Cost of Living Comparison Between Battambang and Siem Reap Cost of Living Comparison Between Battambang and Siem Reap

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $630 in Battambang versus $724 in Siem Reap.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,003 in Battambang versus $1,077 in Siem Reap.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,376 in Battambang versus $1,430 in Siem Reap.

Living in Battambang costs roughly 13% less than in Siem Reap, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Battambang 53% lower, Siem Reap 46% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Battambang
Siem Reap
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.45 ៛9,864
$2.44 ៛9,809
0.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.16 ៛73.0K
$23.74 ៛95.4K
-23.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.92 ៛23.8K
$7.09 ៛28.5K
-16.50%
Cappuccino
$1.53 ៛6,133
$1.64 ៛6,601
-6.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 ៛2,568
$0.74 ៛2,971
-13.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ៛1,969
$0.50 ៛2,025
-2.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.73 ៛2,946
$0.99 ៛3,969
-26.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47 ៛5,913
$1.93 ៛7,773
-23.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Battambang
Siem Reap
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.07 ៛8,303
$1.78 ៛7,163
16.29%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ៛5,915
$1.36 ៛5,475
8.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.98 ៛3,933
$0.95 ៛3,828
3.16%
Eggs
$1.83 ៛7,349
$1.57 ៛6,314
16.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.85 ៛51.6K
$12.59 ៛50.6K
2.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.16 ៛16.7K
$3.63 ៛14.6K
14.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.38 ៛41.7K
$10.17 ៛40.9K
2.06%
Apples (1kg)
$2.55 ៛10.2K
$3.54 ៛14.2K
-27.97%
Banana (1kg)
$1.56 ៛6,270
$1.11 ៛4,479
40.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.27 ៛9,123
$3.26 ៛13.1K
-30.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ៛6,047
$1.30 ៛5,237
15.38%
Potato (1kg)
$1.52 ៛6,109
$1.30 ៛5,206
16.92%
Onion (1kg)
$1.19 ៛4,774
$0.90 ៛3,603
32.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 ៛5,861
$1.37 ៛5,490
6.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 ៛1,951
$0.67 ៛2,678
-26.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.97 ៛7,914
$1.85 ៛7,443
6.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.33 ៛45.6K
$7.31 ៛29.4K
54.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.87 ៛3,497
$0.78 ៛3,132
11.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.98 ៛3,932
$1.70 ៛6,843
-42.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Battambang
Siem Reap
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.01 ៛4,068
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.01 ៛4,063
$1.03 ៛4,151
-1.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.97 ៛3,900
$1.02 ៛4,117
-4.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.97 ៛16.0K
$4.41 ៛17.7K
-9.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.14 ៛4,575
$1.08 ៛4,350
5.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.9K ៛196.7M
$49.4K ៛198.4M
-0.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.9K ៛148.5M
$37.6K ៛151.0M
-1.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Battambang
Siem Reap
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$53.5 ៛215.0K
$73.2 ៛294.3K
-26.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$1.49 ៛5,977
$5.93 ៛23.9K
-74.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.41 ៛94.1K
$19.28 ៛77.5K
21.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Battambang
Siem Reap
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$22.74 ៛91.4K
$35.55 ៛142.9K
-36.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$3.48 ៛14.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.51 ៛18.1K
$4.53 ៛18.2K
-0.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Battambang
Siem Reap
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$90.5 ៛363.6K
$376 ៛1.5M
-75.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,851 ៛15.5M
$5,095 ៛20.5M
-24.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Battambang
Siem Reap
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$19.76 ៛79.4K
$22.35 ៛89.8K
-11.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$22.27 ៛89.5K
$18.43 ៛74.1K
20.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$44.80 ៛180.1K
$54.1 ៛217.3K
-17.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$41.47 ៛166.7K
$35.77 ៛143.8K
15.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Battambang
Siem Reap
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$247 ៛992.8K
$313 ៛1.3M
-21.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$173 ៛693.9K
$223 ៛896.5K
-22.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$478 ៛1.9M
$508 ៛2.0M
-6.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$350 ៛1.4M
$328 ៛1.3M
6.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,509 ៛10.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,095 ៛4.4M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Battambang
Siem Reap
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$199 ៛798.5K
$236 ៛950.5K
-15.98%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8
9.2
-13.04%

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

Last update for Battambang: June 14, 2026

Last update for Siem Reap: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $247 in Battambang and $313 in Siem Reap. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Siem Reap pays 19% 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: $18.00 in Battambang vs $24.00 in Siem Reap. Groceries flip the comparison at $223 vs $213, with Siem Reap cheaper for home cooking.

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 Siem Reap: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Battambang or Siem Reap?
Battambang wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Siem Reap. 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 Siem Reap?
On paper, Siem Reap earns 19% less. 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 vs Siem Reap?
Rent for a central apartment: $247 in Battambang versus $313 in Siem Reap. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Battambang and Siem Reap?
Childcare runs $90.5 in Battambang versus $376 in Siem Reap. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Battambang vs Siem Reap?
Dining out is cheaper in Battambang – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $24.00 in Siem Reap. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $800/month in Battambang or Siem Reap?
Either city works on $800 a month, though Battambang gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Battambang or Siem Reap?
Both work as nomad bases, but Battambang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $630 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Battambang hard to pass up.
How safe is Battambang compared to Siem Reap?
Safety-wise, Battambang and Siem Reap are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Battambang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Siem Reap. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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