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Siem Reap, Cambodia
Photo: Bahnfrend · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Siem Reap

Cambodia · Asia · 245,494 people · Asia/Phnom_Penh · KHR

Siem Reap scores 43.4/100 for digital nomads under balanced weights, ranking 1407 of 1501 cities. Expect about $1,050 per month (country-level estimate), no dedicated nomad visa, and a measured median download speed of 15 Mbps.

Siem Reap is the base for Angkor and has grown a real expat and NGO community around its cafés and cheap villas. Costs are very low, the dry season is glorious and April is punishing.

  • Angkor Wat
  • Very low costs
  • Café and NGO scene
  • Hot season
Cost of living: 8.0 of 43 points (scores 72/100)Safety: 7.9 of 43 points (scores 71/100)Healthcare: 6.6 of 43 points (scores 59/100)Internet: 6.0 of 43 points (scores 54/100)Visa ease: 3.8 of 43 points (scores 34/100)Getting there & around: 1.3 of 43 points (scores 12/100)Climate: 3.7 of 43 points (scores 33/100)Air quality: 3.2 of 43 points (scores 29/100)Quality of life: 2.9 of 43 points (scores 26/100)43
Balanced score
out of 100
Vibe check
  • Cost8.0
  • Safety7.9
  • Health6.6
  • Internet6.0
  • Visa3.8
  • Mobility1.3
  • Climate3.7
  • Air3.2
  • QoL2.9

Rank 1,407 of 1,501 · its cost is a national estimate, so Top 10 lists rank it after cities with a local price

For US nomads

  • US passport entry
    visa on arrival
    check the consulate before booking
  • Time vs New York
    12 hours ahead of New York
    0h of a 9–6 day overlap with Eastern time
  • Time vs Los Angeles
    15 hours ahead of Los Angeles
    0h of a 9–6 day overlap with Pacific time
  • Non-stop from the US
    0 US airports
    Wikipedia, 2026-10

Prices are in US dollars. US citizens are taxed on worldwide income; the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and state residency rules are worth a look before a long stay.

Eating out

OpenStreetMap, 2026-1116

573restaurants within 3 km

Mapped around the centre of Siem Reap: plenty of choice within walking distance. A count of what is on the map, not a rating, and it does not affect the score.

How Siem Reap scores, factor by factor

Superscripts link to the source list at the bottom. Country-level figures apply to all of Cambodia.

Cost of living

Monthly cost for one person (log-scaled, cheaper is better).
72
  • Monthly cost, one person: $1,0502 · country-level, 2026-09
  • Central one-bedroom rent: no data3 · city-level, 2026-09 — no city-level rent row in the WhereToEmigrate dataset

Safety

Homicide rate and political stability (country-level).
71
  • Homicide rate: 1.8 per 100k4 · country-level, 2021
  • Political stability: 71.5/1005 · country-level, 2025

Healthcare

WHO universal-health-coverage index and life expectancy (country-level).
59
  • UHC service coverage: 62/1006 · country-level, 2023
  • Life expectancy: 71.2 years7 · country-level, 2023

Internet

Median measured download and upload speed (M-Lab, city-level; the province or country aggregate where the city has too few tests).
54
  • Median download: 15 Mbps8 · country-level, 2024
  • Median upload: 9.9 Mbps8 · country-level, 2024
  • Tests measured: 12,7398 · country-level, 2024
  • Starlink: Coming soon (Starting in 2026)9 · country-level, 2026-10, not scored

Visa ease

How easily your passport gets in and stays: visa-free days, eTA, visa on arrival, e-visa or consular visa, plus a nomad visa and how affordable its income threshold is. Averages US, EU and UK passports until you pick yours.
34
  • Nomad visa: none listed10
  • Entry, US passport: visa on arrival11 · country-level, 2026-02
  • Entry, EU passport: visa on arrival11 · country-level, 2026-02
  • Entry, UK passport: visa on arrival11 · country-level, 2026-02

