Kep vs Siem Reap
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Kep edges it, 50 to 43, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Kep is stronger on air quality; Siem Reap on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Sleepy seaside town of crab shacks and abandoned villas near Kampot
Full Kep profile →Where to stay in Kep →Angkor's town, with a friendly expat community
Full Siem Reap profile →Where to stay in Siem Reap →Where they differ
- Air quality. Kep leads on air quality, 89 to 29, against Siem Reap. PM2.5: 10 µg/m³ vs 37 µg/m³.
Where they are close. Within five points on getting there & around, cost of living, safety, healthcare, internet, visa ease, climate, quality of life.
Pick Kep if you want
- to spend about $26 less a month
- cleaner air
Pick Siem Reap if you want
- nothing in particular over Kep: it trails on every factor the data covers
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Kep | Siem Reap |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 58 ✓ | 57 |
| Safety | 71 | 71 |
| Healthcare | 54 | 54 |
| Internet | 54 | 54 |
| Visa ease | 34 | 34 |
| Getting there & around | 37 ✓ | 35 |
| Climate | 33 | 33 |
| Air quality | 89 ✓ | 29 |
| Quality of life | 22 | 22 |
Cost
| Metric | Kep | Siem Reap |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,050 ✓ | $1,076 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Kep | Siem Reap |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 1.8 | 1.8 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 71.5 | 71.5 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 62 | 62 |
| Life expectancy | 68.9 yrs | 68.9 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Kep | Siem Reap |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 15 Mbps | 15 Mbps |
| Upload | 9.9 Mbps | 9.9 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Kep | 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 | Kep | Siem Reap |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 15 ✓ | 13 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Kep | Siem Reap |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 4 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 10 µg/m³ ✓ | 37 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Kep or Siem Reap?
- Kep is cheaper: about $1,050 per month versus $1,076 for one person.
- Is Kep or Siem Reap safer?
- Kep scores higher on safety (71 vs 71), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Kep or Siem Reap?
- Kep: a measured median of 15 Mbps versus 15 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More 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; UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); OpenFlights airports and routes; 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 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.