Lima 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.

Lima, Peru
🇵🇪Peru

Lima

74Freedom Score#35Global rank$1,367Per month

The gastronomic capital of the Americas — Lima pairs world-class Miraflores dining and a Pacific cliffside lifestyle with South America's most underrated value, fast internet, and a growing creative scene.

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.

ExpenseLimaSiem Reap
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,367$885✓
Rent, 1BR city centre$774$334✓
Meal, mid-range$12$5✓
Coworking deskper month$160n.a.
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper54.032.0✓

Quality of life

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

MeasureLimaSiem Reap
Safety
52
68
Healthcare
72
40
Walkability
70
58
English spoken
42
42
Food & dining
92
68
Nightlife
78
55
Outdoors
65
36
Nomad community
62
55
Climate quality
52
68
Public transit
55
25

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureLimaSiem Reap
Freedom Score74/100✓64/100
Global rankof 100 cities#35✓#71
Internet100 Mbps✓55 Mbps
Average temperature66°F82°F
Air quality55/100✓45/100
Airport connectivity78/100✓58/100
Nomad visa90 daysLong-stay visa
Headline tax rateon local income15%10%

Which should you choose?

Choose Lima if internet is faster at 100 Mbps, it is more walkable and the nomad community is larger.

Choose Siem Reap if runs $482/mo cheaper, rent is $440/mo lower, it scores higher on safety (68 vs 52) and the climate scores better.

What each city is known for

Lima

  • Back-to-back World's 50 Best Restaurant wins — unmatched food scene
  • Fast 100 Mbps fiber and a growing Barranco/Miraflores creative hub
  • Pacific cliffside malecón living at a fraction of coastal-city prices
  • Perfect US market alignment — open at 10:30am local time

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: Lima or Siem Reap?
Lima scores higher on the Freedom Score (74/100 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: Lima or Siem Reap?
Siem Reap is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $885 against $1,367, a difference of $482 a month or about $5,784 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $774/mo in Lima versus $334/mo in Siem Reap.
Which is safer: Lima or Siem Reap?
Siem Reap scores higher on safety, 68/100 against 52/100. 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 Lima and Siem Reap?
Lima averages 100 Mbps and Siem Reap averages 55 Mbps, so Lima has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Lima or Siem Reap?
Lima sits in Peru (90 days) 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.