Osaka 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.

Osaka, Japan
🇯🇵Japan

Osaka

84Freedom Score#9Global rank$1,383Per month

Japan's kitchen — street-food heaven, world-class safety, and immaculate transit at prices well below Tokyo.

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.

ExpenseOsakaSiem Reap
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,383$885✓
Rent, 1BR city centre$622$334✓
Meal, mid-range$8$5✓
Coworking deskper month$124n.a.
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper30.7✓32.0

Quality of life

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

MeasureOsakaSiem Reap
Safety
90
68
Healthcare
90
40
Walkability
90
58
English spoken
45
42
Food & dining
95
68
Nightlife
85
55
Outdoors
62
36
Nomad community
55
55
Climate quality
78
68
Public transit
95
25

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureOsakaSiem Reap
Freedom Score84/100✓64/100
Global rankof 100 cities#9✓#71
Internet100 Mbps✓55 Mbps
Average temperature63°F82°F
Air quality38/10045/100✓
Airport connectivity88/100✓58/100
Nomad visa90-day visa-freeLong-stay visa
Headline tax rateon local income24%10%

Which should you choose?

Choose Osaka if internet is faster at 100 Mbps, it scores higher on safety (90 vs 68), it is more walkable and English is more widely spoken.

Choose Siem Reap if runs $498/mo cheaper, rent is $288/mo lower and the headline tax rate is lower.

What each city is known for

Osaka

  • Japan's best food city — street food and Michelin depth
  • World-class safety and immaculate public transit
  • Cheaper than Tokyo with the same infrastructure
  • Warning: US market opens 10:30pm — night trading only

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: Osaka or Siem Reap?
Osaka scores higher on the Freedom Score (84/100 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: Osaka or Siem Reap?
Siem Reap is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $885 against $1,383, a difference of $498 a month or about $5,976 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $622/mo in Osaka versus $334/mo in Siem Reap.
Which is safer: Osaka or Siem Reap?
Osaka scores higher on safety, 90/100 against 68/100. 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 Osaka and Siem Reap?
Osaka averages 100 Mbps and Siem Reap averages 55 Mbps, so Osaka has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Osaka or Siem Reap?
Osaka sits in Japan (90-day visa-free) 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.