Siem Reap vs Ulaanbaatar
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Siem Reap edges it, 36 to 34, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Siem Reap is stronger on air quality, climate, cost of living; Ulaanbaatar on visa ease, quality of life. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
World's coldest capital, with the steppe at the edge of town
Full Ulaanbaatar profile →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Siem Reap | Ulaanbaatar |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 63 ✓ | 51 |
| Safety | 70 ✓ | 63 |
| Healthcare | 51 | 58 ✓ |
| Internet | no data | 29 |
| Visa ease | 6 | 38 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 12 | 15 ✓ |
| Climate | 33 ✓ | 8 |
| Air quality | 29 ✓ | 0 |
| Quality of life | 21 | 47 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Siem Reap | Ulaanbaatar |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,094 ✓ | $1,458 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Siem Reap | Ulaanbaatar |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 1.8 ✓ | 5.3 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 68.1 | 73.1 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 62 | 70 ✓ |
| Life expectancy | 68.9 yrs | 70.1 yrs ✓ |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Siem Reap | Ulaanbaatar |
|---|---|---|
| Download | no data | 7 Mbps |
| Upload | no data | 4.3 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Siem Reap | Ulaanbaatar |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Visa-free days, US passport | visa or e-visa required | 90 days ✓ |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | visa or e-visa required | 30 days ✓ |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | visa or e-visa required | 30 days ✓ |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Siem Reap | Ulaanbaatar |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 13 | 35 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 ✓ | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 2 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Siem Reap | Ulaanbaatar |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 4 ✓ | 1 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 37 µg/m³ ✓ | 60 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Siem Reap or Ulaanbaatar?
- Siem Reap is cheaper: about $1,094 per month versus $1,458 for one person.
- Is Siem Reap or Ulaanbaatar safer?
- Siem Reap scores higher on safety (70 vs 63), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Siem Reap or Ulaanbaatar?
- M-Lab has no reliable measurement for one of the two cities.
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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). Dataset 2026.09.4. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.