Phuket 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.

Phuket, Thailand
🇹🇭Thailand

Phuket

92Freedom Score#3Global rank$1,450Per month

Phuket blends world-class beaches, legendary nightlife, and a growing digital nomad scene — all with near-zero tax on foreign income.

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.

ExpensePhuketSiem Reap
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,450$885✓
Rent, 1BR city centre$950$334✓
Meal, mid-range$4✓$5
Coworking deskper month$180n.a.
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper41.132.0✓

Quality of life

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

MeasurePhuketSiem Reap
Safety
70
68
Healthcare
70
40
Walkability
60
58
English spoken
70
42
Food & dining
80
68
Nightlife
100
55
Outdoors
88
36
Nomad community
90
55
Climate quality
85
68
Public transit
80
25

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasurePhuketSiem Reap
Freedom Score92/100✓64/100
Global rankof 100 cities#3✓#71
Internet300 Mbps✓55 Mbps
Average temperature82°F82°F
Air quality60/100✓45/100
Airport connectivity70/100✓58/100
Nomad visa30–60 daysLong-stay visa
Headline tax rateon local income15%10%

Which should you choose?

Choose Phuket if internet is faster at 300 Mbps, it scores higher on safety (70 vs 68), it is more walkable and English is more widely spoken.

Choose Siem Reap if runs $565/mo cheaper, rent is $616/mo lower and the headline tax rate is lower.

What each city is known for

Phuket

  • 0% tax on foreign-sourced income — keep what you earn
  • LTR Visa available for remote workers & investors
  • 300 Mbps fiber widely available across the island
  • World-class beaches and Patong nightlife on your doorstep

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: Phuket or Siem Reap?
Phuket scores higher on the Freedom Score (92/100 against 64/100), 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: Phuket or Siem Reap?
Siem Reap is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $885 against $1,450, a difference of $565 a month or about $6,780 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $950/mo in Phuket versus $334/mo in Siem Reap.
Which is safer: Phuket or Siem Reap?
Phuket scores higher on safety, 70/100 against 68/100. 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 Phuket and Siem Reap?
Phuket averages 300 Mbps and Siem Reap averages 55 Mbps, so Phuket has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Phuket or Siem Reap?
Phuket sits in Thailand (30–60 days) 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.