Getting there & around

Non-stop airport destinations (hub size) plus editorial walkability and transit ratings.
12
  • Non-stop destinations from SAI: 1412 · city-level, 2026-10
  • Walkability: 3/513 · editorial, 2026-09
  • Public transit: 1/513 · editorial, 2026-09

Climate

Share of months that are comfortable: 59–82°F (15–28 °C) mean, at most 5.9 in (150 mm) rain, at most 85% humidity.
33
  • Comfortable months: 4 of 1214 · city-level, 2001–2020 normals

Air quality

Annual mean PM2.5 on a fixed scale: 5 µg/m³ (WHO guideline) scores 100, 50 µg/m³ or worse scores 0.
29
  • Annual mean PM2.5: 37 µg/m³15 · city-level, 2021

Quality of life

Human Development Index and English proficiency (country-level).
26
  • Human Development Index: 0.60617 · country-level, 2023
  • English proficiency: very-low18 · country-level, 2024

What does Siem Reap cost per month?

Total, one person$1,050country estimate
One-bedroom rent, centreno datacity-level rent unavailable
Country cost index (US = 100)29country

Can you stay legally?

Nomad visanone listed
Minimum income—
US passportvisa on arrival
EU passportvisa on arrival
UK passportvisa on arrival

Visa rules change often. Verify with the issuing government before you book.

Do you pay tax here on income from abroad?

Tax status · Cambodia

Residents owe 0%–20% salary tax on worldwide pay; a 20% capital gains tax started in 2026

Worldwide income

Cambodia taxes residents on worldwide income. Salary, including pay from a foreign employer, falls under a monthly salary tax of 0% to 20%; work done in Cambodia by a non-resident is taxed at a flat 20%. Since 1 January 2026 residents also pay 20% on gains from selling shares, securities and foreign currency anywhere in the world; gains on real estate follow from 1 January 2027. There is no wealth or inheritance tax.

  • Remote work income

    Salary from a foreign employer or fees from foreign clients

    Taxed

    0%–20% progressive monthly salary tax for residents; 20% flat for non-residents

  • Investments and pensions

    Dividends, interest, gains, rent and pensions from abroad

    Taxed

    20% on capital gains (real estate from 2027); dividends, interest and rent from abroad unclear

  • Wealth

    Net wealth and inheritance

    No wealth tax

    No inheritance tax

Tax resident after
183 days a year
Top income tax rate
20%

On the nomad visa

Cambodia has no digital nomad or remote-work visa. Long-stay visitors usually enter on the E-class (ordinary) visa, sold as an e-visa for US$35 with a one-month stay, and extend it inside the country; extension rules were not verified here. The visa has no tax status of its own: pay for work done in Cambodia is taxed at a flat 20% while you are non-resident, and after more than 182 days in any 12 months you are resident and taxed on worldwide salary and capital gains. This profile does not cover whether remote work for a foreign employer needs a Cambodian work permit.

Not yet reviewed by a person · compiled from official pages read on 2026-10-27

General information, not tax advice. Tax treaties, your citizenship and your home country's exit rules can change the answer. US citizens are taxed by the US wherever they live.

Airports and nonstop flights

Siem Reap is served by one airport.

AirportNonstop destinationsInternationalFrom US airports
SAISiem Reap–Angkor International Airport14120

Wikipedia airport pages as of 2026-10: seasonal routes included, charters and announced-but-not-started routes excluded.

What is the weather like through the year?

Comfortable months by our rule: Oct–Jan. Rank cities for Dec–Feb →

MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Mean °F818487878582818181808079
Rain in0.50.61.835.56.67.87.79.15.41.50.3
Humidity %575357647582858687847865

Green temperatures mark months that meet the comfort rule (59–82°F, ≤5.9 in rain, ≤85% humidity). NASA POWER 2001–2020 climatology at the city coordinates.

Where can you stay in Siem Reap?

