Manta 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.

Manta, Ecuador
🇪🇨Ecuador

Manta

65Freedom Score#65Global rank$950Per month

Ecuador's Pacific gateway city — Manta offers year-round warmth, fresh tuna at market prices, a dollarized economy with zero currency risk, and a growing North American retiree and nomad community.

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.

ExpenseMantaPhnom Penh
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$950✓$1,268
Rent, 1BR city centre$300✓$642
Meal, mid-range$6$6
Coworking deskper monthn.a.$150
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper38.0✓40.0

Quality of life

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

MeasureMantaPhnom Penh
Safety
50
58
Healthcare
55
45
Walkability
52
55
English spoken
22
42
Food & dining
65
70
Nightlife
45
65
Outdoors
72
36
Nomad community
42
58
Climate quality
75
68
Public transit
42
42

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureMantaPhnom Penh
Freedom Score65/100✓62/100
Global rankof 100 cities#65✓#80
Internet80 Mbps✓55 Mbps
Average temperature75°F84°F
Air quality40/10055/100✓
Airport connectivity35/10062/100✓
Nomad visan.a.E-visa 30d
Headline tax rateon local income10%10%

Which should you choose?

Choose Manta if runs $318/mo cheaper, rent is $342/mo lower, internet is faster at 80 Mbps and the climate scores better.

Choose Phnom Penh if it scores higher on safety (58 vs 50), it is more walkable, English is more widely spoken and the nomad community is larger.

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: Manta or Phnom Penh?
Manta scores higher on the Freedom Score (65/100 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: Manta or Phnom Penh?
Manta is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $950 against $1,268, a difference of $318 a month or about $3,816 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $300/mo in Manta versus $642/mo in Phnom Penh.
Which is safer: Manta or Phnom Penh?
Phnom Penh scores higher on safety, 58/100 against 50/100. 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 Manta and Phnom Penh?
Manta averages 80 Mbps and Phnom Penh averages 55 Mbps, so Manta has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Manta or Phnom Penh?
Manta sits in Ecuador (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

Related comparisons

Barcelona vs MantaLisbon vs MantaManta vs PhuketAmsterdam vs MantaBarcelona vs Phnom PenhLisbon vs Phnom PenhPhnom Penh vs PhuketAmsterdam vs Phnom Penh
Manta city guidePhnom Penh city guideCompare all citiesCost of livingVisas & residencyTax intelligenceBanking & financeRelocation playbooks

YourLifeMatch — your life, perfectly placed. About · Privacy · Terms · Contact

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.