Side by side

Canggu (Bali) vs George Town (Penang)

George Town (Penang) wins on more metrics — 1–6 on the 8 core metrics we track. Detail below.

Metric

Canggu (Bali)

George Town (Penang)

Cost of living

B vs A: -10%

45✓

Rent · 1BR center

B vs A: -33%

$900

$600✓

Effective tax (remote)

B vs A: ≈ same

20%

Healthcare

B vs A: +40%

70✓

Safety

B vs A: +8%

70✓

Internet

B vs A: +333%

130✓

Climate

B vs A: -4%

75✓

Freedom

B vs A: +8%

70✓

The original digital nomad capital. New 5-year Second Home and E33G remote-worker visas; surf and coworking everywhere.

UNESCO heritage food capital of Asia. Slower-paced than KL with a strong expat retiree community.