---
title: "Chennai vs Phnom Penh for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/chennai-vs-phnom-penh
description: "Under balanced weights Chennai edges it, 43 to 41, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Chennai is stronger on quality of life, getting there & around; Phnom Penh on safety, air quality. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Chennai vs Phnom Penh for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Chennai edges it, 43 to 41, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Chennai is stronger on quality of life, getting there & around; Phnom Penh on safety, air quality. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Chennai | Phnom Penh | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 80 | 70 | Chennai |
| Safety | 49 | 70 | Phnom Penh |
| Healthcare | 53 | 51 | Chennai |
| Internet | 59 | 49 | Chennai |
| Visa ease | 6 | 6 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 25 | 11 | Chennai |
| Climate | 25 | 25 | tie |
| Air quality | 53 | 69 | Phnom Penh |
| Quality of life | 38 | 21 | Chennai |

## Cost

| Metric | Chennai | Phnom Penh | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $750 | $938 | Chennai |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $539 | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Chennai | Phnom Penh | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 3.6 | 1.8 | Phnom Penh |
| Political stability (0–100) | 52.5 | 68.1 | Phnom Penh |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 69 | 62 | Chennai |
| Life expectancy | 67.3 yrs | 68.9 yrs | Phnom Penh |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Chennai | Phnom Penh | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 30.9 Mbps | 17.3 Mbps | Chennai |
| Upload | 9.2 Mbps | 10.8 Mbps | Phnom Penh |

## Visa

| Metric | Chennai | Phnom Penh | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Visa-free days, US passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required | tie |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required | tie |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Chennai | Phnom Penh | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 70 | 42 | Chennai |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 1 | Chennai |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Chennai | Phnom Penh | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 3 | 3 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 26 µg/m³ | 19 µg/m³ | Phnom Penh |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Chennai or Phnom Penh?

Chennai is cheaper: about $750 per month versus $938 for one person.

### Is Chennai or Phnom Penh safer?

Phnom Penh scores higher on safety (70 vs 49), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Chennai or Phnom Penh?

Chennai: a measured median of 30.9 Mbps versus 17.3 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Chennai](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/chennai) · [Phnom Penh](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/phnom-penh). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages).

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/chennai-vs-phnom-penh