Phnom Penh vs Porto

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.

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.

Porto, Portugal
🇵🇹Portugal

Porto

86Freedom Score#5Global rank$1,800Per month

Portugal's second city delivers all the NHR tax benefits of Lisbon at 30% lower cost — plus Port wine cellars, Atlantic beaches, and a slower, more authentic pace of life.

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.

ExpensePhnom PenhPorto
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,268✓$1,800
Rent, 1BR city centre$642✓$800
Meal, mid-range$6✓$22
Coworking deskper month$150✓$198
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper40.0✓51.2

Quality of life

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

MeasurePhnom PenhPorto
Safety
58
80
Healthcare
45
80
Walkability
55
80
English spoken
42
90
Food & dining
70
80
Nightlife
65
70
Outdoors
36
72
Nomad community
58
80
Climate quality
68
75
Public transit
42
70

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasurePhnom PenhPorto
Freedom Score62/10086/100✓
Global rankof 100 cities#80#5✓
Internet55 Mbps77 Mbps✓
Average temperature84°F59°F
Air quality55/100✓28/100
Airport connectivity62/10080/100✓
Nomad visaE-visa 30dD8 visa
Headline tax rateon local income10%20%

Which should you choose?

Choose Phnom Penh if runs $532/mo cheaper, rent is $158/mo lower and the headline tax rate is lower.

Choose Porto if internet is faster at 77 Mbps, it scores higher on safety (80 vs 58), it is more walkable and English is more widely spoken.

What each city is known for

Phnom Penh

  • 30-day e-visa on arrival
  • Royal Palace and riverside promenade
  • Among the cheapest SE Asian capitals
  • Friendly, USD-friendly economy

Porto

  • Same NHR 20% tax deal as Lisbon, lower cost of living
  • Best wine bars in Europe — ginjinha and port tasting culture
  • Matosinhos beach with world-class seafood 15 minutes away
  • EU residency via D8 Digital Nomad visa — Schengen access

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for digital nomads: Phnom Penh or Porto?
Porto scores higher on the Freedom Score (86/100 against 62/100), 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: Phnom Penh or Porto?
Phnom Penh is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $1,268 against $1,800, a difference of $532 a month or about $6,384 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $642/mo in Phnom Penh versus $800/mo in Porto.
Which is safer: Phnom Penh or Porto?
Porto scores higher on safety, 80/100 against 58/100. 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 Phnom Penh and Porto?
Phnom Penh averages 55 Mbps and Porto averages 77 Mbps, so Porto has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Phnom Penh or Porto?
Phnom Penh sits in Cambodia (E-visa 30d) and Porto in Portugal (D8 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.