CrossBorders
Take the quiz
Head-to-head

Da Nang vs Phnom Penh

Vietnam flagDa NangCambodia flagPhnom Penh

Da Nang and Phnom Penh are compared across affordability, safety, healthcare, career, culture and food, and public life. Da Nang has the broader all-round edge and leads every category that separates the pair. The better fit depends on which of those relocation priorities matters most.

How they compare

AffordabilitySafetyHealthcareCareerCulturePublic life
  • Da Nang
  • Phnom Penh
Affordability
75
74
Safety
70
56
Healthcare
43
35
Career
44
43
Culture & food
61
60
Public life & spaces
52
30
Overall
55
49

Objective 0–100 scores from source-backed CrossBorders data. Green marks the category leader; gold is the overall leader.

Built for you, not the average
Da Nang or Phnom Penh? Depends on you.

The scores above weigh every category equally. Your life doesn't. Answer a few questions and we'll rank all 283 cities around your budget, work, and dealbreakers, and call the winner for you.

Answer a few quick questions and get your personal winner out of 283 cities.

Get my personal ranking

Category by category

Is Da Nang or Phnom Penh cheaper to live in?

Da 75Phnom 74

Phnom Penh has the lower open-market one-bedroom rent on a new lease, at about €237 per month, compared with €238 in Da Nang. Against one typical employee's mean net pay, Da Nang is solo unlikely at roughly 89%, while Phnom Penh is solo unlikely at roughly 99%.

Is Da Nang or Phnom Penh safer?

Da 70Phnom 56

Da Nang leads clearly: violent crime stays rare in both, but Phnom Penh's bag-snatching and genuinely dangerous traffic push its score down further.

Does Da Nang or Phnom Penh have better healthcare?

Da 43Phnom 35

Da Nang edges ahead, a modest lead given both cities are honestly weak here — many residents of each travel abroad for anything serious.

Is Da Nang or Phnom Penh better for your career?

Da 44Phnom 43

Nearly level, with both local job markets shallow and best suited to remote workers rather than people chasing a conventional career on the ground.

Does Da Nang or Phnom Penh have a better food and culture scene?

Da 61Phnom 60

A close call: Da Nang's outstanding cafe scene and street eating sit just ahead of Phnom Penh's food culture, which punches above the city's size but stays a step behind regional heavyweights.

Does Da Nang or Phnom Penh have better public spaces and street life?

Da 52Phnom 30

Da Nang pulls the widest gap in the set here: its clean beachfront and Dragon Bridge waterfront beat Phnom Penh's dusty streets and thin public squares beyond the Tonle Sap riverside strip.

The verdict

Choose Da Nang for the broader all-round balance and the category advantages in this comparison. Choose Phnom Penh where neighbourhood fit or personal priorities matter more than the compared categories.

Not sure which fits you?
Stop comparing averages. Compare against you.

Da Nang vs Phnom Penh looks different once your budget, work, and dealbreakers are in the mix. Answer a few questions and we'll weigh 109 metrics across 283 cities around your answers.

Take the free questionnaire

Explore each city

Vietnam flagLiving in Da NangCambodia flagLiving in Phnom Penh

More comparisons

Bangkok vs Phnom PenhCebu City vs Da NangCebu City vs Phnom PenhDa Nang vs Hanoi
Before you commit
Spend a week in Da Nang first.

The fastest way to test a shortlist is to go. A week on the ground tells you things no ranking can.

See places to stay in Da Nang →

Partner links — we may earn a commission. Never affects your ranking.