Santa Marta 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.

Santa Marta, Colombia
🇨🇴Colombia

Santa Marta

60Freedom Score#85Global rank$1,100Per month

Colombia's Caribbean coast gateway — Tayrona National Park, the Sierra Nevada meeting the sea, and a relaxed beach-town nomad scene.

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.

ExpenseSanta MartaSiem Reap
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,100$885✓
Rent, 1BR city centre$400$334✓
Meal, mid-range$9$5✓
Coworking deskper monthn.a.n.a.
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper44.032.0✓

Quality of life

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

MeasureSanta MartaSiem Reap
Safety
44
68
Healthcare
55
40
Walkability
58
58
English spoken
32
42
Food & dining
72
68
Nightlife
62
55
Outdoors
72
36
Nomad community
48
55
Climate quality
80
68
Public transit
42
25

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureSanta MartaSiem Reap
Freedom Score60/10064/100✓
Global rankof 100 cities#85#71✓
Internet75 Mbps✓55 Mbps
Average temperature83°F82°F
Air quality40/10045/100✓
Airport connectivity42/10058/100✓
Nomad visaNomad visaLong-stay visa
Headline tax rateon local income10%10%

Which should you choose?

Choose Santa Marta if internet is faster at 75 Mbps and the climate scores better.

Choose Siem Reap if runs $215/mo cheaper, rent is $66/mo lower, it scores higher on safety (68 vs 44) and English is more widely spoken.

What each city is known for

Santa Marta

  • Tayrona: jungle beaches where mountains meet the sea
  • Gateway to the Lost City trek
  • Warm Caribbean coast, low costs
  • Smaller and calmer than Cartagena

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: Santa Marta or Siem Reap?
Siem Reap scores higher on the Freedom Score (64/100 against 60/100), 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: Santa Marta or Siem Reap?
Siem Reap is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $885 against $1,100, a difference of $215 a month or about $2,580 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $400/mo in Santa Marta versus $334/mo in Siem Reap.
Which is safer: Santa Marta or Siem Reap?
Siem Reap scores higher on safety, 68/100 against 44/100. 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 Santa Marta and Siem Reap?
Santa Marta averages 75 Mbps and Siem Reap averages 55 Mbps, so Santa Marta has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Santa Marta or Siem Reap?
Santa Marta sits in Colombia (Nomad visa) 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.