Phnom Penh vs Vientiane
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Vientiane edges it, 48 to 47, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Phnom Penh is stronger on air quality, safety; Vientiane on climate. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Cheap, easy visas, and a growing scene
Full Phnom Penh profile →Plan a trip to Phnom Penh →Southeast Asia's sleepiest capital on the Mekong
Full Vientiane profile →Plan a trip to Vientiane →Where they differ
- Climate. Vientiane leads on climate, 42 to 25, against Phnom Penh. Comfortable months: 3 vs 5.
- Air quality. Phnom Penh leads on air quality, 69 to 54, against Vientiane. PM2.5: 19 µg/m³ vs 25.8 µg/m³.
- Safety. Phnom Penh leads on safety, 71 to 61, against Vientiane. Homicides per 100,000: 1.8 vs 6.4.
Where they are close. Within five points on cost of living, quality of life, healthcare, internet, visa ease.
Pick Phnom Penh if you want
- the safer country figures
- cleaner air
Pick Vientiane if you want
- to spend about $91 less a month
- a longer comfortable season (5 months against 3)
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Phnom Penh | Vientiane |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 75 | 79 ✓ |
| Safety | 71 ✓ | 61 |
| Healthcare | 59 ✓ | 59 |
| Internet | 57 | 57 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 34 | 34 |
| Getting there & around | 11 | 17 ✓ |
| Climate | 25 | 42 ✓ |
| Air quality | 69 ✓ | 54 |
| Quality of life | 26 | 28 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Phnom Penh | Vientiane |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $991 | $900 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $530 | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Phnom Penh | Vientiane |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 1.8 ✓ | 6.4 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 71.5 | 75.3 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 62 | 64 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 71.2 yrs ✓ | 69.7 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Phnom Penh | Vientiane |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 17.3 Mbps | 19.3 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 10.8 Mbps ✓ | 7.6 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Phnom Penh | Vientiane |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Phnom Penh | Vientiane |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 42 | 46 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 3 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Phnom Penh | Vientiane |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 3 | 5 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 19 µg/m³ ✓ | 25.8 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Phnom Penh or Vientiane?
- Vientiane is cheaper: about $900 per month versus $991 for one person.
- Is Phnom Penh or Vientiane safer?
- Phnom Penh scores higher on safety (71 vs 61), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Phnom Penh or Vientiane?
- Vientiane: a measured median of 19.3 Mbps versus 17.3 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Phnom Penh vs Kampot
- Phnom Penh vs Sihanoukville
- Vientiane vs Pakse
- Vientiane vs Gokarna
- 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; 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.