Alexandria vs Phnom Penh

Real cost of living, rent, internet, safety and visa terms for both cities, side by side — then open the interactive tool to weight them against your own priorities.

Alexandria, Egypt
🇪🇬Egypt

Alexandria

62Freedom Score#77Global rank$700Per month

Egypt's Mediterranean pearl — the Qaitbay Citadel on the Corniche, the modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina, and seafront cafés at a fraction of Cairo's cost.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia
🇰🇭Cambodia

Phnom Penh

62Freedom Score#80Global rank$1,268Per month

Cambodia's riverside capital blends Royal Palace grandeur, French-colonial boulevards, and an easy e-visa with one of Southeast Asia's lowest cost floors.

The short answer

Compare these two in the full toolBoth cities pre-loaded — add your income and priorities to get a personal match score

Cost of living

Monthly figures for one person. Rent, meals and coworking are measured values, not shares of the total budget.

ExpenseAlexandriaPhnom Penh
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$700✓$1,268
Rent, 1BR city centre$180✓$642
Meal, mid-range$6$6
Coworking deskper monthn.a.$150
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper28.0✓40.0

Quality of life

Scored 0–100 on the same attributes the match engine weights, so these agree with the interactive tool.

MeasureAlexandriaPhnom Penh
Safety
62
58
Healthcare
45
45
Walkability
62
55
English spoken
35
42
Food & dining
65
70
Nightlife
32
65
Outdoors
37
36
Nomad community
35
58
Climate quality
72
68
Public transit
45
42

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureAlexandriaPhnom Penh
Freedom Score62/10062/100
Global rankof 100 cities#77✓#80
Internet40 Mbps55 Mbps✓
Average temperature72°F84°F
Air quality65/100✓55/100
Airport connectivity48/10062/100✓
Nomad visaE-visa 30dE-visa 30d
Headline tax rateon local income18%10%

Which should you choose?

Choose Alexandria if runs $568/mo cheaper, rent is $462/mo lower, it scores higher on safety (62 vs 58) and it is more walkable.

Choose Phnom Penh if internet is faster at 55 Mbps, English is more widely spoken, the nomad community is larger and the headline tax rate is lower.

What each city is known for

Alexandria

  • Citadel of Qaitbay on the Mediterranean
  • Bibliotheca Alexandrina reborn
  • Seafront Corniche and seafood
  • Cheaper and calmer than Cairo

Phnom Penh

  • 30-day e-visa on arrival
  • Royal Palace and riverside promenade
  • Among the cheapest SE Asian capitals
  • Friendly, USD-friendly economy

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for digital nomads: Alexandria or Phnom Penh?
Alexandria and Phnom Penh tie on the Freedom Score at 62/100, so the decision comes down to which individual measures matter most to you.
Which is cheaper: Alexandria or Phnom Penh?
Alexandria is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $700 against $1,268, a difference of $568 a month or about $6,816 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $180/mo in Alexandria versus $642/mo in Phnom Penh.
Which is safer: Alexandria or Phnom Penh?
Alexandria scores higher on safety, 62/100 against 58/100. Safety scores blend crime levels, political stability and healthcare access, and they describe a city as a whole — individual neighbourhoods vary far more than the headline number suggests.
How fast is the internet in Alexandria and Phnom Penh?
Alexandria averages 40 Mbps and Phnom Penh averages 55 Mbps, so Phnom Penh has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Alexandria or Phnom Penh?
Alexandria sits in Egypt (E-visa 30d) and Phnom Penh in Cambodia (E-visa 30d). Requirements, income floors and processing times change often, so check the visa and residency guide before you commit to either.
Open the interactive comparison

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Cost, connectivity and quality-of-life figures come from the YourLifeMatch city dataset. Where a value is not confirmed it reads n.a. rather than an estimate. Figures are for planning, not professional advice.