Panama City 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.

Panama City, Panama
🇵🇦Panama

Panama City

62Freedom Score#79Global rank$2,200Per month

The trader's ultimate base — NYSE hours match perfectly (same timezone as EST), 0% tax on foreign income, dollarized economy, and a booming Casco Viejo old town surrounded by a Manhattan-style skyline.

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.

ExpensePanama CityPhnom Penh
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$2,200$1,268✓
Rent, 1BR city centre$850$642✓
Meal, mid-range$14$6✓
Coworking deskper month$180$150✓
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper47.740.0✓

Quality of life

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

MeasurePanama CityPhnom Penh
Safety
54
58
Healthcare
70
45
Walkability
55
55
English spoken
65
42
Food & dining
70
70
Nightlife
75
65
Outdoors
70
36
Nomad community
75
58
Climate quality
76
68
Public transit
60
42

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasurePanama CityPhnom Penh
Freedom Score62/10062/100
Global rankof 100 cities#79✓#80
Internet60 Mbps✓55 Mbps
Average temperature82°F84°F
Air quality38/10055/100✓
Airport connectivity78/100✓62/100
Nomad visan.a.E-visa 30d
Headline tax rateon local income15%10%

Which should you choose?

Choose Panama City if internet is faster at 60 Mbps, English is more widely spoken, the climate scores better and the nomad community is larger.

Choose Phnom Penh if runs $932/mo cheaper, rent is $208/mo lower, it scores higher on safety (58 vs 54) and the headline tax rate is lower.

What each city is known for

Panama City

  • NYSE opens 9:30am local — perfect trading hours year-round
  • 0% tax on all foreign-sourced income — territorial system
  • US Dollar is the official currency — no forex exposure
  • Pensionado visa: world's best retirement program for $1,000/mo pension

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: Panama City or Phnom Penh?
Panama City and Phnom Penh tie on the Freedom Score at 62/100, so the decision comes down to which individual measures matter most to you.
Which is cheaper: Panama City or Phnom Penh?
Phnom Penh is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $1,268 against $2,200, a difference of $932 a month or about $11,184 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $850/mo in Panama City versus $642/mo in Phnom Penh.
Which is safer: Panama City or Phnom Penh?
Phnom Penh scores higher on safety, 58/100 against 54/100. 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 Panama City and Phnom Penh?
Panama City averages 60 Mbps and Phnom Penh averages 55 Mbps, so Panama City has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Panama City or Phnom Penh?
Panama City sits in Panama (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

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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.