Manila 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.

Manila, Philippines
🇵🇭Philippines

Manila

66Freedom Score#60Global rank$1,800Per month

Southeast Asia's most English-friendly megacity — Manila's BGC and Makati bubbles deliver first-world coworking, relentless nightlife, and visa-free stays up to 3 years in one of Asia's most welcoming cultures.

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.

ExpenseManilaPhnom Penh
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,800$1,268✓
Rent, 1BR city centre$700$642✓
Meal, mid-range$12$6✓
Coworking deskper month$200$150✓
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper72.040.0✓

Quality of life

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

MeasureManilaPhnom Penh
Safety
35
58
Healthcare
68
45
Walkability
48
55
English spoken
95
42
Food & dining
78
70
Nightlife
82
65
Outdoors
42
36
Nomad community
75
58
Climate quality
62
68
Public transit
45
42

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureManilaPhnom Penh
Freedom Score66/100✓62/100
Global rankof 100 cities#60✓#80
Internet94 Mbps✓55 Mbps
Average temperature82°F84°F
Air quality65/100✓55/100
Airport connectivity72/100✓62/100
Nomad visan.a.E-visa 30d
Headline tax rateon local income20%10%

Which should you choose?

Choose Manila if internet is faster at 94 Mbps, English is more widely spoken and the nomad community is larger.

Choose Phnom Penh if runs $532/mo cheaper, rent is $58/mo lower, it scores higher on safety (58 vs 35) and it is more walkable.

What each city is known for

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: Manila or Phnom Penh?
Manila scores higher on the Freedom Score (66/100 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: Manila or Phnom Penh?
Phnom Penh is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $1,268 against $1,800, a difference of $532 a month or about $6,384 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $700/mo in Manila versus $642/mo in Phnom Penh.
Which is safer: Manila or Phnom Penh?
Phnom Penh scores higher on safety, 58/100 against 35/100. 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 Manila and Phnom Penh?
Manila averages 94 Mbps and Phnom Penh averages 55 Mbps, so Manila has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Manila or Phnom Penh?
Manila sits in Philippines (n.a.) 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.