Three ways to live here, and what each does to the monthly budget. Rents are the one-bedroom figures from the cost table; hotels and short lets are priced per night and cost more, most of all in high season.

OptionRent per monthMonthly totalNotes
One-bedroom outside the centre——No city-level cost here; the total is a national estimate.
One-bedroom in the centre——No city-level rent figure for this city.
Hotel or short let——For the first weeks or a stay under a month. Compare hotels on Navoy →

Monthly rents assume an unfurnished lease of six months or more; furnished monthly lets usually cost 20 to 50 percent more.

Cities with a similar profile

Also in Asia: Abbottabad, Agra, Ahmedabad, Ahvaz, Akita, Almaty

Ready to see Siem Reap for yourself?

Nostos tells you where. Navoy, the AI travel planner behind it, builds the trip: itineraries, places to stay and what to book before you land.

Opens on navoy.io.

The vibe

What people post about living in Siem Reap, read for its mood. It is a reading of opinions, not a fact, and it is not part of the score.

Liked · 72Expats broadly like Siem Reap's friendly people, low costs, calm pace and easy living, with caveats about heat, the small-city feel and a limited social scene.

People praise
  • friendly locals
  • affordable living
  • cheap food and drinks
  • calm, relaxed pace
  • low noise, no honking
  • easy visa options
  • temples and nature
People warn about
  • extreme daytime heat
  • limited social scene
  • small-city feel
  • infrastructure gaps
  • safety and crime concerns
  • wildlife and animal issues
  • Locals are kind and genuinely welcoming to foreigners.
  • Heat during hottest months is a major drawback.
  • Cheap living suits retirees and remote workers on a budget.
  • Some expats move on to quieter towns like Kampot after a year.
  • Calm, quiet vibe appeals to introverts and people wanting a slower life.

Read from 8 videos, 40 comments and 0 posts on 2026-11-07; the summary is written by a language model and can misread sarcasm.

Frequently asked

How much does it cost to live in Siem Reap as a digital nomad?
A single person typically spends about $1,050 per month in Siem Reap (a country-level estimate for Cambodia). That is a 72/100 cost score, where 100 is the cheapest city in the dataset.
Is Siem Reap safe for digital nomads?
Siem Reap scores 71/100 on safety. Cambodia records 1.8 homicides per 100,000 people per year (WHO, 2021) and a political-stability score of 71.5/100 (World Bank WGI). Both figures are national, so neighbourhood-level risk can differ.
Does Cambodia have a digital nomad visa?
No dedicated digital nomad visa was listed for Cambodia as of 2026-07. Visitors from the US get a visa on arrival.
How fast is the internet in Siem Reap?
Measured median download speed in Siem Reap was 15 Mbps (upload 9.9 Mbps) across 12,739 M-Lab tests in 2024. Measured speeds run below advertised plan speeds everywhere, so compare cities rather than reading the number as a plan.
Is Starlink available in Siem Reap?
Not yet. Starlink's availability map lists Cambodia as coming soon (Starting in 2026) as of 2026-10. Roaming plans may work for short stays, but local rules on using them vary.
Which airports serve Siem Reap and how many nonstop flights are there?
Siem Reap is served by Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport (SAI) with 14 nonstop destinations, of which 12 are international. 0 US airports have a nonstop link. Source: Wikipedia, 2026-10.
When is the best time of year to be in Siem Reap?
The most comfortable months are Jan, Oct, Nov, Dec. Mean temperatures range from 79°F (26°C) in Dec to 87°F (31°C) in Mar (NASA POWER 2001–2020 climatology).
Siem Reap or Battambang: which is better for digital nomads?
Battambang is the city with the closest factor profile to Siem Reap in this dataset. Which one wins depends on your weights; the comparison page puts every factor side by side with the numbers behind them.

Sources

Dataset 2026.11.3, published 2026-11-10. Download the full dataset or read the methodology.

