Lombok 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.

Lombok, Indonesia
🇮🇩Indonesia

Lombok

70Freedom Score#47Global rank$536Per month

Bali's quieter, rawer neighbour — pristine beaches, world-class surf, volcano trekking, and a rapidly growing nomad scene at a fraction of Bali's prices.

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.

ExpenseLombokPhnom Penh
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$536✓$1,268
Rent, 1BR city centre$332✓$642
Meal, mid-range$10$6✓
Coworking deskper month$49✓$150
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper22.0✓40.0

Quality of life

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

MeasureLombokPhnom Penh
Safety
60
58
Healthcare
40
45
Walkability
40
55
English spoken
40
42
Food & dining
70
70
Nightlife
50
65
Outdoors
90
36
Nomad community
50
58
Climate quality
82
68
Public transit
30
42

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureLombokPhnom Penh
Freedom Score70/100✓62/100
Global rankof 100 cities#47✓#80
Internet46 Mbps55 Mbps✓
Average temperature82°F84°F
Air quality48/10055/100✓
Airport connectivity60/10062/100✓
Nomad visa60 daysE-visa 30d
Headline tax rateon local income0%10%

Which should you choose?

Choose Lombok if runs $732/mo cheaper, rent is $310/mo lower, it scores higher on safety (60 vs 58) and the climate scores better.

Choose Phnom Penh if internet is faster at 55 Mbps, it is more walkable, English is more widely spoken and the nomad community is larger.

What each city is known for

Lombok

  • Lowest cost of living of any beach destination on this list
  • Selong Belanak: one of the world's most perfect surf breaks
  • Gili Islands 30 minutes by boat — no motorised vehicles
  • Mount Rinjani trek: one of Southeast Asia's best hikes

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: Lombok or Phnom Penh?
Lombok scores higher on the Freedom Score (70/100 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: Lombok or Phnom Penh?
Lombok is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $536 against $1,268, a difference of $732 a month or about $8,784 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $332/mo in Lombok versus $642/mo in Phnom Penh.
Which is safer: Lombok or Phnom Penh?
Lombok scores higher on safety, 60/100 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 Lombok and Phnom Penh?
Lombok averages 46 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 Lombok or Phnom Penh?
Lombok sits in Indonesia (60 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.