Manaus 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.

Manaus, Brazil
🇧🇷Brazil

Manaus

55Freedom Score#94Global rank$900Per month

The gateway to the Amazon — Manaus is a frontier jungle city where river-to-table living meets rainforest access. Best for the adventurous who want nature and low costs. The trade-offs are steep: very low English, weak healthcare, a tiny expat scene, and no beach.

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.

ExpenseManausPhnom Penh
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$900✓$1,268
Rent, 1BR city centre$300✓$642
Meal, mid-range$8$6✓
Coworking deskper monthn.a.$150
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper36.0✓40.0

Quality of life

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

MeasureManausPhnom Penh
Safety
32
58
Healthcare
50
45
Walkability
42
55
English spoken
15
42
Food & dining
62
70
Nightlife
55
65
Outdoors
92
36
Nomad community
22
58
Climate quality
50
68
Public transit
40
42

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureManausPhnom Penh
Freedom Score55/10062/100✓
Global rankof 100 cities#94#80✓
Internet50 Mbps55 Mbps✓
Average temperature82°F84°F
Air quality45/10055/100✓
Airport connectivity48/10062/100✓
Nomad visa90 daysE-visa 30d
Headline tax rateon local income15%10%

Which should you choose?

Choose Manaus if runs $368/mo cheaper and rent is $342/mo lower.

Choose Phnom Penh if internet is faster at 55 Mbps, it scores higher on safety (58 vs 32), it is more walkable and English is more widely spoken.

What each city is known for

Manaus

  • Gateway to the Amazon — river tours, rainforest, and pink dolphins
  • Lowest cost of living among the new South American destinations
  • Unique Amazonian culture and cuisine
  • Honest trade-off: very low English, weak healthcare, tiny expat scene

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: Manaus or Phnom Penh?
Phnom Penh scores higher on the Freedom Score (62/100 against 55/100), 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: Manaus or Phnom Penh?
Manaus is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $900 against $1,268, a difference of $368 a month or about $4,416 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $300/mo in Manaus versus $642/mo in Phnom Penh.
Which is safer: Manaus or Phnom Penh?
Phnom Penh scores higher on safety, 58/100 against 32/100. 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 Manaus and Phnom Penh?
Manaus averages 50 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 Manaus or Phnom Penh?
Manaus sits in Brazil (90 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.