Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Phnom Penh

For one person, living is cheaper in Phnom Penh: $1,037 a month against $2,854 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $21,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Phnom Penh
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Phnom Penh Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,854

/mo nomad

Phnom Penh

🇰🇭 Cambodia

$1,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,854 in Dubai versus $1,037 in Phnom Penh.

Dubai $2,854
Phnom Penh $1,037

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,321 in Dubai versus $1,654 in Phnom Penh.

Dubai $4,321
Phnom Penh $1,654

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,788 in Dubai versus $2,271 in Phnom Penh.

Dubai $5,788
Phnom Penh $2,271

Living in Dubai is roughly 175% more expensive than in Phnom Penh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubai is 113% above, Phnom Penh is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.04 AED 47.89

$4.08 ៛16.5K

219.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 AED 299

$39.62 ៛160.5K

105.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 AED 34.25

$6.91 ៛28.0K

34.88%

Cappuccino

$5.97 AED 21.93

$3.02 ៛12.2K

97.68%

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

$1.63 AED 5.98

$1.87 ៛7,572

-12.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 AED 2.99

$0.61 ៛2,484

32.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.65 AED 50.1

$0.98 ៛3,964

1292.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.38 AED 49.15

$2.94 ៛11.9K

355.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 AED 6.64

$2.17 ៛8,802

-16.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 AED 5.78

$1.61 ៛6,506

-2.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 AED 9.16

$1.07 ៛4,316

132.71%

Eggs

$3.28 AED 12.04

$1.73 ៛7,023

89.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 AED 46.52

$14.96 ៛60.6K

-15.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 AED 35.80

$4.07 ៛16.5K

139.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 AED 48.39

$9.25 ៛37.5K

42.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 AED 9.57

$3.87 ៛15.7K

-32.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 AED 7.09

$1.70 ៛6,879

13.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 AED 7.05

$4.30 ៛17.4K

-55.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 AED 5.00

$2.13 ៛8,646

-36.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.29

$1.62 ៛6,549

-27.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.71

$1.28 ៛5,172

-21.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 AED 5.56

$1.15 ៛4,656

31.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 AED 2.29

$0.77 ៛3,099

-19.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 AED 21.50

$1.95 ៛7,883

200.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 AED 59.3

$11.20 ៛45.4K

44.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 AED 9.74

$1.03 ៛4,165

157.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 AED 10.82

$1.79 ៛7,263

64.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 AED 6.03

$0.47 ៛1,900

248.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 AED 270

$9.74 ៛39.4K

655.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 AED 11.66

$1.10 ៛4,455

188.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 AED 2.63

$0.98 ៛3,954

-27.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.23

$5.15 ៛20.9K

54.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 AED 3.64

$1.35 ៛5,484

-26.67%

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

$27.4K AED 100.5K

$35.5K ៛143.9M

-22.97%

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

$22.5K AED 82.8K

$43.9K ៛177.6M

-48.60%

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

$250 AED 920

$106 ៛431.3K

135.14%

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

$54.2 AED 199

$7.39 ៛29.9K

633.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.8 AED 337

$25.24 ៛102.2K

263.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 AED 362

$40.80 ៛165.2K

141.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.61 AED 156

$10.94 ៛44.3K

289.49%

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 AED 58.9

$4.97 ៛20.1K

222.54%

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

$843 AED 3,098

$665 ៛2.7M

26.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K AED 67.1K

$11.0K ៛44.5M

66.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 AED 250

$27.67 ៛112.1K

145.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 AED 212

$24.26 ៛98.2K

138.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 AED 370

$89.8 ៛363.6K

12.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 AED 371

$59.1 ៛239.3K

70.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,380 AED 8,741

$639 ៛2.6M

272.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 AED 5,531

$370 ៛1.5M

307.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,437 AED 16.3K

$1,148 ៛4.7M

286.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,010 AED 11.1K

$803 ៛3.3M

274.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,121 AED 26.2K

$2,883 ៛11.7M

146.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,135 AED 15.2K

$1,488 ៛6.0M

177.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,391 AED 12.5K

$330 ៛1.3M

926.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

8.07

-43.74%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 5, 2026

Last update for Phnom Penh: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 52.5%

Phnom Penh

$370 35.9% 75.5% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$396 13.8%

Phnom Penh

$139 13.5% 64.9% $257

Eating Out

Dubai

$309 10.8%

Phnom Penh

$110 10.7% 64.3% $198

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$293 10.2%

Phnom Penh

$252 24.5% 14% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$147 5.1%

Phnom Penh

$90 8.8% 38.7% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$131 4.6%

Phnom Penh

$51 4.9% 61.2% $80

Getting Around

Dubai

$87 3%

Phnom Penh

$18 1.7% 79.8% $69

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,380 in Dubai and $639 in Phnom Penh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 926% 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: $81.0 in Dubai vs $40.00 in Phnom Penh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $252 per month, with Phnom Penh cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇰🇭 Phnom Penh

🕒 Local time

06:49 6:49 AM

09:49 9:49 AM

3 h ahead of Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

2,009,264 Capital

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Cambodian Riel KHR ៛

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

10,000 KHR = 2.47 USD

10,000 KHR = 2.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KHR, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,050 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.47 USD). 1 EUR = 4,542 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.2 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dubai Phnom Penh 5,430 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
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

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

Phnom Penh is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 175% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 926% higher in Dubai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,380 in Dubai versus $639 in Phnom Penh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phnom Penh runs roughly 656% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $843 in Dubai versus $665 in Phnom Penh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,037 in Phnom Penh versus $2,854 in Dubai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phnom Penh but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Phnom Penh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phnom Penh is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dubai and Phnom Penh are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phnom Penh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 175% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.