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    Phnom Penh vs Accra: A Complete Data-Driven Comparison

    ๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ญ

    Phnom Penh

    Cambodia ยท $700/mo

    0.00
    Total
    0.00
    Nomad
    ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ญ

    Accra

    Ghana ยท $700/mo

    0.00
    Total
    0.00
    Nomad

    Choosing between Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Accra, Ghana 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 Phnom Penh and Accra 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.

    Phnom Penh earns an overall score of 63.01/100, while Accra scores 58.94/100. 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.

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

    Economic Factors

    Phnom Penh

    69
    / 100

    Accra

    59

    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

    Phnom Penh

    53
    / 100

    Accra

    35

    Job Market Strength

    48/ 10035

    Salary Levels

    37/ 10015

    Freelance/Remote Work Market

    72/ 10040

    Entrepreneurship Environment

    56/ 10050

    Cost Factors

    Phnom Penh

    78
    / 100

    Accra

    81

    Housing Costs

    88/ 10092

    Daily Living Costs

    91/ 10090

    Transportation Costs

    87/ 10085

    Entertainment Costs

    82/ 10088

    Healthcare Costs

    76/ 10075

    Education Costs

    42/ 10055

    Economic Environment

    Phnom Penh

    73
    / 100

    Accra

    53

    Tax Rates

    79/ 10065

    Business Regulations

    58/ 10045

    Economic Stability

    74/ 10055

    Currency Stability

    88/ 10040

    Banking System

    64/ 10060

    Quality of Life

    Phnom Penh

    54
    / 100

    Accra

    58

    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

    Phnom Penh

    66
    / 100

    Accra

    61

    Healthcare Quality

    64/ 10057

    Healthcare Accessibility

    68/ 10060

    Healthcare Affordability

    77/ 10070

    English-Speaking Medical Staff

    79/ 10090

    Mental Health Services

    46/ 10035

    Dental Care

    61/ 10055

    Education

    Phnom Penh

    60
    / 100

    Accra

    50

    School Quality

    67/ 10035

    International Schools

    74/ 10070

    Universities

    51/ 10055

    Language Schools

    63/ 10040

    Vocational Training

    43/ 10050

    Safety & Environment

    Phnom Penh

    49
    / 100

    Accra

    61

    Crime Rates

    53/ 10052

    Personal Safety

    63/ 10055

    Political Stability

    72/ 10085

    Natural Disaster Risk

    47/ 10080

    Air Quality

    38/ 10025

    Water Quality

    32/ 100100

    Noise Pollution

    41/ 10028

    Climate & Nature

    Phnom Penh

    45
    / 100

    Accra

    57

    Climate Suitability

    59/ 10067

    Sunshine Hours

    68/ 10075

    Rainfall Patterns

    49/ 10050

    Natural Beauty

    54/ 10070

    Green Spaces

    44/ 10030

    Beach/Water Access

    22/ 10095

    Mountains/Hiking

    18/ 10015

    Infrastructure & Connectivity

    Phnom Penh

    61
    / 100

    Accra

    56

    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

    Phnom Penh

    52
    / 100

    Accra

    51

    Public Transport Quality

    49/ 10035

    Public Transport Coverage

    46/ 10065

    Public Transport Affordability

    89/ 10090

    Bike Infrastructure

    24/ 10025

    Walkability

    39/ 10050

    Traffic Congestion

    31/ 10040

    Driving Conditions

    36/ 10040

    Taxi/Rideshare

    84/ 10075

    Car Ownership Necessity

    71/ 10035

    Connectivity

    Phnom Penh

    55
    / 100

    Accra

    65

    Airport Connectivity

    71/ 10065

    Airport Distance

    78/ 10090

    Train Connections

    19/ 100100

    Bus Connections

    69/ 10070

    Ferry Connections

    37/ 1000

    Digital Infrastructure

    Phnom Penh

    78
    / 100

    Accra

    57

    Internet Speed

    86/ 10055

    Internet Reliability

    79/ 10055

    Internet Cost

    88/ 10080

    Mobile Network Quality

    87/ 10060

    Coworking Spaces

    71/ 10050

    Public WiFi

    58/ 10040

    Housing & Living Spaces

    Phnom Penh

    70
    / 100

    Accra

    65

