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    Accra vs Phnom Penh: A Complete Data-Driven Comparison

    ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ญ

    Accra

    Ghana ยท $700/mo

    0.00
    Total
    0.00
    Nomad
    ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ญ

    Phnom Penh

    Cambodia ยท $700/mo

    0.00
    Total
    0.00
    Nomad

    Choosing between Accra, Ghana and Phnom Penh, Cambodia is one of the most common dilemmas facing digital nomads, expats, and remote workers in 2026. Both cities offer unique advantages. But the right choice depends entirely on your priorities, budget, and lifestyle preferences.

    In this comprehensive comparison, we analyze Accra and Phnom Penh across 12 critical categories: Economic Factors, Quality of Life, Infrastructure & Connectivity, Housing & Living Spaces, and 8 more categories. Each category is scored on a 0-100 scale using data from over 20 verified sources, including Numbeo, WHO, Speedtest, and local government statistics.

    Accra earns an overall score of 58.94/100, while Phnom Penh scores 63.01/100. A 4.07-point modest gap that Phnom Penh leads. But headline scores never tell the full story. Let's break down exactly where each city excels and where it falls short.

    Accra is described as: "West Africa's tech hub. English-speaking, welcoming, and rapidly modernizing." Meanwhile, Phnom Penh is known as: "Cambodia's rapidly developing capital. Ultra-cheap with a growing expat scene." These reputations are earned. But how do they hold up under rigorous data analysis? Read on.

    Economic Factors

    Accra

    59
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    69

    In economic factors, Phnom Penh takes the lead with a score of 69/100 compared to 59/100. This category covers employment & income, cost factors, economic environment.

    Phnom Penh has a solid advantage in employment & income (53 vs 35). Phnom Penh has a commanding lead in economic environment (73 vs 53).

    Phnom Penh stands out for daily living costs, housing costs, currency stability, though salary levels and education costs could be improved. Accra performs well in housing costs and daily living costs despite the overall gap.

    Employment & Income

    Accra

    35
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    53

    Job Market Strength

    35/ 10048

    Salary Levels

    15/ 10037

    Freelance/Remote Work Market

    40/ 10072

    Entrepreneurship Environment

    50/ 10056

    Cost Factors

    Accra

    81
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    78

    Housing Costs

    92/ 10088

    Daily Living Costs

    90/ 10091

    Transportation Costs

    85/ 10087

    Entertainment Costs

    88/ 10082

    Healthcare Costs

    75/ 10076

    Education Costs

    55/ 10042

    Economic Environment

    Accra

    53
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    73

    Tax Rates

    65/ 10079

    Business Regulations

    45/ 10058

    Economic Stability

    55/ 10074

    Currency Stability

    40/ 10088

    Banking System

    60/ 10064

    Quality of Life

    Accra

    58
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    54

    In quality of life, Accra takes the lead with a score of 58/100 compared to 54/100. This category covers healthcare, education, safety & environment, climate & nature.

    Phnom Penh has a solid advantage in education (60 vs 50). Accra has a solid advantage in safety & environment (61 vs 49). Accra has a solid advantage in climate & nature (57 vs 45).

    Accra stands out for water quality, beach/water access, english-speaking medical staff, though mountains/hiking and air quality could be improved. Phnom Penh performs well in english-speaking medical staff and healthcare affordability despite the overall gap.

    Healthcare

    Accra

    61
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    66

    Healthcare Quality

    57/ 10064

    Healthcare Accessibility

    60/ 10068

    Healthcare Affordability

    70/ 10077

    English-Speaking Medical Staff

    90/ 10079

    Mental Health Services

    35/ 10046

    Dental Care

    55/ 10061

    Education

    Accra

    50
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    60

    School Quality

    35/ 10067

    International Schools

    70/ 10074

    Universities

    55/ 10051

    Language Schools

    40/ 10063

    Vocational Training

    50/ 10043

    Safety & Environment

    Accra

    61
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    49

    Crime Rates

    52/ 10053

    Personal Safety

    55/ 10063

    Political Stability

    85/ 10072

    Natural Disaster Risk

    80/ 10047

    Air Quality

    25/ 10038

    Water Quality

    100/ 10032

    Noise Pollution

    28/ 10041

    Climate & Nature

    Accra

    57
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    45

    Climate Suitability

    67/ 10059

    Sunshine Hours

    75/ 10068

    Rainfall Patterns

    50/ 10049

    Natural Beauty

    70/ 10054

    Green Spaces

    30/ 10044

    Beach/Water Access

    95/ 10022

    Mountains/Hiking

    15/ 10018

    Infrastructure & Connectivity

    Accra

    56
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    61

    In infrastructure & connectivity, Phnom Penh takes the lead with a score of 61/100 compared to 56/100. This category covers transportation, connectivity, digital infrastructure.

