Hoi An 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.

Hoi An, Vietnam
🇻🇳Vietnam

Hoi An

71Freedom Score#43Global rank$1,050Per month

A UNESCO lantern-lit old town between rice paddies and the river — Vietnam's most picturesque base, with 45-day visa-free and rock-bottom 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.

ExpenseHoi AnSiem Reap
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,050$885✓
Rent, 1BR city centre$400$334✓
Meal, mid-range$6$5✓
Coworking deskper month$100n.a.
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper40.032.0✓

Quality of life

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

MeasureHoi AnSiem Reap
Safety
82
68
Healthcare
48
40
Walkability
88
58
English spoken
35
42
Food & dining
82
68
Nightlife
45
55
Outdoors
70
36
Nomad community
58
55
Climate quality
75
68
Public transit
40
25

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureHoi AnSiem Reap
Freedom Score71/100✓64/100
Global rankof 100 cities#43✓#71
Internet45 Mbps55 Mbps✓
Average temperature79°F82°F
Air quality40/10045/100✓
Airport connectivity35/10058/100✓
Nomad visa45 days freeLong-stay visa
Headline tax rateon local income20%10%

Which should you choose?

Choose Hoi An if it scores higher on safety (82 vs 68), it is more walkable, the climate scores better and the nomad community is larger.

Choose Siem Reap if runs $165/mo cheaper, rent is $66/mo lower, internet is faster at 55 Mbps and English is more widely spoken.

What each city is known for

Hoi An

  • UNESCO old town of lanterns and tailors
  • 45-day visa-free for Westerners
  • Among the cheapest nomad towns
  • Rice paddies and river beaches

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: Hoi An or Siem Reap?
Hoi An scores higher on the Freedom Score (71/100 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: Hoi An or Siem Reap?
Siem Reap is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $885 against $1,050, a difference of $165 a month or about $1,980 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $400/mo in Hoi An versus $334/mo in Siem Reap.
Which is safer: Hoi An or Siem Reap?
Hoi An scores higher on safety, 82/100 against 68/100. 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 Hoi An and Siem Reap?
Hoi An averages 45 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 Hoi An or Siem Reap?
Hoi An sits in Vietnam (45 days free) 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.