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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $939 in Phnom Penh versus $686 in Aleppo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,462 in Phnom Penh versus $1,119 in Aleppo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,985 in Phnom Penh versus $1,552 in Aleppo.

Living in Phnom Penh is roughly 37% more expensive than in Aleppo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phnom Penh 30% lower, Aleppo 49% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phnom Penh
Aleppo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.04 ៛20.3K
$3.03 SYP 368
66.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.66 ៛119.6K
$19.72 SYP 2,397
50.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.97 ៛28.1K
$2.46 SYP 299
183.33%
Cappuccino
$2.61 ៛10.5K
$1.22 SYP 149
113.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 ៛4,164
$1.33 SYP 162
-22.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.98 ៛3,966
$0.56 SYP 67.7
75.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.48 ៛5,964
$8.68 SYP 1,055
-82.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.46 ៛9,922
$1.28 SYP 156
92.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phnom Penh
Aleppo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.06 ៛8,306
$0.95 SYP 116
116.84%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ៛5,929
$0.95 SYP 115
54.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.96 ៛3,886
$3.19 SYP 387
-69.91%
Eggs
$1.78 ៛7,160
$1.98 SYP 240
-10.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.97 ៛52.3K
$4.55 SYP 553
185.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.20 ៛16.9K
$6.56 SYP 797
-35.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.26 ៛41.4K
$20.92 SYP 2,542
-50.96%
Apples (1kg)
$4.46 ៛18.0K
$2.33 SYP 283
91.42%
Banana (1kg)
$1.60 ៛6,435
$2.39 SYP 290
-33.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.80 ៛15.3K
$2.28 SYP 277
66.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.48 ៛5,955
$0.71 SYP 86.6
108.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.74 ៛7,004
$0.68 SYP 82.0
155.88%
Onion (1kg)
$1.21 ៛4,878
$1.09 SYP 132
11.01%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 ៛5,818
$0.31 SYP 38.23
364.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 ៛2,880
$0.76 SYP 92.1
-6.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.03 ៛8,194
$3.18 SYP 387
-36.16%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.07 ៛44.6K
$4.76 SYP 579
132.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.05 ៛4,251
$2.05 SYP 250
-48.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 ៛6,582
$2.59 SYP 314
-37.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Phnom Penh
Aleppo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.54 ៛6,218
$0.15 SYP 18.49
926.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$10.57 ៛42.6K
$3.06 SYP 371
245.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.02 ៛4,108
$2.76 SYP 335
-63.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.97 ៛3,915
$1.94 SYP 236
-50.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.62 ៛18.6K
$6.12 SYP 744
-24.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.12 ៛4,517
$1.37 SYP 167
-18.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$49.3K ៛198.9M
$27.5K SYP 3.3M
79.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.4K ៛146.7M
$38.9K SYP 4.7M
-6.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phnom Penh
Aleppo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$104 ៛418.5K
$60.5 SYP 7,353
71.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.21 ៛25.0K
$35.15 SYP 4,271
-82.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.75 ៛95.8K
$20.04 SYP 2,436
18.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phnom Penh
Aleppo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.45 ៛187.3K
$15.17 SYP 1,843
206.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.53 ៛58.6K
$12.92 SYP 1,571
12.46%
Cinema Ticket
$4.53 ៛18.3K
$2.95 SYP 359
53.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phnom Penh
Aleppo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$379 ៛1.5M
$69.3 SYP 8,423
446.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K ៛46.8M
$3,094 SYP 375.9K
275.12%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phnom Penh
Aleppo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$22.08 ៛89.0K
$24.01 SYP 2,918
-8.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$22.04 ៛88.9K
$63.3 SYP 7,696
-65.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.9 ៛366.6K
$112 SYP 13.6K
-18.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$74.4 ៛299.9K
$119 SYP 14.4K
-37.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phnom Penh
Aleppo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$505 ៛2.0M
$90.6 SYP 11.0K
457.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$276 ៛1.1M
$76.9 SYP 9,346
259.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,038 ៛4.2M
$188 SYP 22.8K
452.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$551 ៛2.2M
$158 SYP 19.2K
248.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,910 ៛11.7M
$801 SYP 97.4K
263.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,520 ៛6.1M
$293 SYP 35.6K
419.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phnom Penh
Aleppo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$326 ៛1.3M
$64.2 SYP 7,802
407.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.3
0
-

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

Last update for Phnom Penh: July 12, 2026

Last update for Aleppo: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $505 in Phnom Penh and $90.6 in Aleppo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phnom Penh pays 408% 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: $30.00 in Phnom Penh vs $20.00 in Aleppo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $227 per month, with Aleppo cheaper across the board.

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
Phnom Penh vs Aleppo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Phnom Penh and in Aleppo?
Phnom Penh and Aleppo differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($939 vs $686 including rent). Aleppo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Phnom Penh or Aleppo?
Average pay runs 408% higher in Phnom Penh, 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 Phnom Penh and in Aleppo?
Rent for a central apartment: $505 in Phnom Penh versus $90.6 in Aleppo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Phnom Penh or Aleppo?
All in, you'll spend $939 per month in Phnom Penh versus $686 in Aleppo – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How do commuting costs compare in Phnom Penh and in Aleppo?
A monthly transit pass in Aleppo runs roughly 245% less than in Phnom Penh. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $686 in Aleppo versus $939 in Phnom Penh, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aleppo but tight or insufficient in Phnom Penh. The gap between the two cities makes Aleppo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Phnom Penh and Aleppo?
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 Phnom Penh or Aleppo safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Phnom Penh and Aleppo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Phnom Penh or Aleppo?
Expats usually find Aleppo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Phnom Penh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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