    Accra has a solid advantage in connectivity (65 vs 55). Phnom Penh has a commanding lead in digital infrastructure (78 vs 57).

    Phnom Penh stands out for public transport affordability, internet cost, mobile network quality, though train connections and bike infrastructure could be improved. Accra performs well in train connections and public transport affordability despite the overall gap.

    Transportation

    Accra

    51
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    52

    Public Transport Quality

    35/ 10049

    Public Transport Coverage

    65/ 10046

    Public Transport Affordability

    90/ 10089

    Bike Infrastructure

    25/ 10024

    Walkability

    50/ 10039

    Traffic Congestion

    40/ 10031

    Driving Conditions

    40/ 10036

    Taxi/Rideshare

    75/ 10084

    Car Ownership Necessity

    35/ 10071

    Connectivity

    Accra

    65
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    55

    Airport Connectivity

    65/ 10071

    Airport Distance

    90/ 10078

    Train Connections

    100/ 10019

    Bus Connections

    70/ 10069

    Ferry Connections

    0/ 10037

    Digital Infrastructure

    Accra

    57
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    78

    Internet Speed

    55/ 10086

    Internet Reliability

    55/ 10079

    Internet Cost

    80/ 10088

    Mobile Network Quality

    60/ 10087

    Coworking Spaces

    50/ 10071

    Public WiFi

    40/ 10058

    Housing & Living Spaces

    Accra

    65
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    70

    In housing & living spaces, Phnom Penh takes the lead with a score of 70/100 compared to 65/100. This category covers housing market, neighborhoods.

    Phnom Penh stands out for rental costs, purchase prices, expat/international areas, though landlord regulations and housing quality could be improved. Accra performs well in rental costs and purchase prices despite the overall gap.

    Housing Market

    Accra

    65
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    70

    Rental Availability

    60/ 10076

    Rental Costs

    92/ 10089

    Purchase Prices

    75/ 10084

    Housing Quality

    50/ 10054

    Housing Variety

    60/ 10066

    Landlord Regulations

    50/ 10052

    Neighborhoods

    Accra

    66
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    70

    Neighborhood Diversity

    70/ 10069

    Expat/International Areas

    75/ 10078

    Gentrification Trends

    50/ 10057

    Proximity to Amenities

    70/ 10074

    Daily Life & Services

    Accra

    64
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    71

    In daily life & services, Phnom Penh takes the lead with a score of 71/100 compared to 64/100. This category covers shopping & retail, food & dining, essential services, utilities & connectivity.

    Phnom Penh has a solid advantage in food & dining (83 vs 73). Phnom Penh has a solid advantage in utilities & connectivity (65 vs 51).

    Phnom Penh stands out for street food, restaurant affordability, local markets, though waste management and pet services could be improved. Accra performs well in local markets and restaurant affordability despite the overall gap.

    Shopping & Retail

    Accra

    61
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    70

    Supermarket Availability

    70/ 10071

    Shopping Mall Quantity

    50/ 10064

    Shopping Mall Quality

    55/ 10062

    International Brands

    45/ 10066

    Local Markets

    90/ 10087

    Opening Hours

    60/ 10076

    E-commerce

    60/ 10061

    Food & Dining

    Accra

    73
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    83

    Restaurant Variety

    70/ 10083

    Restaurant Quality

    65/ 10076

    Restaurant Affordability

    90/ 10091

    Cafรฉ Culture

    55/ 10079

    Street Food

    90/ 10094

    Alcohol Availability

    70/ 10078

    Food Delivery

    70/ 10078

    Essential Services

    Accra

    66
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    67

    Pharmacy Density

    75/ 10079

    24-Hour Pharmacies

    55/ 10059

    Medicine Availability

    65/ 10071

    Postal Services

    50/ 10054

    Banking Services

    75/ 10073

    Laundry Services

    70/ 10069

    Repair Services

    70/ 10064

    Hair Salons/Barbers

    80/ 10081

    Pet Services

    50/ 10052

    Utilities & Connectivity

    Accra

    51
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    65

    Electricity Reliability

    40/ 10069

    Water Reliability

    55/ 10064

    Utility Costs

    80/ 10083

    Heating/Cooling

    60/ 10057

    Waste Management

    20/ 10051

    Cultural & Social Life

    Accra

    60
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    60

    In cultural & social life, Accra takes the lead with a score of 60/100 compared to 60/100. This category covers culture & entertainment, social life, community.

