Cebu 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.

Cebu, Philippines
🇵🇭Philippines

Cebu

81Freedom Score#16Global rank$1,021Per month

The Philippines' second city — island-hopping beaches, strong English, and diving at some of Asia's cheapest living costs.

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.

ExpenseCebuPhnom Penh
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,021✓$1,268
Rent, 1BR city centre$459✓$642
Meal, mid-range$8$6✓
Coworking deskper month$91✓$150
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper22.7✓40.0

Quality of life

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

MeasureCebuPhnom Penh
Safety
51
58
Healthcare
55
45
Walkability
45
55
English spoken
85
42
Food & dining
65
70
Nightlife
65
65
Outdoors
78
36
Nomad community
70
58
Climate quality
82
68
Public transit
40
42

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureCebuPhnom Penh
Freedom Score81/100✓62/100
Global rankof 100 cities#16✓#80
Internet52 Mbps55 Mbps✓
Average temperature82°F84°F
Air quality58/100✓55/100
Airport connectivity62/10062/100
Nomad visaPhilippines visaE-visa 30d
Headline tax rateon local income24%10%

Which should you choose?

Choose Cebu if runs $247/mo cheaper, rent is $183/mo lower, English is more widely spoken and the climate scores better.

Choose Phnom Penh if internet is faster at 55 Mbps, it scores higher on safety (58 vs 51), it is more walkable and the headline tax rate is lower.

What each city is known for

Cebu

  • Widely spoken English — easiest SE Asia city for anglophones
  • World-class diving and island-hopping off the coast
  • Very low cost of living — under $1,100/mo comfortable
  • Long-stay visas easily extended for tourists

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: Cebu or Phnom Penh?
Cebu scores higher on the Freedom Score (81/100 against 62/100), which makes it the stronger all-round base. That is an average, though — if cost, climate or community is what actually decides it for you, the tables above will point the other way as often as not.
Which is cheaper: Cebu or Phnom Penh?
Cebu is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $1,021 against $1,268, a difference of $247 a month or about $2,964 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $459/mo in Cebu versus $642/mo in Phnom Penh.
Which is safer: Cebu or Phnom Penh?
Phnom Penh scores higher on safety, 58/100 against 51/100. 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 Cebu and Phnom Penh?
Cebu averages 52 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 Cebu or Phnom Penh?
Cebu sits in Philippines (Philippines visa) 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.