Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Battambang and Phnom Penh

For one person, living is cheaper in Battambang: $661 a month against $1,083 in Phnom Penh, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Battambang, Cambodia
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Battambang
🇰🇭 Cambodia
$661
/mo nomad
Phnom Penh
🇰🇭 Cambodia
$1,083
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Battambang and in Phnom Penh

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Battambang and in Phnom Penh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $661 in Battambang versus $1,083 in Phnom Penh.

  • Battambang $661
  • Phnom Penh $1,083

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,046 in Battambang versus $1,778 in Phnom Penh.

  • Battambang $1,046
  • Phnom Penh $1,778

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,431 in Battambang versus $2,474 in Phnom Penh.

  • Battambang $1,431
  • Phnom Penh $2,474

Living in Battambang costs roughly 39% less than in Phnom Penh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Battambang 51% lower, Phnom Penh 20% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Battambang
Phnom Penh
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.43 ៛9,886
$4.55 ៛18.5K
-46.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.26 ៛74.4K
$40.42 ៛164.7K
-54.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.31 ៛25.7K
$7.01 ៛28.6K
-9.99%
Cappuccino
$1.37 ៛5,564
$2.84 ៛11.6K
-51.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.67 ៛2,718
$1.72 ៛7,001
-61.05%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48 ៛1,938
$0.67 ៛2,727
-28.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.84 ៛3,419
$1.03 ៛4,187
-18.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 ៛9,106
$3.05 ៛12.4K
-26.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Battambang
Phnom Penh
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.25 ៛9,176
$2.28 ៛9,284
-1.32%
White Bread (500g)
$1.01 ៛4,130
$1.60 ៛6,536
-36.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.02 ៛4,148
$1.07 ៛4,378
-4.67%
Eggs
$1.72 ៛7,023
$1.82 ៛7,428
-5.49%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.23 ៛58.0K
$14.70 ៛59.9K
-3.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.43 ៛9,890
$4.45 ៛18.1K
-45.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.45 ៛38.5K
$9.63 ៛39.2K
-1.87%
Apples (1kg)
$4.26 ៛17.3K
$4.14 ៛16.9K
2.90%
Banana (1kg)
$1.28 ៛5,213
$1.70 ៛6,947
-24.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.60 ៛18.7K
$4.49 ៛18.3K
2.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.92 ៛7,844
$2.02 ៛8,218
-4.95%
Potato (1kg)
$1.76 ៛7,186
$1.72 ៛6,997
2.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.14 ៛4,627
$1.26 ៛5,125
-9.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.78 ៛3,164
$1.39 ៛5,659
-43.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.75 ៛3,057
$0.77 ៛3,146
-2.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.92 ៛7,820
$1.95 ៛7,933
-1.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.89 ៛44.4K
$11.14 ៛45.4K
-2.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.64 ៛2,616
$1.01 ៛4,122
-36.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.98 ៛3,984
$1.79 ៛7,296
-45.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Battambang
Phnom Penh
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.38 ៛1,560
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$9.88 ៛40.3K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.85 ៛3,472
$1.10 ៛4,463
-22.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.89 ៛3,637
$1.01 ៛4,126
-11.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.96 ៛20.2K
$5.02 ៛20.4K
-1.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.20 ៛4,887
$1.36 ៛5,553
-11.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.2K ៛143.5M
$34.8K ៛141.9M
1.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.3K ៛139.7M
$44.6K ៛181.9M
-23.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Battambang
Phnom Penh
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$64.2 ៛261.6K
$118 ៛481.8K
-45.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$2.72 ៛11.1K
$7.32 ៛29.8K
-62.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.32 ៛103.2K
$25.26 ៛102.9K
0.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Battambang
Phnom Penh
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$22.07 ៛89.9K
$37.94 ៛154.6K
-41.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$11.05 ៛45.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.03 ៛20.5K
$5.09 ៛20.7K
-1.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Battambang
Phnom Penh
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$89.2 ៛363.6K
$597 ៛2.4M
-85.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,929 ៛16.0M
$11.1K ៛45.3M
-64.69%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Battambang
Phnom Penh
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$20.29 ៛82.7K
$28.17 ៛114.8K
-27.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.97 ៛97.7K
$24.25 ៛98.8K
-1.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.0 ៛366.6K
$90.2 ៛367.4K
-0.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$44.81 ៛182.6K
$58.1 ៛236.6K
-22.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Battambang
Phnom Penh
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$228 ៛930.9K
$658 ៛2.7M
-65.27%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$153 ៛621.8K
$406 ៛1.7M
-62.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$420 ៛1.7M
$1,441 ៛5.9M
-70.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$322 ៛1.3M
$950 ៛3.9M
-66.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,710 ៛11.0M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,523 ៛6.2M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Battambang
Phnom Penh
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$203 ៛826.8K
$315 ៛1.3M
-35.64%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.25
7.94
-8.69%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Battambang: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phnom Penh: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Battambang
$230
Phnom Penh
$258 12% $28
Accommodation & Living
Battambang
$153
Phnom Penh
$406 166% $253
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Battambang
$92
Phnom Penh
$151 63.5% $59
Clothing & Footwear
Battambang
$81
Phnom Penh
$90 12.1% $9.7
Eating Out
Battambang
$68
Phnom Penh
$112 65.2% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Battambang
$32
Phnom Penh
$48 49.8% $16
Getting Around
Battambang
$5.3 *
Phnom Penh
$18 230% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $228 in Battambang and $658 in Phnom Penh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phnom Penh pays 55% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $18 in Battambang vs $40 in Phnom Penh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $258 per month, with Battambang cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇰🇭 Battambang
🇰🇭 Phnom Penh
🕒 Local time
04:47 4:47 AM
04:47 4:47 AM
Same time as Battambang
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
196,709
2,009,264 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to KHR – Cambodian Riel Converter

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 4,075 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.45 USD). 1 EUR = 4,550 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Battambang Phnom Penh 250 km
From you
  • Battambang
  • Phnom Penh

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Battambang vs Phnom Penh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Battambang or Phnom Penh?
Battambang wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Phnom Penh. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Battambang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Battambang or in Phnom Penh?
On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Battambang. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Battambang compared to Phnom Penh?
Rent for a central apartment: $228 in Battambang versus $658 in Phnom Penh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Battambang and in Phnom Penh?
Childcare runs $89 in Battambang versus $597 in Phnom Penh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Battambang and in Phnom Penh?
Dining out is cheaper in Battambang – a meal for two runs $18 versus $40 in Phnom Penh. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $800/month in Battambang or in Phnom Penh?
At $661 in Battambang versus $1,083 in Phnom Penh, a $800 budget is realistic in Battambang but tight or insufficient in Phnom Penh. The gap between the two cities makes Battambang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for families?
For families, Battambang is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phnom Penh, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Should I move to Battambang or to Phnom Penh?
It comes down to priorities – Battambang wins on affordability, Phnom Penh on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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