Da Nang 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.

Da Nang, Vietnam
🇻🇳Vietnam

Da Nang

80Freedom Score#18Global rank$700Per month

Vietnam's most liveable city: 30km of beach, fast-growing infrastructure, ultra-low cost, and access to the ancient town of Hội An nearby.

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.

ExpenseDa NangPhnom Penh
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$700✓$1,268
Rent, 1BR city centre$450✓$642
Meal, mid-range$2✓$6
Coworking deskper month$140✓$150
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper26.3✓40.0

Quality of life

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

MeasureDa NangPhnom Penh
Safety
75
58
Healthcare
60
45
Walkability
65
55
English spoken
65
42
Food & dining
80
70
Nightlife
60
65
Outdoors
78
36
Nomad community
70
58
Climate quality
82
68
Public transit
75
42

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureDa NangPhnom Penh
Freedom Score80/100✓62/100
Global rankof 100 cities#18✓#80
Internet220 Mbps✓55 Mbps
Average temperature79°F84°F
Air quality70/100✓55/100
Airport connectivity70/100✓62/100
Nomad visa45 daysE-visa 30d
Headline tax rateon local income10%10%

Which should you choose?

Choose Da Nang if runs $568/mo cheaper, rent is $192/mo lower, internet is faster at 220 Mbps and it scores higher on safety (75 vs 58).

On these measures Phnom Penh does not lead Da Nang anywhere, so pick it only if something outside this dataset matters more to you.

What each city is known for

Da Nang

  • Cheapest comfortable lifestyle of any city on this list
  • 30km of white-sand beach — surf in the morning, trade at night
  • Hội An Ancient Town: one of the world's most photogenic cities
  • Da Nang airport expanding — growing direct international routes

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: Da Nang or Phnom Penh?
Da Nang scores higher on the Freedom Score (80/100 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: Da Nang or Phnom Penh?
Da Nang 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: $450/mo in Da Nang versus $642/mo in Phnom Penh.
Which is safer: Da Nang or Phnom Penh?
Da Nang scores higher on safety, 75/100 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 Da Nang and Phnom Penh?
Da Nang averages 220 Mbps and Phnom Penh averages 55 Mbps, so Da Nang has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Da Nang or Phnom Penh?
Da Nang sits in Vietnam (45 days) 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.