---
title: "Siem Reap vs Vientiane for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/siem-reap-vs-vientiane
description: "Under balanced weights Vientiane edges it, 41 to 36, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Siem Reap is stronger on nothing outright; Vientiane on air quality. 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 Vientiane for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Vientiane edges it, 41 to 36, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Siem Reap is stronger on nothing outright; Vientiane on air quality. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

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

| Metric | Siem Reap | Vientiane | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 63 | 70 | Vientiane |
| Safety | 70 | 62 | Siem Reap |
| Healthcare | 51 | 51 | tie |
| Internet | no data | 49 | — |
| Visa ease | 6 | 6 | tie |
| Getting there & around | 12 | 17 | Vientiane |
| Climate | 33 | 42 | Vientiane |
| Air quality | 29 | 54 | Vientiane |
| Quality of life | 21 | 22 | Vientiane |

## Cost

| Metric | Siem Reap | Vientiane | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,094 | $938 | Vientiane |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Siem Reap | Vientiane | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 1.8 | 6.4 | Siem Reap |
| Political stability (0–100) | 68.1 | 75.4 | Vientiane |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 62 | 64 | Vientiane |
| Life expectancy | 68.9 yrs | 68.2 yrs | Siem Reap |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Siem Reap | Vientiane | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | no data | 19.3 Mbps | — |
| Upload | no data | 7.6 Mbps | — |

## Visa

| Metric | Siem Reap | Vientiane | 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 | visa or e-visa required | tie |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required | tie |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | visa or e-visa required | visa or e-visa required | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Siem Reap | Vientiane | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 13 | 46 | Vientiane |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 1 | 1 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Siem Reap | Vientiane | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 5 | Vientiane |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 37 µg/m³ | 25.8 µg/m³ | Vientiane |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Siem Reap or Vientiane?

Vientiane is cheaper: about $938 per month versus $1,094 for one person.

### Is Siem Reap or Vientiane safer?

Siem Reap scores higher on safety (70 vs 62), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Siem Reap or Vientiane?

M-Lab has no reliable measurement for one of the two cities.

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

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/siem-reap-vs-vientiane