    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

    Phnom Penh

    70
    / 100

    Accra

    65

    Rental Availability

    76/ 10060

    Rental Costs

    89/ 10092

    Purchase Prices

    84/ 10075

    Housing Quality

    54/ 10050

    Housing Variety

    66/ 10060

    Landlord Regulations

    52/ 10050

    Neighborhoods

    Phnom Penh

    70
    / 100

    Accra

    66

    Neighborhood Diversity

    69/ 10070

    Expat/International Areas

    78/ 10075

    Gentrification Trends

    57/ 10050

    Proximity to Amenities

    74/ 10070

    Daily Life & Services

    Phnom Penh

    71
    / 100

    Accra

    64

    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

    Phnom Penh

    70
    / 100

    Accra

    61

    Supermarket Availability

    71/ 10070

    Shopping Mall Quantity

    64/ 10050

    Shopping Mall Quality

    62/ 10055

    International Brands

    66/ 10045

    Local Markets

    87/ 10090

    Opening Hours

    76/ 10060

    E-commerce

    61/ 10060

    Food & Dining

    Phnom Penh

    83
    / 100

    Accra

    73

    Restaurant Variety

    83/ 10070

    Restaurant Quality

    76/ 10065

    Restaurant Affordability

    91/ 10090

    Cafรฉ Culture

    79/ 10055

    Street Food

    94/ 10090

    Alcohol Availability

    78/ 10070

    Food Delivery

    78/ 10070

    Essential Services

    Phnom Penh

    67
    / 100

    Accra

    66

    Pharmacy Density

    79/ 10075

    24-Hour Pharmacies

    59/ 10055

    Medicine Availability

    71/ 10065

    Postal Services

    54/ 10050

    Banking Services

    73/ 10075

    Laundry Services

    69/ 10070

    Repair Services

    64/ 10070

    Hair Salons/Barbers

    81/ 10080

    Pet Services

    52/ 10050

    Utilities & Connectivity

    Phnom Penh

    65
    / 100

    Accra

    51

    Electricity Reliability

    69/ 10040

    Water Reliability

    64/ 10055

    Utility Costs

    83/ 10080

    Heating/Cooling

    57/ 10060

    Waste Management

    51/ 10020

    Cultural & Social Life

    Phnom Penh

    60
    / 100

    Accra

    60

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

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

    Culture & Entertainment

    Phnom Penh

    58
    / 100

    Accra

    57

    Museums & Galleries

    61/ 10050

    Historical Sites

    84/ 10070

    Theaters & Performing Arts

    41/ 10040

    Music Scene

    59/ 10080

    Cinema Options

    64/ 10060

    Libraries

    42/ 10050

    Art Scene

    52/ 10050

    Social Life

    Phnom Penh

    57
    / 100

    Accra

    54

    Nightlife Quality

    68/ 10060

    Nightlife Safety

    54/ 10050

    Festival Calendar

    71/ 10070

    Sports Culture

    49/ 10070

    Social Clubs

    61/ 10055

    Dating Scene

    56/ 10060

    LGBTQ+ Scene

    41/ 10015

    Community

    Phnom Penh

    67
    / 100

    Accra

    72

    Local Friendliness

    89/ 10080

    Expat Community Size

    64/ 10060

    Expat Integration

    69/ 10060

    Language Barriers

    49/ 10090

    Cultural Events

    66/ 10070

    Professional & Career

    Phnom Penh

    65
    / 100

    Accra

    52

    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

    Phnom Penh

    53
    / 100

    Accra

    52

    Industry Clusters

    46/ 10050

    Major Companies

    41/ 10050

    Startup Ecosystem

    55/ 10045

    Coworking Culture

    70/ 10050

    Professional Networking

    54/ 10055

    Business Associations

    51/ 10060

    Work Environment

    Phnom Penh

    81
    / 100

    Accra

    57

    Work-Life Balance

    78/ 10045

    Remote Work Acceptance

    74/ 10060

    Internet for Work

    89/ 10060

    Time Zone

    71/ 10070

    Business Visa Options

    91/ 10050

    Market Opportunities

    Phnom Penh

    65
    / 100

    Accra

    43

    Client Base

    52/ 10040

    Freelance Market

    71/ 10040

    Competition Level

    73/ 10050

    Lifestyle & Pace

    Phnom Penh

    64
    / 100

    Accra

    63

    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

    Phnom Penh

    73
    / 100

    Accra

    65

    Pace of Life

    81/ 10075

    Working Hours Culture

    69/ 10055

    Dining Hours

