Phnom Penh vs Warsaw

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.

Warsaw, Poland
🇵🇱Poland

Warsaw

81Freedom Score#17Global rank$2,048Per month

Poland's dynamic capital — a modern skyline, strong fiber, and one of Central Europe's fastest-growing tech and startup economies.

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 PenhWarsaw
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,268✓$2,048
Rent, 1BR city centre$642✓$921
Meal, mid-range$6✓$12
Coworking deskper month$150✓$184
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper40.0✓45.5

Quality of life

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

MeasurePhnom PenhWarsaw
Safety
58
75
Healthcare
45
70
Walkability
55
75
English spoken
42
75
Food & dining
70
70
Nightlife
65
75
Outdoors
36
58
Nomad community
58
65
Climate quality
68
60
Public transit
42
85

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasurePhnom PenhWarsaw
Freedom Score62/10081/100✓
Global rankof 100 cities#80#17✓
Internet55 Mbps160 Mbps✓
Average temperature84°F49°F
Air quality55/10058/100✓
Airport connectivity62/10075/100✓
Nomad visaE-visa 30d90-day+ stay
Headline tax rateon local income10%24%

Which should you choose?

Choose Phnom Penh if runs $780/mo cheaper, rent is $279/mo lower, the climate scores better and the headline tax rate is lower.

Choose Warsaw if internet is faster at 160 Mbps, it scores higher on safety (75 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

Warsaw

  • EU capital at Eastern-European cost of living
  • Strong fiber internet and a huge tech job market
  • Chopin Airport hub with cheap connections across Europe
  • Modern, safe, and increasingly international

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for digital nomads: Phnom Penh or Warsaw?
Warsaw scores higher on the Freedom Score (81/100 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 Warsaw?
Phnom Penh is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $1,268 against $2,048, a difference of $780 a month or about $9,360 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $642/mo in Phnom Penh versus $921/mo in Warsaw.
Which is safer: Phnom Penh or Warsaw?
Warsaw scores higher on safety, 75/100 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 Warsaw?
Phnom Penh averages 55 Mbps and Warsaw averages 160 Mbps, so Warsaw has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Phnom Penh or Warsaw?
Phnom Penh sits in Cambodia (E-visa 30d) and Warsaw in Poland (90-day+ stay). 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.