  1. 1.City population (latest census or official estimate), Wikipedia (citing national statistics offices). CC BY-SA 4.0. Retrieved 2026-09-22. City-proper figures; the per-city source URL is stored with the seed row.
  2. 2.2026 Cost of Living Index (country level), WhereNext. CC BY 4.0. Retrieved 2026-09-22. Country-level monthly estimate used only where no city-level figure exists; cost_index kept for every city.
  3. 3.Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows), WhereToEmigrate. CC BY 4.0. Retrieved 2026-09-22. monthly_cost_single_eur and rent_1br_center_eur, converted to USD at the ECB reference rate on the retrieval date (see ecb-frankfurter).
  4. 4.Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). Retrieved 2026-09-22. WHO GHO modelled estimate, used only where UNODC has no national figure from 2018 or later (seven countries in this dataset). May be reused with attribution under WHO's data policy.
  5. 5.Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100), World Bank. CC BY 4.0. Retrieved 2026-09-22.
  6. 6.UHC service coverage index, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). Retrieved 2026-09-22.
  7. 7.Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). Retrieved 2026-09-22.
  8. 8.M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024), Measurement Lab. CC0 1.0. Retrieved 2026-09-22. Median of daily median download/upload throughput over 2024 for the city aggregate; sample count is the number of tests. Speeds reflect user-initiated tests, not advertised plans.
  9. 9.Starlink availability map, SpaceX (Starlink). Factual status cited from starlink.com. Retrieved 2026-10-07. Residential service status per country from the file Starlink's map loads. Grouped as on the map: launched or available = available; coming soon, pending regulatory approval or test = coming soon; blacklisted = not offered; unknown or excluded = unknown. Shown on city pages and as a ranker filter; not part of any score. Roaming and maritime plans can work in more places.
  10. 10.Digital Nomad Visas 2026, WhereToEmigrate. CC BY 4.0. Retrieved 2026-09-22. Programme name, minimum monthly income (EUR, converted to USD) and whether it leads to permanent residence. Values are directional; verify with the issuing government.
  11. 11.Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations), Ilya Ilyankou (compiled from passportindex.org). MIT. Retrieved 2026-09-22. Days per visit where stated; 'visa free' without a limit is credited as unlimited; eTA, visa on arrival, e-visa and visa required are credited 0 days for scoring but shown by kind. The default US/EU/UK figures use the US, German and British passports.
  12. 12.Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables), Wikipedia contributors; countries via Wikidata. CC BY-SA 4.0. Retrieved 2026-09-24. Distinct destination airports listed in each airport article's passenger table, resolved through Wikidata. Seasonal routes count; charters and routes announced but not yet flying are excluded. The as-of date is the newest article revision among the city's airports. Falls back to the OpenFlights snapshot when an airport has no article or table.
  13. 13.Walkability and transit ratings (editorial), Navoy. CC BY 4.0. Retrieved 2026-09-22. Judgment ratings, not measurements. Explained on /methodology.
  14. 14.NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means), NASA Langley Research Center. Public domain (US Government). Retrieved 2026-09-22. T2M, PRECTOTCORR and RH2M at the city coordinates (0.5° grid). Monthly precipitation = mm/day × days in month.
  15. 15.WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8), World Health Organization. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). Retrieved 2026-09-22. Annual mean PM2.5 for the most recent year available for the city.
  16. 16.OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API), OpenStreetMap contributors. ODbL 1.0. Retrieved 2026-10-02. Count of OpenStreetMap elements tagged amenity=restaurant within 3 km of the city centre coordinate. Measures how many restaurants are mapped, which tracks real density well where OpenStreetMap is well maintained (Europe, the Americas, East and Southeast Asia) and under-counts where it is not (parts of Africa and Central Asia).
  17. 17.Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023), United Nations Development Programme. CC BY 3.0 IGO. Retrieved 2026-09-22.
  18. 18.EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band), EF Education First. Proprietary; band cited as a fact with attribution. Retrieved 2026-09-22. Only the proficiency band is stored, transcribed by hand from the public ranking.