Travel safety comparison · Asia
Cambodia vs Malaysia: safety comparison
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Cambodia vs Malaysia: side-by-side safety comparison. Risk scores, FCDO + US State advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ status.
Malaysia carries a materially lower safety risk than Cambodia on the composite Warnely score: 25/100 against 43/100, a gap of 18 points. The biggest single category gap is in infrastructure, where Malaysia scores 2/5 against Cambodia's 4/5. Drug law diverges sharply: Cambodia carries a tier-severe regime against Malaysia's more permissive framework.
| 🇰🇭Cambodia | 🇲🇾Malaysia | |
|---|---|---|
| Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) | 43 / 100 | 25 / 100 |
| Risk tier | Exercise Increased Caution | Exercise Normal 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 | #13 |
| Drug law | Severe (long sentences) | Death penalty possible |
| Women's safety rating | Generally Safe | Generally Safe |
| LGBTQ+ legal status | legal | illegal |
| Tap water | n/a | n/a |
| Currency | USD | MYR |
Cambodia vs Malaysia: common questions
Is Cambodia or Malaysia safer to visit?
Malaysia has the lower Warnely composite risk score: 25/100 vs 43/100 (lower is safer). Both scores factor in crime, terrorism, natural disasters, health, civil unrest, and infrastructure.
Is Cambodia or Malaysia safer for solo female travellers?
Cambodia is rated Generally Safe for women's safety; Malaysia is rated Generally Safe. Read the full guides for city-level detail.
What do FCDO and US State Department say about Cambodia and Malaysia?
Cambodia: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State). Malaysia: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) (US State).