Dar es Salaam 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.

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
🇹🇿Tanzania

Dar es Salaam

56Freedom Score#92Global rank$1,500Per month

Tanzania's Indian Ocean hub — warm Swahili coast, a booming port-city energy, and the gateway to Zanzibar and safari country with an easy e-visa.

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.

ExpenseDar es SalaamPhnom Penh
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,500$1,268✓
Rent, 1BR city centre$700$642✓
Meal, mid-range$12$6✓
Coworking deskper monthn.a.$150
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper60.040.0✓

Quality of life

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

MeasureDar es SalaamPhnom Penh
Safety
45
58
Healthcare
53
45
Walkability
42
55
English spoken
52
42
Food & dining
55
70
Nightlife
58
65
Outdoors
36
36
Nomad community
38
58
Climate quality
68
68
Public transit
40
42

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureDar es SalaamPhnom Penh
Freedom Score56/10062/100✓
Global rankof 100 cities#92#80✓
Internet25 Mbps55 Mbps✓
Average temperature79°F84°F
Air quality65/100✓55/100
Airport connectivity52/10062/100✓
Nomad visaE-visa 90dE-visa 30d
Headline tax rateon local income20%10%

Which should you choose?

Choose Dar es Salaam if English is more widely spoken.

Choose Phnom Penh if runs $232/mo cheaper, rent is $58/mo lower, internet is faster at 55 Mbps and it scores higher on safety (58 vs 45).

What each city is known for

Dar es Salaam

  • Indian Ocean Swahili coast
  • Gateway to Zanzibar and safaris
  • E-visa on arrival
  • Growing, bustling port city

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: Dar es Salaam or Phnom Penh?
Phnom Penh scores higher on the Freedom Score (62/100 against 56/100), 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: Dar es Salaam or Phnom Penh?
Phnom Penh is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $1,268 against $1,500, a difference of $232 a month or about $2,784 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $700/mo in Dar es Salaam versus $642/mo in Phnom Penh.
Which is safer: Dar es Salaam or Phnom Penh?
Phnom Penh scores higher on safety, 58/100 against 45/100. 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 Dar es Salaam and Phnom Penh?
Dar es Salaam averages 25 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 Dar es Salaam or Phnom Penh?
Dar es Salaam sits in Tanzania (E-visa 90d) 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.