Montevideo 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.

Montevideo, Uruguay
🇺🇾Uruguay

Montevideo

60Freedom Score#84Global rank$1,019Per month

South America's most stable and safe capital — Uruguay's rule of law, beachfront living, and near-perfect market hour alignment make it the continent's dark horse.

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.

ExpenseMontevideoPhnom Penh
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,019✓$1,268
Rent, 1BR city centre$712$642✓
Meal, mid-range$20$6✓
Coworking deskper month$153$150✓
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper43.840.0✓

Quality of life

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

MeasureMontevideoPhnom Penh
Safety
50
58
Healthcare
70
45
Walkability
70
55
English spoken
60
42
Food & dining
70
70
Nightlife
60
65
Outdoors
66
36
Nomad community
60
58
Climate quality
70
68
Public transit
60
42

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureMontevideoPhnom Penh
Freedom Score60/10062/100✓
Global rankof 100 cities#84#80✓
Internet52 Mbps55 Mbps✓
Average temperature63°F84°F
Air quality20/10055/100✓
Airport connectivity70/100✓62/100
Nomad visa90 daysE-visa 30d
Headline tax rateon local income0%10%

Which should you choose?

Choose Montevideo if runs $249/mo cheaper, it is more walkable, English is more widely spoken and the climate scores better.

Choose Phnom Penh if rent is $70/mo lower, internet is faster at 55 Mbps and it scores higher on safety (58 vs 50).

What each city is known for

Montevideo

  • #1 ranked quality of life in South America — by a wide margin
  • Territorial tax — foreign income not taxed as a non-resident
  • Pocitos Beach: Montevideo's Copacabana right in the city
  • Uruguay: rule of law, low corruption, most stable SA country

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: Montevideo or Phnom Penh?
Phnom Penh scores higher on the Freedom Score (62/100 against 60/100), 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: Montevideo or Phnom Penh?
Montevideo is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $1,019 against $1,268, a difference of $249 a month or about $2,988 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $712/mo in Montevideo versus $642/mo in Phnom Penh.
Which is safer: Montevideo 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 Montevideo and Phnom Penh?
Montevideo averages 52 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 Montevideo or Phnom Penh?
Montevideo sits in Uruguay (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.