---
title: "Siem Reap vs Ulaanbaatar for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/siem-reap-vs-ulaanbaatar
description: "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."
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# 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.

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

| Metric | Siem Reap | Ulaanbaatar | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 63 | 51 | Siem Reap |
| Safety | 70 | 63 | Siem Reap |
| Healthcare | 51 | 58 | Ulaanbaatar |
| Internet | no data | 29 | — |
| Visa ease | 6 | 38 | Ulaanbaatar |
| Getting there & around | 12 | 15 | Ulaanbaatar |
| Climate | 33 | 8 | Siem Reap |
| Air quality | 29 | 0 | Siem Reap |
| Quality of life | 21 | 47 | Ulaanbaatar |

## Cost

| Metric | Siem Reap | Ulaanbaatar | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,094 | $1,458 | Siem Reap |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Siem Reap | Ulaanbaatar | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 1.8 | 5.3 | Siem Reap |
| Political stability (0–100) | 68.1 | 73.1 | Ulaanbaatar |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 62 | 70 | Ulaanbaatar |
| Life expectancy | 68.9 yrs | 70.1 yrs | Ulaanbaatar |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Siem Reap | Ulaanbaatar | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | no data | 7 Mbps | — |
| Upload | no data | 4.3 Mbps | — |

## Visa

| Metric | Siem Reap | Ulaanbaatar | 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 | 90 days | Ulaanbaatar |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | visa or e-visa required | 30 days | Ulaanbaatar |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | visa or e-visa required | 30 days | Ulaanbaatar |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Siem Reap | Ulaanbaatar | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 13 | 35 | Ulaanbaatar |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 2 | Siem Reap |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 2 | Ulaanbaatar |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Siem Reap | Ulaanbaatar | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 1 | Siem Reap |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 37 µg/m³ | 60 µg/m³ | Siem Reap |

## FAQ

### 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.

City pages: [Siem Reap](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/siem-reap) · [Ulaanbaatar](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/ulaanbaatar). 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).

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