    72/ 10065

    Shop Opening Hours

    75/ 10060

    Weekend Culture

    68/ 10070

    Lifestyle Options

    Phnom Penh

    56
    / 100

    Accra

    59

    Outdoor Lifestyle

    51/ 10070

    Fitness Culture

    54/ 10050

    Health Consciousness

    49/ 10050

    Pet Friendliness

    58/ 10050

    Family Orientation

    69/ 10075

    Tourism Impact

    Phnom Penh

    64
    / 100

    Accra

    64

    Tourist Volume

    62/ 10055

    Tourism Seasonality

    53/ 10050

    Tourist Infrastructure

    68/ 10060

    Authenticity

    79/ 10080

    Crowding

    57/ 10075

    Legal & Administrative

    Phnom Penh

    57
    / 100

    Accra

    55

    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

    Phnom Penh

    70
    / 100

    Accra

    54

    Visa Requirements

    90/ 10060

    Residency Options

    84/ 10055

    Residency Process

    76/ 10040

    Citizenship Pathway

    21/ 10035

    Deportation Risk

    81/ 10080

    Administration

    Phnom Penh

    51
    / 100

    Accra

    57

    Bureaucracy Level

    39/ 10035

    Digital Government

    53/ 10050

    Document Requirements

    59/ 10050

    Language Requirements

    54/ 10090

    Legal System

    49/ 10060

    Rights & Freedoms

    Phnom Penh

    51
    / 100

    Accra

    53

    Freedom of Speech

    33/ 10060

    Religious Freedom

    71/ 10080

    Women's Rights

    62/ 10060

    LGBTQ+ Rights

    38/ 10015

    Worker Rights

    52/ 10050

    Family & Children

    Phnom Penh

    63
    / 100

    Accra

    57

    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

    Phnom Penh

    59
    / 100

    Accra

    53

    Playgrounds

    51/ 10050

    Kid Activities

    62/ 10055

    Child Safety

    64/ 10055

    Pediatric Care

    66/ 10055

    Baby/Toddler Facilities

    53/ 10050

    Family Services

    Phnom Penh

    66
    / 100

    Accra

    60

    Childcare Availability

    61/ 10060

    Childcare Costs

    71/ 10050

    School Holidays

    62/ 10070

    Extracurricular Activities

    65/ 10055

    Family Housing

    72/ 10065

    Practical Considerations

    Phnom Penh

    62
    / 100

    Accra

    61

    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

    Phnom Penh

    62
    / 100

    Accra

    63

    Fuel Prices

    76/ 10080

    Gas Station Density

    79/ 10080

    EV Infrastructure

    24/ 10020

    Vehicle Costs

    62/ 10075

    Vehicle Maintenance

    71/ 10060

    Special Services

    Phnom Penh

    60
    / 100

    Accra

    63

    Moving Services

    59/ 10060

    Storage Facilities

    49/ 10045

    Translation Services

    68/ 10070

    Legal Services

    64/ 10070

    Accounting Services

    61/ 10070

    Communication

    Phnom Penh

    61
    / 100

    Accra

    64

    Postal Reliability

    55/ 10050

    Package Import

    52/ 10050

    Language Learning

    59/ 10085

    International Calling

    79/ 10070

    Emergency Services

    Phnom Penh

    65
    / 100

    Accra

    53

    Emergency Response

    61/ 10045

    Emergency Healthcare

    69/ 10050

    Emergency Numbers

    80/ 10080

    Natural Disaster Preparedness

    48/ 10035

    Specific to Your Profile

    Phnom Penh

    62
    / 100

    Accra

    56

    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

    Phnom Penh

    72
    / 100

    Accra

    57

    Time Zone Alignment

    70/ 10070

    Coworking Day Passes

    69/ 10055

    Cafรฉ Laptop Culture

    83/ 10065

    Video Call Quality

    84/ 10060

    Tech Ecosystem

    52/ 10035

    Personal Circumstances

    Phnom Penh

    56
    / 100

    Accra

    56

    Citizenship Advantages

    49/ 10025

    Partner Citizenship Advantages

    41/ 10025

    Industry Presence

    50/ 10050

    Language Skills

    47/ 10090

    Religious/Cultural Fit

    69/ 10065

    Dietary Requirements

    73/ 10075

    Hobby Availability

    64/ 10060

    Pet Import Rules

    53/ 10055

    The Verdict: Phnom Penh or Accra?

    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.

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

    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 Phnom Penh vs Accra Live