Question 1

How much does it cost to live in Cambodia for a year?

Accepted Answer

Annualised from CostLiving's tiers: roughly $8,280 for a year at the budget tier ($690 a month), $13,800 at the moderate tier ($1,150), and $21,420 living comfortably ($1,785). Base yourself in Phnom Penh specifically and the moderate year runs closer to $18,000 ($1,500 a month). The annual frame surfaces costs that monthly snapshots hide, and Cambodia has three worth budgeting explicitly. Visa renewals: the long-stay route is cheap by regional standards but still a recurring line every year. Health cover: private insurance with medical-evacuation cover to Bangkok is the sensible baseline, since Cambodian hospitals handle routine care well and serious cases poorly. And the hot-season energy spike: running air conditioning through March to May pushes utility bills up noticeably, enough to feel it at the budget tier. A single person on $15,000 a year lives a proper moderate life with all three covered. A couple should plan around $22,000 to $24,000 rather than double. Full breakdowns on our Cambodia cost of living page.

Question 2

Is Cambodia cheap to live in?

Accepted Answer

Yes, among the cheapest in Southeast Asia. CostLiving's moderate benchmark for Cambodia is $1,150 a month for a single person, with the budget tier at $690 and comfortable at $1,785. Phnom Penh runs above the national figure at $1,500 a month moderate, and the pattern inverts in Siem Reap and the provinces, where the national benchmark stretches further. Housing is the standout: $410 a month at the moderate tier covers a modern one-bed in the capital's expat districts, and the dollar-based economy means no exchange-rate arithmetic, since US dollars circulate alongside riel for anything bigger than a market stall. Set against neighbours, Cambodia undercuts Thailand's moderate benchmark of $1,175 only slightly on paper, but visas are where it really competes: long-stay options remain simpler and cheaper than almost anywhere in the region, which matters more to annual costs than grocery prices do. The trade-offs are infrastructure and healthcare, where serious treatment means Bangkok. Full tiers on our Cambodia cost of living page, and see how it ranks in our cheapest places to live guide.

Cambodia Cost of Living Questions