Travel safety comparison · Asia
Cambodia vs Laos: safety comparison
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Cambodia vs Laos: side-by-side safety comparison. Risk scores, FCDO + US State advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ status.
Cambodia and Laos have very similar overall Warnely composite scores: 43 and 38. The choice between them is unlikely to be driven by the headline number alone. The biggest single category gap is in crime, where Laos scores 2/5 against Cambodia's 3/5.
| 🇰🇭Cambodia | 🇱🇦Laos | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 43 / 100 | 38 / 100 |
| Risk tier | Exercise Increased Caution | Exercise Increased Caution |
| UK FCDO advisory | No active advisory | No active advisory |
| US State Department advisory | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) | Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) |
| Global Peace Index rank | #87 | #47 |
| Drug law | Severe (long sentences) | Severe (long sentences) |
| Women's safety rating | Generally Safe | Generally Safe |
| LGBTQ+ legal status | legal | legal |
| Tap water | n/a | n/a |
| Currency | USD | LAK |
Cambodia vs Laos: common questions
Is Cambodia or Laos safer to visit?
Laos has the lower Warnely composite risk score: 38/100 vs 43/100 (lower is safer). Both scores factor in crime, terrorism, natural disasters, health, civil unrest, and infrastructure.
Is Cambodia or Laos safer for solo female travellers?
Cambodia is rated Generally Safe for women's safety; Laos is rated Generally Safe. Read the full guides for city-level detail.
What do FCDO and US State Department say about Cambodia and Laos?
Cambodia: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State). Laos: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State).