Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Phnom Penh

For one person, living is cheaper in Phnom Penh: $1,083 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Phnom Penh
🇰🇭 Cambodia
$1,083
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,083 in Phnom Penh.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Phnom Penh $1,083

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $1,778 in Phnom Penh.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Phnom Penh $1,778

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $2,474 in Phnom Penh.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Phnom Penh $2,474

Living in Lisbon is roughly 104% more expensive than in Phnom Penh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Phnom Penh is 20% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Phnom Penh
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.95
$4.55 ៛18.6K
265.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$40.42 ៛164.9K
52.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$7.01 ៛28.6K
62.05%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$2.84 ៛11.6K
4.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$1.72 ៛7,011
33.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.67 ៛2,731
159.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$1.03 ៛4,193
230.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$3.05 ៛12.4K
8.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Phnom Penh
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$2.28 ៛9,297
-49.12%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$1.60 ៛6,546
19.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$1.07 ៛4,384
41.12%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$1.82 ៛7,439
120.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$14.70 ៛60.0K
-11.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.98
$4.45 ៛18.2K
74.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.95
$9.63 ៛39.3K
84.42%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$4.14 ៛16.9K
-44.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$1.70 ៛6,958
1.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$4.49 ៛18.3K
-58.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$2.02 ៛8,230
28.22%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$1.72 ៛7,008
5.81%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$1.26 ៛5,133
56.35%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.39 ៛5,667
5.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.77 ៛3,151
-6.49%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.91
$1.95 ៛7,944
237.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$11.14 ៛45.5K
-49.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.01 ៛4,128
34.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$1.79 ៛7,306
19.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Phnom Penh
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
$0.38 ៛1,562
513.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
$9.88 ៛40.3K
352.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
$1.10 ៛4,470
250.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.01 ៛4,132
5.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
$5.02 ៛20.5K
227.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$1.36 ៛5,561
61.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$34.8K ៛142.1M
-1.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$44.6K ៛182.2M
-13.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Phnom Penh
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$118 ៛482.5K
36.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$7.32 ៛29.9K
151.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$25.26 ៛103.1K
29.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Phnom Penh
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.02
$37.94 ៛154.8K
17.42%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
$11.05 ៛45.1K
72.85%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$5.09 ៛20.8K
88.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Phnom Penh
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$597 ៛2.4M
11.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$11.1K ៛45.4M
58.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Phnom Penh
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.6
$28.17 ៛114.9K
262.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.94
$24.25 ៛99.0K
83.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$90.2 ៛368.0K
9.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$58.1 ៛236.9K
113.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Phnom Penh
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
$658 ៛2.7M
144.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
$406 ៛1.7M
193.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,526
$1,441 ៛5.9M
95.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,808
$950 ៛3.9M
111.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,042
$2,710 ៛11.1M
189.29%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,110
$1,523 ៛6.2M
200.36%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Phnom Penh
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
$315 ៛1.3M
399.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
7.94
-51.51%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Phnom Penh: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Phnom Penh
$406 65.9% $784
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Phnom Penh
$258 5.3% $14
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Phnom Penh
$112 53.7% $130
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Phnom Penh
$151 29% $62
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Phnom Penh
$90 45.6% $76
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Phnom Penh
$48 24.5% $16
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Phnom Penh
$18 72.2% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $658 in Phnom Penh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays about 5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $40 in Phnom Penh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $258 per month, with Phnom Penh cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇰🇭 Phnom Penh
🕒 Local time
22:05 10:05 PM
05:05 5:05 AM
7 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4,081 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.45 USD). 1 EUR = 4,543 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Phnom Penh 11,200 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • 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
Lisbon vs Phnom Penh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Phnom Penh?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,083 in Phnom Penh, so Phnom Penh is about 51% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Phnom Penh?
Average pay in Lisbon is about 5 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Phnom Penh?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $658 in Phnom Penh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Phnom Penh?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $597 in Phnom Penh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,083 in Phnom Penh versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phnom Penh but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Phnom Penh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Phnom Penh?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Lisbon or Phnom Penh safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Phnom Penh are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Phnom Penh?
Expats usually find Phnom Penh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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