Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phnom Penh and Aleppo

For one person, living is cheaper in Aleppo: $678 a month against $1,035 in Phnom Penh, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Phnom Penh
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Phnom Penh Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Aleppo
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Aleppo Living Index

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Phnom Penh

🇰🇭 Cambodia

$1,035

/mo nomad

Aleppo

🇸🇾 Syria

$678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phnom Penh and in Aleppo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phnom Penh and in Aleppo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,035 in Phnom Penh versus $678 in Aleppo.

Phnom Penh $1,035
Aleppo $678

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,675 in Phnom Penh versus $1,080 in Aleppo.

Phnom Penh $1,675
Aleppo $1,080

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,315 in Phnom Penh versus $1,483 in Aleppo.

Phnom Penh $2,315
Aleppo $1,483

Living in Phnom Penh is roughly 53% more expensive than in Aleppo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phnom Penh 23% lower, Aleppo 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.09 ៛16.6K

$2.97 SYP 361

37.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.96 ៛162.3K

$20.06 SYP 2,438

99.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.93 ៛28.2K

$3.20 SYP 389

116.56%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ៛12.1K

$1.28 SYP 155

132.03%

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

$1.78 ៛7,248

$1.28 SYP 156

39.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 ៛2,695

$0.59 SYP 71.2

11.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ៛4,176

$3.03 SYP 368

-66.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ៛12.0K

$1.33 SYP 162

121.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ៛8,876

$1.52 SYP 185

44.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 ៛6,757

$0.94 SYP 114

76.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 ៛4,518

$1.68 SYP 205

-33.93%

Eggs

$1.70 ៛6,899

$3.14 SYP 382

-45.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.06 ៛61.2K

$8.13 SYP 988

85.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.13 ៛16.8K

$6.42 SYP 780

-35.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.00 ៛36.5K

$10.29 SYP 1,251

-12.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 ៛16.4K

$1.24 SYP 151

225.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 ៛7,228

$2.42 SYP 295

-26.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.35 ៛17.7K

$1.28 SYP 155

239.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ៛8,529

$0.85 SYP 103

147.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 ៛6,391

$0.85 SYP 103

84.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 ៛4,990

$0.94 SYP 114

30.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ៛4,801

$0.29 SYP 34.69

306.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ៛3,128

$0.82 SYP 99.5

-6.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.86 ៛7,555

$3.26 SYP 396

-42.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.01 ៛44.7K

$4.85 SYP 590

127.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ៛4,082

$2.03 SYP 247

-50.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ៛7,042

$2.67 SYP 325

-35.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ៛1,741

$0.20 SYP 24.84

115.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.58 ៛38.9K

$2.93 SYP 356

226.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 ៛4,428

$1.93 SYP 234

-43.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ៛4,179

$1.97 SYP 239

-47.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 ៛20.9K

$3.98 SYP 484

28.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ៛5,284

$1.38 SYP 167

-5.80%

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

$34.4K ៛139.7M

$23.3K SYP 2.8M

47.30%

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

$44.9K ៛182.4M

$20.8K SYP 2.5M

115.99%

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

$104 ៛424.3K

$76.1 SYP 9,252

37.19%

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

$7.48 ៛30.4K

$13.11 SYP 1,594

-42.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.51 ៛99.6K

$20.10 SYP 2,443

21.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.31 ៛167.8K

$15.22 SYP 1,850

171.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.87 ៛44.2K

$20.34 SYP 2,472

-46.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 ៛19.7K

$3.04 SYP 369

59.87%

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

$669 ៛2.7M

$68.3 SYP 8,304

878.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K ៛44.7M

$1,561 SYP 189.6K

605.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.43 ៛115.5K

$69.2 SYP 8,414

-58.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.93 ៛97.2K

$63.3 SYP 7,695

-62.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 ៛372.5K

$115 SYP 14.0K

-20.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.8 ៛242.7K

$148 SYP 18.0K

-59.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$658 ៛2.7M

$91.0 SYP 11.1K

622.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 ៛1.5M

$77.8 SYP 9,458

382.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 ៛4.6M

$230 SYP 28.0K

397.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$818 ៛3.3M

$157 SYP 19.1K

420.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ៛11.7M

$790 SYP 96.0K

263.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,519 ៛6.2M

$296 SYP 36.0K

412.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$325 ៛1.3M

$63.7 SYP 7,740

409.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.07

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

Last update for Phnom Penh: October 11, 2026

Last update for Aleppo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phnom Penh

$375 36.3%

Aleppo

$78 11.5% 79.3% $298

Groceries & Markets

Phnom Penh

$253 24.4%

Aleppo

$202 29.8% 20.2% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phnom Penh

$136 13.2%

Aleppo

$109 16.1% 19.9% $27

Eating Out

Phnom Penh

$110 10.6%

Aleppo

$74 10.9% 32.7% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Phnom Penh

$92 8.9%

Aleppo

$178 26.3% 94.1% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Phnom Penh

$51 4.9%

Aleppo

$21 3.1% 58.3% $30

Getting Around

Phnom Penh

$18 1.7%

Aleppo

$16 2.3% 11.5% $2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $658 in Phnom Penh and $91.0 in Aleppo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phnom Penh pays 410% 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: $40.00 in Phnom Penh vs $20.00 in Aleppo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $202 per month, with Aleppo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇭 Phnom Penh

🇸🇾 Aleppo

🕒 Local time

16:29 4:29 PM

12:29 12:29 PM

4 h behind Phnom Penh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,009,264 Capital

2,132,100

💱 Currency

Cambodian Riel KHR ៛

Syrian Pound SYP £

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KHR = 2.46 USD

10,000 KHR = 2.19 EUR

1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD

1,000 SYP = 7.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SYP, USD, EUR to KHR – Cambodian Riel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇭 Cambodian Riel (៛)

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4,062 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.46 USD). 1 EUR = 4,567 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.19 EUR).

Syrian Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 122 SYP (1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 137 SYP (1,000 SYP = 7.32 EUR).

USD to KHR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phnom Penh Aleppo 7,260 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Phnom Penh
Aleppo

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

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

Phnom Penh and Aleppo differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($1,035 vs $678 including rent). Aleppo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 410% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $658 in Phnom Penh versus $91.0 in Aleppo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,035 per month in Phnom Penh versus $678 in Aleppo – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Aleppo runs roughly 227% less than in Phnom Penh. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $678 in Aleppo versus $1,035 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.

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.

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.

Expats usually find Aleppo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Phnom Penh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.