Phnom Penh vs Sarajevo

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.

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
🇧🇦Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sarajevo

66Freedom Score#61Global rank$1,000Per month

Where East meets West — Ottoman bazaars, Habsburg avenues, and a 90-day free stay make Sarajevo Europe's most underrated affordable base.

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 PenhSarajevo
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,268$1,000✓
Rent, 1BR city centre$642$400✓
Meal, mid-range$6✓$8
Coworking deskper month$150✓$215
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper40.040.0

Quality of life

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

MeasurePhnom PenhSarajevo
Safety
58
56
Healthcare
45
58
Walkability
55
75
English spoken
42
55
Food & dining
70
78
Nightlife
65
62
Outdoors
36
73
Nomad community
58
55
Climate quality
68
58
Public transit
42
70

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasurePhnom PenhSarajevo
Freedom Score62/10066/100✓
Global rankof 100 cities#80#61✓
Internet55 Mbps✓45 Mbps
Average temperature84°F53°F
Air quality55/10068/100✓
Airport connectivity62/100✓48/100
Nomad visaE-visa 30d90 days free
Headline tax rateon local income10%10%

Which should you choose?

Choose Phnom Penh if internet is faster at 55 Mbps, it scores higher on safety (58 vs 56), the climate scores better and the nomad community is larger.

Choose Sarajevo if runs $268/mo cheaper, rent is $242/mo lower, 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

Sarajevo

  • 90-day visa-free for most Western passports
  • Baščaršija Ottoman old town with ćevapi
  • Most affordable European capital
  • Turkish coffee culture and layered history

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for digital nomads: Phnom Penh or Sarajevo?
Sarajevo scores higher on the Freedom Score (66/100 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 Sarajevo?
Sarajevo is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $1,000 against $1,268, a difference of $268 a month or about $3,216 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $642/mo in Phnom Penh versus $400/mo in Sarajevo.
Which is safer: Phnom Penh or Sarajevo?
Phnom Penh scores higher on safety, 58/100 against 56/100. 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 Sarajevo?
Phnom Penh averages 55 Mbps and Sarajevo averages 45 Mbps, so Phnom Penh has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Phnom Penh or Sarajevo?
Phnom Penh sits in Cambodia (E-visa 30d) and Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina (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.