Cost of Living Comparison Between Bistrita and Phnom Penh Cost of Living Comparison Between Bistrita and Phnom Penh

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $907 per month in Bistrita vs $963 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,425 per month in Bistrita vs $1,487 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,943 per month in Bistrita vs $2,011 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

Bistrita is about 6% cheaper than Phnom Penh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Bistrita and Phnom Penh are more affordable than the global median – Bistrita 32% lower, Phnom Penh 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.29 RON 32.97

$5.14 ៛20.7K

41.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.57 RON 206

$29.79 ៛119.8K

52.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.75 RON 30.52

$6.95 ៛27.9K

-2.88%

Cappuccino

$2.75 RON 12.41

$2.65 ៛10.7K

3.77%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 RON 6.97

$1.02 ៛4,111

50.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 RON 6.35

$1.03 ៛4,154

35.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 RON 12.22

$1.47 ៛5,900

83.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 RON 12.27

$2.55 ៛10.3K

6.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 RON 6.53

$2.07 ៛8,342

-30.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 RON 5.67

$1.46 ៛5,853

-13.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 RON 5.28

$1.03 ៛4,156

13.59%

Eggs

$3.23 RON 14.62

$1.83 ៛7,346

76.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.77 RON 30.61

$12.64 ៛50.8K

-46.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.02 RON 27.20

$4.04 ៛16.2K

49.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.75 RON 39.53

$10.44 ៛42.0K

-16.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.12 RON 5.05

$4.60 ៛18.5K

-75.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 RON 6.89

$1.62 ៛6,500

-6.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 RON 7.77

$3.81 ៛15.3K

-54.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 RON 9.58

$1.45 ៛5,823

46.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 RON 3.42

$1.67 ៛6,719

-54.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 RON 3.23

$1.24 ៛4,992

-41.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 RON 4.79

$1.40 ៛5,613

-24.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.20

$0.67 ៛2,689

38.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.37 RON 24.29

$2.03 ៛8,167

164.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.43 RON 38.10

$11.90 ៛47.9K

-29.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 RON 4.66

$1.02 ៛4,085

0.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 RON 5.12

$1.70 ៛6,838

-33.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 RON 2.15

$1.53 ៛6,138

-68.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.62 RON 102

$10.79 ៛43.4K

109.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 RON 2.90

$1.04 ៛4,172

-38.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 RON 2.74

$1.01 ៛4,065

-39.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.82 RON 30.84

$4.61 ៛18.6K

47.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 RON 6.87

$1.18 ៛4,750

28.81%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.1K RON 126.9K

$49.6K ៛199.6M

-43.44%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.5K RON 119.6K

$36.8K ៛147.8M

-27.99%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$142 RON 644

$106 ៛426.7K

34.24%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$8.12 RON 36.69

$6.41 ៛25.8K

26.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.10 RON 32.09

$23.17 ៛93.2K

-69.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.68 RON 206

$46.71 ៛187.8K

-2.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.96 RON 158

$14.54 ៛58.5K

140.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.81 RON 30.78

$4.62 ៛18.6K

47.40%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$428 RON 1,935

$374 ៛1.5M

14.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,825 RON 30.9K

$11.7K ៛47.0M

-41.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.7 RON 306

$22.36 ៛89.9K

202.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.78 RON 157

$22.30 ៛89.7K

55.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.1 RON 312

$89.9 ៛361.5K

-23.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.7 RON 433

$72.2 ៛290.4K

32.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$236 RON 1,066

$504 ៛2.0M

-53.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$205 RON 927

$280 ៛1.1M

-26.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$417 RON 1,883

$1,023 ៛4.1M

-59.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 RON 1,517

$567 ៛2.3M

-40.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,586 RON 7,168

$2,925 ៛11.8M

-45.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,200 RON 5,426

$1,484 ៛6.0M

-19.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,063 RON 4,807

$349 ៛1.4M

204.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

10.3

-36.89%

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

Last update for Bistrita: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phnom Penh: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $236 in Bistrita versus $504 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 205% higher in Bistrita, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Bistrita versus $30.00 in Phnom Penh. Groceries tell a different story – $197 in Bistrita vs $245 in Phnom Penh – so Bistrita wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Bistrita vs Phnom Penh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phnom Penh costs about 6% more than Bistrita, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,361 per month in Bistrita and $1,445 in Phnom Penh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bistrita, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Phnom Penh, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Bistrita and $30.00 in Phnom Penh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bistrita, where all-in costs run around $907, than in Phnom Penh at $963. In Bistrita it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phnom Penh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bistrita costs $907 versus $963 in Phnom Penh. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Bistrita. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phnom Penh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.