Kupang vs Nusa Penida
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Nusa Penida edges it, 57 to 55, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Kupang is stronger on nothing outright; Nusa Penida on internet. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Dry, sunny capital of West Timor and gateway to Rote's surf
Full Kupang profile →Plan a trip to Kupang →Rugged island of cliffs and manta rays, 45 minutes from Sanur
Full Nusa Penida profile →Plan a trip to Nusa Penida →Where they differ
- Internet. Nusa Penida leads on internet, 57 to 44, against Kupang. Measured download: 9.3 Mbps vs 17.9 Mbps.
- Climate. Nusa Penida leads on climate, 58 to 50, against Kupang. Comfortable months: 6 vs 7.
Where they are close. Within five points on air quality, getting there & around, cost of living, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.
Pick Kupang if you want
- no clear edge over Nusa Penida in the data
Pick Nusa Penida if you want
- faster internet (17.9 Mbps measured)
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Kupang | Nusa Penida |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 74 | 74 |
| Safety | 67 | 67 |
| Healthcare | 65 | 65 |
| Internet | 44 | 57 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 54 | 54 |
| Getting there & around | 7 | 9 ✓ |
| Climate | 50 | 58 ✓ |
| Air quality | 88 ✓ | 85 |
| Quality of life | 49 | 49 |
Cost
| Metric | Kupang | Nusa Penida |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Kupang | Nusa Penida |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Kupang | Nusa Penida |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 9.3 Mbps | 17.9 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 4.3 Mbps | 9.4 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Kupang | Nusa Penida |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Kupang | Nusa Penida |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 17 | 65 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 ✓ | 1 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Kupang | Nusa Penida |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 6 | 7 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 10.3 µg/m³ ✓ | 11.9 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Kupang or Nusa Penida?
- Kupang and Nusa Penida cost about the same: roughly $1,000 per month for one person.
- Is Kupang or Nusa Penida safer?
- Kupang and Nusa Penida score the same on safety (67), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Kupang or Nusa Penida?
- Nusa Penida: a measured median of 17.9 Mbps versus 9.3 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Kupang vs Labuan Bajo
- Kupang vs Kuta (Lombok)
- Nusa Penida vs Amed (Bali)
- Nusa Penida vs Uluwatu (Bali)
- 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); 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. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.