Cebu vs Siem Reap

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.

Siem Reap, Cambodia
🇰🇭Cambodia

Siem Reap

64Freedom Score#71Global rank$885Per month

Gateway to Angkor Wat — sunrise over the world's largest religious monument, a laid-back café scene, and a long-stay visa built for nomads.

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.

ExpenseCebuSiem Reap
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,021$885✓
Rent, 1BR city centre$459$334✓
Meal, mid-range$8$5✓
Coworking deskper month$91n.a.
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper22.7✓32.0

Quality of life

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

MeasureCebuSiem Reap
Safety
51
68
Healthcare
55
40
Walkability
45
58
English spoken
85
42
Food & dining
65
68
Nightlife
65
55
Outdoors
78
36
Nomad community
70
55
Climate quality
82
68
Public transit
40
25

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureCebuSiem Reap
Freedom Score81/100✓64/100
Global rankof 100 cities#16✓#71
Internet52 Mbps55 Mbps✓
Average temperature82°F82°F
Air quality58/100✓45/100
Airport connectivity62/100✓58/100
Nomad visaPhilippines visaLong-stay visa
Headline tax rateon local income24%10%

Which should you choose?

Choose Cebu if English is more widely spoken, the climate scores better and the nomad community is larger.

Choose Siem Reap if runs $136/mo cheaper, rent is $125/mo lower, internet is faster at 55 Mbps and it scores higher on safety (68 vs 51).

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

Siem Reap

  • Angkor Wat: the largest religious monument on earth
  • 6–12 month long-stay visa
  • Tiny expat town, easy community
  • Temples, rice paddies, low costs

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for digital nomads: Cebu or Siem Reap?
Cebu scores higher on the Freedom Score (81/100 against 64/100), 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 Siem Reap?
Siem Reap is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $885 against $1,021, a difference of $136 a month or about $1,632 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $459/mo in Cebu versus $334/mo in Siem Reap.
Which is safer: Cebu or Siem Reap?
Siem Reap scores higher on safety, 68/100 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 Siem Reap?
Cebu averages 52 Mbps and Siem Reap averages 55 Mbps, so Siem Reap has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Cebu or Siem Reap?
Cebu sits in Philippines (Philippines visa) and Siem Reap in Cambodia (Long-stay visa). 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.