---
title: "Pontianak vs Thimphu for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/pontianak-vs-thimphu
description: "Under balanced weights Pontianak edges it, 47 to 42, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Pontianak is stronger on visa ease; Thimphu on safety. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Pontianak vs Thimphu for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Pontianak edges it, 47 to 42, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Pontianak is stronger on visa ease; Thimphu on safety. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Visa ease.** Pontianak leads on visa ease, 54 to 32, against Thimphu.
- **Safety.** Thimphu leads on safety, 82 to 67, against Pontianak. Homicides per 100,000: 0.41 vs 2.47.
- **Internet.** Pontianak leads on internet, 46 to 39, against Thimphu. Measured download: 11 Mbps vs 7.1 Mbps.

Where they are close: within five points on healthcare, quality of life, climate.

**Pick Pontianak if you want** faster internet (11 Mbps measured); a dedicated digital-nomad visa.

**Pick Thimphu if you want** the safer country figures.

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

| Metric | Pontianak | Thimphu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 74 | no data | — |
| Safety | 67 | 82 | Thimphu |
| Healthcare | 65 | 69 | Thimphu |
| Internet | 46 | 39 | Pontianak |
| Visa ease | 54 | 32 | Pontianak |
| Getting there & around | 7 | 13 | Thimphu |
| Climate | 0 | 0 | tie |
| Air quality | 59 | 52 | Pontianak |
| Quality of life | 49 | 49 | Thimphu |

## Cost

| Metric | Pontianak | Thimphu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,000 | no data | — |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Pontianak | Thimphu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.41 | 2.47 | Pontianak |
| Political stability (0–100) | 52.7 | 90 | Thimphu |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 67 | 69 | Thimphu |
| Life expectancy | 72.7 yrs | 75.3 yrs | Thimphu |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Pontianak | Thimphu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 11 Mbps | 7.1 Mbps | Pontianak |
| Upload | 4.1 Mbps | 3.1 Mbps | Pontianak |

## Visa

| Metric | Pontianak | Thimphu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Remote worker visa (E33G) | none listed | Pontianak |
| Minimum income for the visa | $5,000/mo | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival | e-visa required | Pontianak |
| Entry, EU passport | visa on arrival | e-visa required | Pontianak |
| Entry, UK passport | visa on arrival | e-visa required | Pontianak |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Pontianak | Thimphu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 14 | 18 | Thimphu |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 | Thimphu |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Pontianak | Thimphu | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 0 | 0 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 23.5 µg/m³ | 26.4 µg/m³ | Pontianak |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Pontianak or Thimphu?

We lack a monthly cost figure for one of the two cities.

### Is Pontianak or Thimphu safer?

Thimphu scores higher on safety (82 vs 67), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Pontianak or Thimphu?

Pontianak: a measured median of 11 Mbps versus 7.1 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Pontianak](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/pontianak) · [Thimphu](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/thimphu). 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); 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.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/pontianak-vs-thimphu