Kathmandu vs Siem Reap
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Kathmandu edges it, 46 to 43, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Kathmandu is stronger on cost of living; Siem Reap on safety. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Angkor's town, with a friendly expat community
Full Siem Reap profile →Plan a trip to Siem Reap →Where they differ
- Cost of living. Kathmandu leads on cost of living, 91 to 72, against Siem Reap. Monthly cost, one person: $716 vs $1,050.
- Safety. Siem Reap leads on safety, 71 to 60, against Kathmandu. Homicides per 100,000: 2.13 vs 1.8.
- Climate. Kathmandu leads on climate, 42 to 33, against Siem Reap. Comfortable months: 5 vs 4.
Where they are close. Within five points on internet, healthcare, getting there & around, visa ease, air quality.
Pick Kathmandu if you want
- to spend about $334 less a month
Pick Siem Reap if you want
- the safer country figures
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Kathmandu | Siem Reap |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 91 ✓ | 72 |
| Safety | 60 | 71 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 58 | 59 ✓ |
| Internet | 58 ✓ | 54 |
| Visa ease | 34 | 34 |
| Getting there & around | 12 ✓ | 12 |
| Climate | 42 ✓ | 33 |
| Air quality | 29 | 29 |
| Quality of life | 35 ✓ | 26 |
Cost
| Metric | Kathmandu | Siem Reap |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $716 ✓ | $1,050 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Kathmandu | Siem Reap |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 2.13 | 1.8 ✓ |
| Political stability (0–100) | 57.8 | 71.5 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 58 | 62 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 72.1 yrs ✓ | 71.2 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Kathmandu | Siem Reap |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 17.1 Mbps ✓ | 15 Mbps |
| Upload | 16.2 Mbps ✓ | 9.9 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Kathmandu | Siem Reap |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
| Entry, EU passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
| Entry, UK passport | visa on arrival | visa on arrival |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Kathmandu | Siem Reap |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 50 ✓ | 14 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Kathmandu | Siem Reap |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 5 ✓ | 4 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 37 µg/m³ | 37 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Kathmandu or Siem Reap?
- Kathmandu is cheaper: about $716 per month versus $1,050 for one person.
- Is Kathmandu or Siem Reap safer?
- Siem Reap scores higher on safety (71 vs 60), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Kathmandu or Siem Reap?
- Kathmandu: a measured median of 17.1 Mbps versus 15 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Kathmandu vs Pokhara
- Kathmandu vs Bhubaneswar
- Siem Reap vs Battambang
- Siem Reap vs Pokhara
- All comparisons
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; Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); 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); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.3. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.