Phnom Penh vs Quito

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.

Quito, Ecuador
🇪🇨Ecuador

Quito

62Freedom Score#81Global rank$1,100Per month

The highest constitutional capital — a UNESCO colonial old town at 9,350 ft, straddling the equator, with Ecuador's territorial 0% foreign-income tax.

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 PenhQuito
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,268$1,100✓
Rent, 1BR city centre$642$400✓
Meal, mid-range$6✓$8
Coworking deskper month$150n.a.
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper40.0✓44.0

Quality of life

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

MeasurePhnom PenhQuito
Safety
58
53
Healthcare
45
77
Walkability
55
62
English spoken
42
28
Food & dining
70
68
Nightlife
65
55
Outdoors
36
75
Nomad community
58
45
Climate quality
68
58
Public transit
42
55

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasurePhnom PenhQuito
Freedom Score62/10062/100
Global rankof 100 cities#80✓#81
Internet55 Mbps55 Mbps
Average temperature84°F60°F
Air quality55/100✓45/100
Airport connectivity62/10065/100✓
Nomad visaE-visa 30d90 days free
Headline tax rateon local income10%13%

Which should you choose?

Choose Phnom Penh if it scores higher on safety (58 vs 53), English is more widely spoken, the climate scores better and the nomad community is larger.

Choose Quito if runs $168/mo cheaper, rent is $242/mo lower and it is more walkable.

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

Quito

  • UNESCO colonial center at 9,350 ft
  • Stand on the equator at Mitad del Mundo
  • Territorial tax — 0% on foreign income
  • Andes mountains surrounding the city

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for digital nomads: Phnom Penh or Quito?
Phnom Penh and Quito tie on the Freedom Score at 62/100, so the decision comes down to which individual measures matter most to you.
Which is cheaper: Phnom Penh or Quito?
Quito is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $1,100 against $1,268, a difference of $168 a month or about $2,016 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $642/mo in Phnom Penh versus $400/mo in Quito.
Which is safer: Phnom Penh or Quito?
Phnom Penh scores higher on safety, 58/100 against 53/100. 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 Quito?
Phnom Penh averages 55 Mbps and Quito averages 55 Mbps — effectively the same.
What visa would I need for Phnom Penh or Quito?
Phnom Penh sits in Cambodia (E-visa 30d) and Quito in Ecuador (90 days free). 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.