Phnom Penh vs Siem Reap

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.

Siem Reap, Cambodia
🇰🇭Cambodia

Siem Reap

64Freedom Score#71Global rank$885Per month

Gateway to Angkor Wat — sunrise over the world's largest religious monument, a laid-back café scene, and a long-stay visa built for nomads.

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 PenhSiem Reap
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,268$885✓
Rent, 1BR city centre$642$334✓
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 PenhSiem Reap
Safety
58
68
Healthcare
45
40
Walkability
55
58
English spoken
42
42
Food & dining
70
68
Nightlife
65
55
Outdoors
36
36
Nomad community
58
55
Climate quality
68
68
Public transit
42
25

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasurePhnom PenhSiem Reap
Freedom Score62/10064/100✓
Global rankof 100 cities#80#71✓
Internet55 Mbps55 Mbps
Average temperature84°F82°F
Air quality55/100✓45/100
Airport connectivity62/100✓58/100
Nomad visaE-visa 30dLong-stay visa
Headline tax rateon local income10%10%

Which should you choose?

Choose Phnom Penh if the nomad community is larger.

Choose Siem Reap if runs $383/mo cheaper, rent is $308/mo lower, it scores higher on safety (68 vs 58) 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

Siem Reap

  • Angkor Wat: the largest religious monument on earth
  • 6–12 month long-stay visa
  • Tiny expat town, easy community
  • Temples, rice paddies, low costs

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for digital nomads: Phnom Penh or Siem Reap?
Siem Reap scores higher on the Freedom Score (64/100 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 Siem Reap?
Siem Reap is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $885 against $1,268, a difference of $383 a month or about $4,596 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $642/mo in Phnom Penh versus $334/mo in Siem Reap.
Which is safer: Phnom Penh or Siem Reap?
Siem Reap scores higher on safety, 68/100 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 Siem Reap?
Phnom Penh averages 55 Mbps and Siem Reap averages 55 Mbps — effectively the same.
What visa would I need for Phnom Penh or Siem Reap?
Phnom Penh sits in Cambodia (E-visa 30d) and Siem Reap in Cambodia (Long-stay 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.