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 $920 per month in Bistrita vs $939 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,422 per month in Bistrita vs $1,462 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,925 per month in Bistrita vs $1,985 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

Bistrita is about 2% cheaper than Phnom Penh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Bistrita and Phnom Penh are more affordable than the global median – Bistrita 31% lower, Phnom Penh 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.66 RON 34.96

$5.04 ៛20.3K

51.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.81 RON 209

$29.66 ៛119.6K

54.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.96 RON 31.77

$6.97 ៛28.1K

-0.14%

Cappuccino

$2.80 RON 12.80

$2.61 ៛10.5K

7.28%

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

$1.51 RON 6.90

$1.03 ៛4,164

46.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 RON 6.46

$0.98 ៛3,966

44.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 RON 12.45

$1.48 ៛5,964

84.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 RON 12.72

$2.46 ៛9,922

13.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 RON 6.58

$2.06 ៛8,306

-30.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 RON 5.72

$1.47 ៛5,929

-14.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 RON 5.39

$0.96 ៛3,886

22.92%

Eggs

$3.27 RON 14.92

$1.78 ៛7,160

83.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.93 RON 31.61

$12.97 ៛52.3K

-46.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 RON 28.39

$4.20 ៛16.9K

48.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 RON 39.45

$10.26 ៛41.4K

-15.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 RON 5.38

$4.46 ៛18.0K

-73.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 RON 6.99

$1.60 ៛6,435

-4.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 RON 7.66

$3.80 ៛15.3K

-55.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.11 RON 9.61

$1.48 ៛5,955

42.57%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.52

$1.74 ៛7,004

-55.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 RON 3.27

$1.21 ៛4,878

-40.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 RON 4.80

$1.44 ៛5,818

-27.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 RON 3.98

$0.71 ៛2,880

22.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.28 RON 24.12

$2.03 ៛8,194

160.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.75 RON 35.40

$11.07 ៛44.6K

-29.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 RON 4.74

$1.05 ៛4,251

-0.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 RON 5.33

$1.63 ៛6,582

-28.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 RON 2.17

$1.54 ៛6,218

-69.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.26 RON 106

$10.57 ៛42.6K

120.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 RON 2.97

$1.02 ៛4,108

-36.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 RON 2.83

$0.97 ៛3,915

-36.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.11 RON 32.44

$4.62 ៛18.6K

53.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 RON 7.02

$1.12 ៛4,517

37.50%

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

$28.1K RON 128.1K

$49.3K ៛198.9M

-43.13%

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

$26.1K RON 119.0K

$36.4K ៛146.7M

-28.31%

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

$144 RON 655

$104 ៛418.5K

38.29%

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

$8.13 RON 37.11

$6.21 ៛25.0K

30.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.83 RON 31.18

$23.75 ៛95.8K

-71.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.09 RON 210

$46.45 ៛187.3K

-0.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.35 RON 157

$14.53 ៛58.6K

136.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.98 RON 31.86

$4.53 ៛18.3K

54.08%

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

$424 RON 1,934

$379 ៛1.5M

11.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,801 RON 31.0K

$11.6K ៛46.8M

-41.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.0 RON 315

$22.08 ៛89.0K

212.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 RON 158

$22.04 ៛88.9K

57.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.3 RON 316

$90.9 ៛366.6K

-23.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.5 RON 436

$74.4 ៛299.9K

28.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$240 RON 1,097

$505 ៛2.0M

-52.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 RON 916

$276 ៛1.1M

-27.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$417 RON 1,906

$1,038 ៛4.2M

-59.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 RON 1,539

$551 ៛2.2M

-38.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,515 RON 6,917

$2,910 ៛11.7M

-47.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,183 RON 5,399

$1,520 ៛6.1M

-22.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,025 RON 4,679

$326 ៛1.3M

214.23%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phnom Penh: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $240 in Bistrita versus $505 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 214% 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 – $196 in Bistrita vs $244 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 2% 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 $1,379 per month in Bistrita and $1,408 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 $920, than in Phnom Penh at $939. 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 $920 versus $939 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.