Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phnom Penh and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Phnom Penh: $1,037 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 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
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Phnom Penh

🇰🇭 Cambodia

$1,037

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phnom Penh and in Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,037 in Phnom Penh versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Phnom Penh $1,037
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,654 in Phnom Penh versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Phnom Penh $1,654
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,271 in Phnom Penh versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Phnom Penh $2,271
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Phnom Penh costs roughly 62% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phnom Penh is 23% below, Austin, TX is 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.08 ៛16.5K

$20.22 $20.22

-79.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.62 ៛160.5K

$85.0 $85.0

-53.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 ៛28.0K

$12.35 $12.35

-44.05%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ៛12.2K

$5.47 $5.47

-44.79%

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

$1.87 ៛7,572

$3.82 $3.82

-51.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ៛2,484

$2.50 $2.50

-75.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ៛3,964

$8.06 $8.06

-87.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 ៛11.9K

$8.99 $8.99

-67.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ៛8,802

$1.13 $1.13

92.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ៛6,506

$3.78 $3.78

-57.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 ៛4,316

$3.25 $3.25

-67.08%

Eggs

$1.73 ៛7,023

$4.14 $4.14

-58.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.96 ៛60.6K

$13.08 $13.08

14.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 ៛16.5K

$14.31 $14.31

-71.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 ៛37.5K

$15.96 $15.96

-42.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 ៛15.7K

$4.38 $4.38

-11.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ៛6,879

$1.45 $1.45

17.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 ៛17.4K

$4.54 $4.54

-5.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ៛8,646

$4.19 $4.19

-49.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 ៛6,549

$2.63 $2.63

-38.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ៛5,172

$2.36 $2.36

-45.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ៛4,656

$1.76 $1.76

-34.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ៛3,099

$2.16 $2.16

-64.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 ៛7,883

$9.81 $9.81

-80.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 ៛45.4K

$14.72 $14.72

-23.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ៛4,165

$2.78 $2.78

-62.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ៛7,263

$3.48 $3.48

-48.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ៛1,900

$1.49 $1.49

-68.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.74 ៛39.4K

$40.51 $40.51

-75.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 ៛4,455

$2.67 $2.67

-58.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ៛3,954

$1.58 $1.58

-37.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 ៛20.9K

$35.29 $35.29

-85.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ៛5,484

$0.99 $0.99

36.36%

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

$35.5K ៛143.9M

$35.8K $35.8K

-0.75%

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

$43.9K ៛177.6M

$27.2K $27.2K

61.36%

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

$106 ៛431.3K

$219 $219

-51.43%

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

$7.39 ៛29.9K

$58.0 $58.0

-87.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.24 ៛102.2K

$68.4 $68.4

-63.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.80 ៛165.2K

$57.9 $57.9

-29.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.94 ៛44.3K

$14.82 $14.82

-26.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 ៛20.1K

$14.13 $14.13

-64.83%

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

$665 ៛2.7M

$1,509 $1,509

-55.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K ៛44.5M

$21.5K $21.5K

-48.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.67 ៛112.1K

$51.7 $51.7

-46.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.26 ៛98.2K

$44.05 $44.05

-44.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 ៛363.6K

$85.1 $85.1

5.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.1 ៛239.3K

$105 $105

-43.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$639 ៛2.6M

$1,932 $1,932

-66.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 ៛1.5M

$1,272 $1,272

-70.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 ៛4.7M

$3,670 $3,670

-68.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$803 ៛3.3M

$2,525 $2,525

-68.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,883 ៛11.7M

$7,617 $7,617

-62.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,488 ៛6.0M

$3,199 $3,199

-53.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$330 ៛1.3M

$5,105 $5,105

-93.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.07

6.79

18.85%

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

Last update for Phnom Penh: October 6, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phnom Penh

$370 35.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 244% $903

Groceries & Markets

Phnom Penh

$252 24.5%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 60% $151

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phnom Penh

$139 13.5%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 148% $207

Eating Out

Phnom Penh

$110 10.7%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 215% $238

Clothing & Footwear

Phnom Penh

$90 8.8%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 42.5% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Phnom Penh

$51 4.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 69.8% $35

Getting Around

Phnom Penh

$18 1.7%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 224% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $639 in Phnom Penh and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1445% 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 $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $403 per month, with Phnom Penh cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇭 Phnom Penh

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

13:31 1:31 PM

01:31 1:31 AM

12 h behind Phnom Penh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,009,264 Capital

974,447

💱 Currency

Cambodian Riel KHR ៛

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KHR = 2.47 USD

10,000 KHR = 2.2 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to KHR – Cambodian Riel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇭 Cambodian Riel (៛)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to KHR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phnom Penh Austin, TX 14,770 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phnom Penh
Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phnom Penh wins on cost – living expenses run 161% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phnom Penh the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1445% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $639 in Phnom Penh versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,037 per month in Phnom Penh versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 161% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phnom Penh runs roughly 316% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,037 in Phnom Penh versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phnom Penh but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Phnom Penh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phnom Penh delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,037 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phnom Penh hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phnom Penh and Austin, TX 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 161% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.