    Accra stands out for language barriers, music scene, local friendliness, though lgbtq+ scene and theaters & performing arts could be improved. Phnom Penh performs well in local friendliness and historical sites despite the overall gap.

    Culture & Entertainment

    Accra

    57
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    58

    Museums & Galleries

    50/ 10061

    Historical Sites

    70/ 10084

    Theaters & Performing Arts

    40/ 10041

    Music Scene

    80/ 10059

    Cinema Options

    60/ 10064

    Libraries

    50/ 10042

    Art Scene

    50/ 10052

    Social Life

    Accra

    54
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    57

    Nightlife Quality

    60/ 10068

    Nightlife Safety

    50/ 10054

    Festival Calendar

    70/ 10071

    Sports Culture

    70/ 10049

    Social Clubs

    55/ 10061

    Dating Scene

    60/ 10056

    LGBTQ+ Scene

    15/ 10041

    Community

    Accra

    72
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    67

    Local Friendliness

    80/ 10089

    Expat Community Size

    60/ 10064

    Expat Integration

    60/ 10069

    Language Barriers

    90/ 10049

    Cultural Events

    70/ 10066

    Professional & Career

    Accra

    52
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    65

    In professional & career, Phnom Penh takes the lead with a score of 65/100 compared to 52/100. This category covers business environment, work environment, market opportunities.

    Phnom Penh has a commanding lead in work environment (81 vs 57). Phnom Penh has a commanding lead in market opportunities (65 vs 43).

    Phnom Penh stands out for business visa options, internet for work, work-life balance, though major companies and industry clusters could be improved. Accra performs well in time zone and business associations despite the overall gap.

    Business Environment

    Accra

    52
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    53

    Industry Clusters

    50/ 10046

    Major Companies

    50/ 10041

    Startup Ecosystem

    45/ 10055

    Coworking Culture

    50/ 10070

    Professional Networking

    55/ 10054

    Business Associations

    60/ 10051

    Work Environment

    Accra

    57
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    81

    Work-Life Balance

    45/ 10078

    Remote Work Acceptance

    60/ 10074

    Internet for Work

    60/ 10089

    Time Zone

    70/ 10071

    Business Visa Options

    50/ 10091

    Market Opportunities

    Accra

    43
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    65

    Client Base

    40/ 10052

    Freelance Market

    40/ 10071

    Competition Level

    50/ 10073

    Lifestyle & Pace

    Accra

    63
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    64

    In lifestyle & pace, Phnom Penh takes the lead with a score of 64/100 compared to 63/100. This category covers daily rhythm, lifestyle options, tourism impact.

    Phnom Penh stands out for pace of life, authenticity, shop opening hours, though health consciousness and outdoor lifestyle could be improved. Accra performs well in authenticity and pace of life despite the overall gap.

    Daily Rhythm

    Accra

    65
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    73

    Pace of Life

    75/ 10081

    Working Hours Culture

    55/ 10069

    Dining Hours

    65/ 10072

    Shop Opening Hours

    60/ 10075

    Weekend Culture

    70/ 10068

    Lifestyle Options

    Accra

    59
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    56

    Outdoor Lifestyle

    70/ 10051

    Fitness Culture

    50/ 10054

    Health Consciousness

    50/ 10049

    Pet Friendliness

    50/ 10058

    Family Orientation

    75/ 10069

    Tourism Impact

    Accra

    64
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    64

    Tourist Volume

    55/ 10062

    Tourism Seasonality

    50/ 10053

    Tourist Infrastructure

    60/ 10068

    Authenticity

    80/ 10079

    Crowding

    75/ 10057

    Legal & Administrative

    Accra

    55
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    57

    In legal & administrative, Phnom Penh takes the lead with a score of 57/100 compared to 55/100. This category covers visa & residency, administration, rights & freedoms.

    Phnom Penh has a solid advantage in visa & residency (70 vs 54).

    Phnom Penh stands out for visa requirements, residency options, deportation risk, though citizenship pathway and freedom of speech could be improved. Accra performs well in language requirements and deportation risk despite the overall gap.

