Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Phnom Penh

For one person, living is cheaper in Phnom Penh: $1,037 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Berlin
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,545
/mo nomad
Phnom Penh
🇰🇭 Cambodia
$1,037
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin 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 Berlin and in Phnom Penh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,545 per month in Berlin vs $1,037 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

  • Berlin $2,545
  • Phnom Penh $1,037

A couple spends around $3,901 per month in Berlin vs $1,654 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

  • Berlin $3,901
  • Phnom Penh $1,654

A family of three spends $5,257 per month in Berlin vs $2,271 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

  • Berlin $5,257
  • Phnom Penh $2,271

Berlin costs about 145% more than Phnom Penh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Berlin sits 90% above the global median, while Phnom Penh is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Berlin
Phnom Penh
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.81 €15.00
$4.08 ៛16.6K
312.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.6 €71.0
$39.62 ៛160.7K
100.86%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.38 €11.94
$6.91 ៛28.0K
93.63%
Cappuccino
$4.27 €3.81
$3.02 ៛12.3K
41.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.03
$1.87 ៛7,583
81.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 €2.79
$0.61 ៛2,487
411.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.48 €4.89
$0.98 ៛3,969
459.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.56 €4.07
$2.94 ៛11.9K
55.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Berlin
Phnom Penh
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 €1.13
$2.17 ៛8,815
-41.47%
White Bread (500g)
$2.45 €2.19
$1.61 ៛6,516
52.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.30 €2.94
$1.07 ៛4,322
208.41%
Eggs
$4.45 €3.97
$1.73 ៛7,033
157.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.10 €15.26
$14.96 ៛60.7K
14.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.19 €10.88
$4.07 ៛16.5K
199.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.30 €16.33
$9.25 ៛37.5K
97.84%
Apples (1kg)
$3.58 €3.19
$3.87 ៛15.7K
-7.49%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 €1.77
$1.70 ៛6,889
16.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.27 €2.92
$4.30 ៛17.4K
-23.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.81 €3.40
$2.13 ៛8,659
78.87%
Potato (1kg)
$2.13 €1.90
$1.62 ៛6,559
31.48%
Onion (1kg)
$2.21 €1.97
$1.28 ៛5,180
72.66%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.49 €1.33
$1.15 ៛4,663
29.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.01 €0.90
$0.77 ៛3,104
31.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.49 €9.37
$1.95 ៛7,895
437.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.76 €6.03
$11.20 ៛45.4K
-39.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.34 €1.20
$1.03 ៛4,171
30.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 €1.87
$1.79 ៛7,274
17.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Berlin
Phnom Penh
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.37 €3.90
$0.47 ៛1,903
829.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.0 €63.3
$9.74 ៛39.5K
628.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.29 €4.72
$1.10 ៛4,461
380.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.05 €2.73
$0.98 ៛3,960
211.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$36.30 €32.39
$5.15 ៛20.9K
604.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.35 ៛5,492
68.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.7K
$35.5K ៛144.1M
-6.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.1K €34.9K
$43.9K ៛177.9M
-10.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Berlin
Phnom Penh
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$379 €339
$106 ៛431.9K
256.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.31 €17.23
$7.39 ៛30.0K
161.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.41 €43.20
$25.24 ៛102.4K
91.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Berlin
Phnom Penh
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.31 €35.97
$40.80 ៛165.5K
-1.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.51 €31.69
$10.94 ៛44.4K
224.59%
Cinema Ticket
$15.53 €13.86
$4.97 ៛20.2K
212.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Berlin
Phnom Penh
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$144 €128
$665 ៛2.7M
-78.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.8K €14.1K
$11.0K ៛44.6M
43.27%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Berlin
Phnom Penh
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$94.6 €84.5
$27.67 ៛112.2K
242.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.33 €41.34
$24.26 ៛98.4K
90.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 €92.2
$89.8 ៛364.1K
15.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$141 €126
$59.1 ៛239.7K
139.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Berlin
Phnom Penh
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,488 €1,328
$639 ៛2.6M
133.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,098 €980
$370 ៛1.5M
197.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,665 €2,378
$1,148 ៛4.7M
132.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,080 €1,856
$803 ៛3.3M
159.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,578 €7,655
$2,883 ៛11.7M
197.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,438 €4,853
$1,488 ៛6.0M
265.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Berlin
Phnom Penh
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,487 €3,112
$330 ៛1.3M
955.62%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.8
8.07
-52.91%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Last update for Phnom Penh: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Berlin
$1.1K
Phnom Penh
$370 66.3% $729
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Berlin
$447
Phnom Penh
$139 68.9% $308
Groceries & Markets
Berlin
$351
Phnom Penh
$252 28.2% $99
Eating Out
Berlin
$289
Phnom Penh
$110 61.7% $178
Clothing & Footwear
Berlin
$174
Phnom Penh
$90 47.9% $83
Getting Around
Berlin
$109
Phnom Penh
$18 83.9% $91
Sport & Entertainment
Berlin
$71
Phnom Penh
$51 28.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,488 in Berlin versus $639 in Phnom Penh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 956% higher in Berlin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Berlin versus $40.00 in Phnom Penh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $252 – making Phnom Penh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Berlin
🇰🇭 Phnom Penh
🕒 Local time
08:07 8:07 AM
13:07 1:07 PM
5 h ahead of Berlin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,769,962 Capital
2,009,264 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

KHR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,056 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.47 USD). 1 EUR = 4,549 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Berlin Phnom Penh 9,090 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Berlin
  • 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
Berlin vs Phnom Penh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phnom Penh cheaper than Berlin?
Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 145%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,818 per month in Berlin and $1,556 in Phnom Penh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phnom Penh, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Berlin and in Phnom Penh?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,545 in Berlin and $1,037 in Phnom Penh. That's a gap of about 145%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 629% less in Phnom Penh. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Berlin or in Phnom Penh?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phnom Penh, where all-in costs run around $1,037, than in Berlin at $2,545. In Phnom Penh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Berlin or Phnom Penh more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Phnom Penh – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Berlin or Phnom Penh?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Phnom Penh. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Berlin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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