Kuala LumpurvsEl Nido
💰
El Nido saves you $300/month
21% cheaper on rent, food & transport
📶
Kuala Lumpur has 4x faster internet
200 Mbps avg download speed
🛂
Malaysia offers a digital nomad visa
Long-stay visa for remote workers
💰 Cost of Living Breakdown
Monthly expenses comparison in USD
Expense
Kuala Lumpur
El Nido
Total Budget
$1,400/mo
$1,100/mo ✓
Rent (1BR)
$500/mo
$400/mo ✓
Coworking
$85/mo ✓
$120/mo
Meal Out
$3 ✓
$4
Coffee
$3
$2 ✓
El Nido is $300/mo cheaper (27% savings)
💻 Remote Work Essentials
Internet, timezone, and language comparison
🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur
📶 Internet200 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC+7
🗣️ Englishhigh
🛂 Nomad VisaAvailable
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West0h
🇺🇸 US East0h
🇬🇧 London4h
🇩🇪 Berlin5h
🇵🇭 El Nido
📶 Internet50 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC+8
🗣️ Englishhigh
🛂 Nomad VisaNot available
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West0h
🇺🇸 US East0h
🇬🇧 London3h
🇩🇪 Berlin4h
🌡️ Climate Comparison
Weather patterns and best times to visit
Kuala Lumpur
ClimateTropical Wet
Avg Temp27°C
Rainy Days287/year
El Nido
ClimateTropical Wet
Avg Temp27°C
Rainy Days245/year
Best months: February, March, April
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
26°26°
Apr
27°28°
Jul
28°27°
Oct
27°27°
Kuala LumpurEl Nido
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🇲🇾Kuala Lumpur
🇵🇭El Nido
💰
Monthly Budget
$1,400
$1,100
Winner📶
Internet Speed
200 Mbps
Winner50 Mbps
🛡️
Safety
3.8/5
4.3/5
Winner⭐
Nomad Score
4.1/10
4.2/10
🍽️
Food Scene
9/10
Winner7/10
🎉
Nightlife
7/10
6/10
🚶
Walkability
5/10
6/10
👥
Community
large
Winnersmall
3
Kuala Lumpur wins
vs
2
El Nido wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
El Nido
$300/mo cheaper with similar quality of life
💻Developer
Kuala Lumpur
200 Mbps is essential for video calls & uploads
🦋Social Butterfly
Kuala Lumpur
Larger nomad community for networking
🛡️Safety-First
El Nido
Significantly higher safety rating
🍜Foodie
Kuala Lumpur
Better food scene with incredible variety
🎉Party Person
Either works
Both have great nightlife
🇲🇾Kuala Lumpur
Pros
- +Exceptional value for money with luxury apartments under $500/month
- +World-class multicultural food scene blending Malay Chinese and Indian cuisines
- +Ultra-fast internet with 100-800 Mbps fiber and 5G coverage
- +DE Rantau digital nomad visa for stays up to 24 months
Cons
- −Hot and humid year-round with temperatures 27-34°C
- −Not walkable - car-centric city with poor pedestrian infrastructure
- −LGBTQ+ unfriendly due to strict laws
- −Heavy traffic congestion especially during rush hours
🇵🇭El Nido
Pros
- +World-class island hopping with stunning lagoons and beaches
- +Incredibly beautiful limestone cliffs and turquoise waters
- +Excellent diving and snorkeling with vibrant marine life
- +Growing coworking scene with fast fiber internet options
Cons
- −Internet can be unreliable outside coworking spaces
- −Remote location - 5-6 hour drive from Puerto Princesa airport
- −Limited healthcare - serious issues require evacuation
- −Power outages still occur occasionally
