---
title: "Penang (George Town) vs Timișoara for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/penang-vs-timisoara
description: "Under balanced weights Timișoara edges it, 68 to 66, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Penang (George Town) is stronger on nothing outright; Timișoara on air quality, getting there & around. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.10.7 (2026-10-13)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Penang (George Town) vs Timișoara for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Timișoara edges it, 68 to 66, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Penang (George Town) is stronger on nothing outright; Timișoara on air quality, getting there & around. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Penang (George Town) | Timișoara | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 61 | 54 | Penang (George Town) |
| Safety | 78 | 73 | Penang (George Town) |
| Healthcare | 71 | 69 | Penang (George Town) |
| Internet | 88 | 86 | Penang (George Town) |
| Visa ease | 76 | 70 | Penang (George Town) |
| Getting there & around | 49 | 62 | Timișoara |
| Climate | 33 | 42 | Timișoara |
| Air quality | 64 | 83 | Timișoara |
| Quality of life | 72 | 76 | Timișoara |

## Cost

| Metric | Penang (George Town) | Timișoara | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $974 | $1,178 | Penang (George Town) |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $450 | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Penang (George Town) | Timișoara | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.69 | 1.12 | Penang (George Town) |
| Political stability (0–100) | 71.6 | 69.2 | Penang (George Town) |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 80 | 77 | Penang (George Town) |
| Life expectancy | 72.8 yrs | 72.8 yrs | tie |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Penang (George Town) | Timișoara | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 93.6 Mbps | 89.9 Mbps | Penang (George Town) |
| Upload | 55.3 Mbps | 37.6 Mbps | Penang (George Town) |

## Visa

| Metric | Penang (George Town) | Timișoara | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | DE Rantau Nomad Pass | Digital nomad long-stay visa (D/AS) | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $2,000/mo | $5,787/mo | Penang (George Town) |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | unlimited | Timișoara |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Penang (George Town) | Timișoara | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 30 | 40 | Timișoara |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 4 | Timișoara |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 | Timișoara |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Penang (George Town) | Timișoara | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 5 | Timișoara |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 21.2 µg/m³ | 12.6 µg/m³ | Timișoara |

## FAQ

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

Penang (George Town) is cheaper: about $974 per month versus $1,178 for one person.

### Is Penang (George Town) or Timișoara safer?

Penang (George Town) scores higher on safety (78 vs 73), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

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

Penang (George Town): a measured median of 93.6 Mbps versus 89.9 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Penang (George Town)](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/penang) · [Timișoara](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/timisoara). 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); 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); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map.

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