Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phnom Penh and Berlin

For one person, living is cheaper in Phnom Penh: $1,037 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index

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Phnom Penh

🇰🇭 Cambodia

$1,037

/mo nomad

Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,545

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,037 per month in Phnom Penh vs $2,545 in Berlin, rent included.

Phnom Penh $1,037
Berlin $2,545

A couple spends around $1,654 per month in Phnom Penh vs $3,901 in Berlin, rent included.

Phnom Penh $1,654
Berlin $3,901

A family of three spends $2,271 per month in Phnom Penh vs $5,257 in Berlin, rent included.

Phnom Penh $2,271
Berlin $5,257

Phnom Penh is about 59% cheaper than Berlin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phnom Penh sits 23% below the global median, while Berlin is 90% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.08 ៛16.6K

$16.81 €15.00

-75.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.62 ៛160.7K

$79.6 €71.0

-50.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 ៛28.0K

$13.38 €11.94

-48.36%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ៛12.3K

$4.27 €3.81

-29.27%

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

$1.87 ៛7,583

$3.40 €3.03

-45.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ៛2,487

$3.12 €2.79

-80.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ៛3,969

$5.48 €4.89

-82.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 ៛11.9K

$4.56 €4.07

-35.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ៛8,815

$1.27 €1.13

70.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ៛6,516

$2.45 €2.19

-34.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 ៛4,322

$3.30 €2.94

-67.58%

Eggs

$1.73 ៛7,033

$4.45 €3.97

-61.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.96 ៛60.7K

$17.10 €15.26

-12.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 ៛16.5K

$12.19 €10.88

-66.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 ៛37.5K

$18.30 €16.33

-49.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 ៛15.7K

$3.58 €3.19

8.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ៛6,889

$1.98 €1.77

-14.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 ៛17.4K

$3.27 €2.92

31.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ៛8,659

$3.81 €3.40

-44.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 ៛6,559

$2.13 €1.90

-23.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ៛5,180

$2.21 €1.97

-42.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ៛4,663

$1.49 €1.33

-22.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ៛3,104

$1.01 €0.90

-23.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 ៛7,895

$10.49 €9.37

-81.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 ៛45.4K

$6.76 €6.03

65.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ៛4,171

$1.34 €1.20

-23.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ៛7,274

$2.10 €1.87

-14.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ៛1,903

$4.37 €3.90

-89.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.74 ៛39.5K

$71.0 €63.3

-86.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 ៛4,461

$5.29 €4.72

-79.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ៛3,960

$3.05 €2.73

-67.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 ៛20.9K

$36.30 €32.39

-85.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ៛5,492

$2.28 €2.03

-40.79%

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

$35.5K ៛144.1M

$33.2K €29.7K

6.91%

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

$43.9K ៛177.9M

$39.1K €34.9K

12.29%

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

$106 ៛431.9K

$379 €339

-71.93%

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

$7.39 ៛30.0K

$19.31 €17.23

-61.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.24 ៛102.4K

$48.41 €43.20

-47.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.80 ៛165.5K

$40.31 €35.97

1.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.94 ៛44.4K

$35.51 €31.69

-69.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 ៛20.2K

$15.53 €13.86

-68.00%

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

$665 ៛2.7M

$144 €128

362.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K ៛44.6M

$15.8K €14.1K

-30.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.67 ៛112.2K

$94.6 €84.5

-70.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.26 ៛98.4K

$46.33 €41.34

-47.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 ៛364.1K

$103 €92.2

-13.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.1 ៛239.7K

$141 €126

-58.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$639 ៛2.6M

$1,488 €1,328

-57.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 ៛1.5M

$1,098 €980

-66.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 ៛4.7M

$2,665 €2,378

-56.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$803 ៛3.3M

$2,080 €1,856

-61.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,883 ៛11.7M

$8,578 €7,655

-66.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,488 ៛6.0M

$5,438 €4,853

-72.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$330 ៛1.3M

$3,487 €3,112

-90.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.07

3.8

112.37%

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

Last update for Phnom Penh: October 6, 2026

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phnom Penh

$370 35.9%

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3% 197% $729

Groceries & Markets

Phnom Penh

$252 24.5%

Berlin

$351 13.8% 39.2% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phnom Penh

$139 13.5%

Berlin

$447 17.6% 221% $308

Eating Out

Phnom Penh

$110 10.7%

Berlin

$289 11.4% 161% $178

Clothing & Footwear

Phnom Penh

$90 8.8%

Berlin

$174 6.8% 92% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Phnom Penh

$51 4.9%

Berlin

$71 2.8% 40.7% $21

Getting Around

Phnom Penh

$18 1.7%

Berlin

$109 4.3% 519% $91

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $639 in Phnom Penh versus $1,488 in Berlin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 956% higher in Berlin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Phnom Penh versus $80.0 in Berlin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $351 – making Phnom Penh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇭 Phnom Penh

🇩🇪 Berlin

🕒 Local time

08:53 8:53 AM

03:53 3:53 AM

5 h behind Phnom Penh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,009,264 Capital

3,769,962 Capital

💱 Currency

Cambodian Riel KHR ៛

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KHR = 2.47 USD

10,000 KHR = 2.2 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to KHR – Cambodian Riel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇭 Cambodian Riel (៛)

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,056 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.47 USD). 1 EUR = 4,549 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.2 EUR).

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

USD to KHR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phnom Penh Berlin 9,090 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phnom Penh
Berlin

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 Berlin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 145%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,556 per month in Phnom Penh and $3,818 in Berlin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phnom Penh, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,037 in Phnom Penh and $2,545 in Berlin. That's a gap of about 145%.

Public transport costs about 629% less in Phnom Penh. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phnom Penh, where all-in costs run around $1,037, than in Berlin at $2,545. In Phnom Penh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phnom Penh – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phnom Penh. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Berlin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.