota Kinabalu | Penang (George Town) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,094 | $974 | Penang (George Town) |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $450 | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

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

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Kota Kinabalu | Penang (George Town) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 27.1 Mbps | 93.6 Mbps | Penang (George Town) |
| Upload | 16.9 Mbps | 55.3 Mbps | Penang (George Town) |

## Visa

| Metric | Kota Kinabalu | Penang (George Town) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | DE Rantau Sarawak | DE Rantau Sarawak | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $1,999/mo | $1,999/mo | tie |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Kota Kinabalu | Penang (George Town) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 34 | 30 | Kota Kinabalu |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Kota Kinabalu | Penang (George Town) | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 2 | 4 | Penang (George Town) |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 18.7 µg/m³ | 21.2 µg/m³ | Kota Kinabalu |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Kota Kinabalu or Penang (George Town)?

Penang (George Town) is cheaper: about $974 per month versus $1,094 for one person.

### Is Kota Kinabalu or Penang (George Town) safer?

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

### Where is the internet faster, Kota Kinabalu or Penang (George Town)?

Penang (George Town): a measured median of 93.6 Mbps versus 27.1 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Kota Kinabalu](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/kota-kinabalu) · [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); 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); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages).

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/kota-kinabalu-vs-penang