Oaxaca 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.

Oaxaca, Mexico
🇲🇽Mexico

Oaxaca

73Freedom Score#38Global rank$1,108Per month

Mexico's culinary capital — mole, mezcal, and colonial streets at ultra-low cost, with a fast-growing slow-travel nomad scene.

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.

ExpenseOaxacaSiem Reap
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,108$885✓
Rent, 1BR city centre$498$334✓
Meal, mid-range$8$5✓
Coworking deskper month$99n.a.
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper24.6✓32.0

Quality of life

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

MeasureOaxacaSiem Reap
Safety
57
68
Healthcare
55
40
Walkability
75
58
English spoken
50
42
Food & dining
95
68
Nightlife
65
55
Outdoors
66
36
Nomad community
60
55
Climate quality
90
68
Public transit
45
25

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureOaxacaSiem Reap
Freedom Score73/100✓64/100
Global rankof 100 cities#38✓#71
Internet35 Mbps55 Mbps✓
Average temperature68°F82°F
Air quality42/10045/100✓
Airport connectivity42/10058/100✓
Nomad visaMexico DN visaLong-stay visa
Headline tax rateon local income15%10%

Which should you choose?

Choose Oaxaca 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 $223/mo cheaper, rent is $164/mo lower, internet is faster at 55 Mbps and it scores higher on safety (68 vs 57).

What each city is known for

Oaxaca

  • Legendary food scene — mole, mezcal, and street markets
  • Among the cheapest cities on this list — under $1,200/mo
  • US market opens 8:30am local — early-bird trading
  • Colonial UNESCO centre, walkable and deeply cultural

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: Oaxaca or Siem Reap?
Oaxaca scores higher on the Freedom Score (73/100 against 64/100), 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: Oaxaca or Siem Reap?
Siem Reap is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $885 against $1,108, a difference of $223 a month or about $2,676 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $498/mo in Oaxaca versus $334/mo in Siem Reap.
Which is safer: Oaxaca or Siem Reap?
Siem Reap scores higher on safety, 68/100 against 57/100. 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 Oaxaca and Siem Reap?
Oaxaca averages 35 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 Oaxaca or Siem Reap?
Oaxaca sits in Mexico (Mexico DN visa) 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.