Side by side

Raleigh vs George Town (Penang)

Raleigh wins on more metrics — 4–3 on the 8 core metrics we track. Detail below.

Metric

Raleigh

George Town (Penang)

Cost of living

B vs A: -25%

45✓

Rent · 1BR center

B vs A: -57%

$1,400

$600✓

Effective tax (remote)

B vs A: -13%

23%

20%✓

Healthcare

B vs A: -8%

76✓

Safety

B vs A: ≈ same

Internet

B vs A: -48%

250✓

130

Climate

B vs A: -12%

82✓

Freedom

B vs A: -15%

82✓

Research Triangle anchor with affordable suburbs, strong public schools, and a fast-growing biotech and tech base.

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