Montevideo vs Siem Reap

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.

Siem Reap, Cambodia
🇰🇭Cambodia

Siem Reap

64Freedom Score#71Global rank$885Per month

Gateway to Angkor Wat — sunrise over the world's largest religious monument, a laid-back café scene, and a long-stay visa built for nomads.

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.

ExpenseMontevideoSiem Reap
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,019$885✓
Rent, 1BR city centre$712$334✓
Meal, mid-range$20$5✓
Coworking deskper month$153n.a.
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper43.832.0✓

Quality of life

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

MeasureMontevideoSiem Reap
Safety
50
68
Healthcare
70
40
Walkability
70
58
English spoken
60
42
Food & dining
70
68
Nightlife
60
55
Outdoors
66
36
Nomad community
60
55
Climate quality
70
68
Public transit
60
25

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureMontevideoSiem Reap
Freedom Score60/10064/100✓
Global rankof 100 cities#84#71✓
Internet52 Mbps55 Mbps✓
Average temperature63°F82°F
Air quality20/10045/100✓
Airport connectivity70/100✓58/100
Nomad visa90 daysLong-stay visa
Headline tax rateon local income0%10%

Which should you choose?

Choose Montevideo if it is more walkable, English is more widely spoken, the climate scores better and the nomad community is larger.

Choose Siem Reap if runs $134/mo cheaper, rent is $378/mo lower, internet is faster at 55 Mbps and it scores higher on safety (68 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

Siem Reap

  • Angkor Wat: the largest religious monument on earth
  • 6–12 month long-stay visa
  • Tiny expat town, easy community
  • Temples, rice paddies, low costs

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for digital nomads: Montevideo or Siem Reap?
Siem Reap scores higher on the Freedom Score (64/100 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 Siem Reap?
Siem Reap is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $885 against $1,019, a difference of $134 a month or about $1,608 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $712/mo in Montevideo versus $334/mo in Siem Reap.
Which is safer: Montevideo or Siem Reap?
Siem Reap scores higher on safety, 68/100 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 Siem Reap?
Montevideo averages 52 Mbps and Siem Reap averages 55 Mbps, so Siem Reap has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Montevideo or Siem Reap?
Montevideo sits in Uruguay (90 days) and Siem Reap in Cambodia (Long-stay visa). 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.