Phnom Penh vs Quy Nhon

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.

Quy Nhon, Vietnam
🇻🇳Vietnam

Quy Nhon

63Freedom Score#76Global rank$800Per month

A still-under-the-radar Vietnamese coastal gem — Quy Nhon offers pristine beaches, fresh seafood, and one of the lowest costs of living anywhere, with a quiet, laid-back pace.

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 PenhQuy Nhon
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,268$800✓
Rent, 1BR city centre$642$300✓
Meal, mid-range$6$5✓
Coworking deskper month$150n.a.
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper40.032.0✓

Quality of life

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

MeasurePhnom PenhQuy Nhon
Safety
58
72
Healthcare
45
42
Walkability
55
52
English spoken
42
22
Food & dining
70
70
Nightlife
65
38
Outdoors
36
78
Nomad community
58
28
Climate quality
68
74
Public transit
42
35

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasurePhnom PenhQuy Nhon
Freedom Score62/10063/100✓
Global rankof 100 cities#80#76✓
Internet55 Mbps60 Mbps✓
Average temperature84°F82°F
Air quality55/100✓30/100
Airport connectivity62/100✓35/100
Nomad visaE-visa 30d45 days
Headline tax rateon local income10%15%

Which should you choose?

Choose Phnom Penh if it is more walkable, English is more widely spoken, the nomad community is larger and the headline tax rate is lower.

Choose Quy Nhon if runs $468/mo cheaper, rent is $342/mo lower, internet is faster at 60 Mbps and it scores higher on safety (72 vs 58).

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

Quy Nhon

  • One of the cheapest beach cities on the platform at $800/mo
  • Uncrowded golden-sand beaches and fresh daily seafood
  • Vietnam's 0% non-resident tax on foreign income under 183 days
  • Quiet, slow-paced alternative to Da Nang and Nha Trang

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for digital nomads: Phnom Penh or Quy Nhon?
Quy Nhon scores higher on the Freedom Score (63/100 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 Quy Nhon?
Quy Nhon is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $800 against $1,268, a difference of $468 a month or about $5,616 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $642/mo in Phnom Penh versus $300/mo in Quy Nhon.
Which is safer: Phnom Penh or Quy Nhon?
Quy Nhon scores higher on safety, 72/100 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 Quy Nhon?
Phnom Penh averages 55 Mbps and Quy Nhon averages 60 Mbps, so Quy Nhon has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Phnom Penh or Quy Nhon?
Phnom Penh sits in Cambodia (E-visa 30d) and Quy Nhon in Vietnam (45 days). Requirements, income floors and processing times change often, so check the visa and residency guide before you commit to either.
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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.