    Visa & Residency

    Accra

    54
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    70

    Visa Requirements

    60/ 10090

    Residency Options

    55/ 10084

    Residency Process

    40/ 10076

    Citizenship Pathway

    35/ 10021

    Deportation Risk

    80/ 10081

    Administration

    Accra

    57
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    51

    Bureaucracy Level

    35/ 10039

    Digital Government

    50/ 10053

    Document Requirements

    50/ 10059

    Language Requirements

    90/ 10054

    Legal System

    60/ 10049

    Rights & Freedoms

    Accra

    53
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    51

    Freedom of Speech

    60/ 10033

    Religious Freedom

    80/ 10071

    Women's Rights

    60/ 10062

    LGBTQ+ Rights

    15/ 10038

    Worker Rights

    50/ 10052

    Family & Children

    Accra

    57
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    63

    In family & children, Phnom Penh takes the lead with a score of 63/100 compared to 57/100. This category covers child-friendly infrastructure, family services.

    Phnom Penh stands out for family housing, childcare costs, pediatric care, though playgrounds and baby/toddler facilities could be improved. Accra performs well in school holidays and family housing despite the overall gap.

    Child-Friendly Infrastructure

    Accra

    53
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    59

    Playgrounds

    50/ 10051

    Kid Activities

    55/ 10062

    Child Safety

    55/ 10064

    Pediatric Care

    55/ 10066

    Baby/Toddler Facilities

    50/ 10053

    Family Services

    Accra

    60
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    66

    Childcare Availability

    60/ 10061

    Childcare Costs

    50/ 10071

    School Holidays

    70/ 10062

    Extracurricular Activities

    55/ 10065

    Family Housing

    65/ 10072

    Practical Considerations

    Accra

    61
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    62

    In practical considerations, Phnom Penh takes the lead with a score of 62/100 compared to 61/100. This category covers transportation costs, special services, communication, emergency services.

    Phnom Penh has a solid advantage in emergency services (65 vs 53).

    Phnom Penh stands out for emergency numbers, gas station density, international calling, though ev infrastructure and natural disaster preparedness could be improved. Accra performs well in language learning and fuel prices despite the overall gap.

    Transportation Costs

    Accra

    63
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    62

    Fuel Prices

    80/ 10076

    Gas Station Density

    80/ 10079

    EV Infrastructure

    20/ 10024

    Vehicle Costs

    75/ 10062

    Vehicle Maintenance

    60/ 10071

    Special Services

    Accra

    63
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    60

    Moving Services

    60/ 10059

    Storage Facilities

    45/ 10049

    Translation Services

    70/ 10068

    Legal Services

    70/ 10064

    Accounting Services

    70/ 10061

    Communication

    Accra

    64
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    61

    Postal Reliability

    50/ 10055

    Package Import

    50/ 10052

    Language Learning

    85/ 10059

    International Calling

    70/ 10079

    Emergency Services

    Accra

    53
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    65

    Emergency Response

    45/ 10061

    Emergency Healthcare

    50/ 10069

    Emergency Numbers

    80/ 10080

    Natural Disaster Preparedness

    35/ 10048

    Specific to Your Profile

    Accra

    56
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    62

    In specific to your profile, Phnom Penh takes the lead with a score of 62/100 compared to 56/100. This category covers remote work specific, personal circumstances.

    Phnom Penh has a solid advantage in remote work specific (72 vs 57).

    Phnom Penh stands out for video call quality, cafรฉ laptop culture, dietary requirements, though partner citizenship advantages and language skills could be improved. Accra performs well in language skills and dietary requirements despite the overall gap.

    Remote Work Specific

    Accra

    57
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    72

    Time Zone Alignment

    70/ 10070

    Coworking Day Passes

    55/ 10069

    Cafรฉ Laptop Culture

    65/ 10083

    Video Call Quality

    60/ 10084

    Tech Ecosystem

    35/ 10052

    Personal Circumstances

    Accra

    56
    / 100

    Phnom Penh

    56

    Citizenship Advantages

    25/ 10049

    Partner Citizenship Advantages

    25/ 10041

    Industry Presence

    50/ 10050

    Language Skills

    90/ 10047

    Religious/Cultural Fit

    65/ 10069

    Dietary Requirements

    75/ 10073

    Hobby Availability

    60/ 10064

    Pet Import Rules

    55/ 10053

    The Verdict: Accra or Phnom Penh?

    With an overall score of 63.01/100 versus 58.94/100, Phnom Penh leads on paper. But the "better" city ultimately depends on what matters most to you.

    Accra excels in quality of life. Phnom Penh leads in economic factors, infrastructure & connectivity, housing & living spaces.

    Use our interactive comparison tool to drill deeper into specific metrics. No single ranking captures the complexity of choosing a new home. But data-driven analysis gives you the best starting point.

    Dive Deeper with Our Interactive Tool

    See the full data breakdown with live filtering and side-by-side analysis.

    Compare Accra vs Phnom Penh Live