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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $939 per month in Phnom Penh vs $920 in Bistrita, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,462 per month in Phnom Penh vs $1,422 in Bistrita, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,985 per month in Phnom Penh vs $1,925 in Bistrita, rent included.

Phnom Penh costs about 2% more than Bistrita, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phnom Penh and Bistrita are more affordable than the global median – Phnom Penh 30% lower, Bistrita 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.04 ៛20.3K

$7.66 RON 35.12

-34.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ៛119.6K

$45.81 RON 210

-35.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.97 ៛28.1K

$6.96 RON 31.91

0.14%

Cappuccino

$2.61 ៛10.5K

$2.80 RON 12.86

-6.79%

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

$1.03 ៛4,164

$1.51 RON 6.93

-31.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 ៛3,966

$1.42 RON 6.49

-30.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ៛5,964

$2.73 RON 12.51

-45.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ៛9,922

$2.79 RON 12.78

-11.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ៛8,306

$1.44 RON 6.61

43.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ៛5,929

$1.25 RON 5.75

17.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ៛3,886

$1.18 RON 5.41

-18.64%

Eggs

$1.78 ៛7,160

$3.27 RON 14.99

-45.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.97 ៛52.3K

$6.93 RON 31.76

87.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.20 ៛16.9K

$6.22 RON 28.52

-32.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.26 ៛41.4K

$8.64 RON 39.63

18.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.46 ៛18.0K

$1.18 RON 5.41

277.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ៛6,435

$1.53 RON 7.03

4.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.80 ៛15.3K

$1.68 RON 7.69

126.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 ៛5,955

$2.11 RON 9.66

-29.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 ៛7,004

$0.77 RON 3.53

125.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 ៛4,878

$0.72 RON 3.29

68.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 ៛5,818

$1.05 RON 4.82

37.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ៛2,880

$0.87 RON 4.00

-18.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.03 ៛8,194

$5.28 RON 24.23

-61.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.07 ៛44.6K

$7.75 RON 35.56

42.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ៛4,251

$1.04 RON 4.76

0.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ៛6,582

$1.17 RON 5.36

39.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 ៛6,218

$0.47 RON 2.18

227.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.57 ៛42.6K

$23.26 RON 107

-54.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ៛4,108

$0.65 RON 2.98

56.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 ៛3,915

$0.62 RON 2.84

56.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 ៛18.6K

$7.11 RON 32.59

-35.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ៛4,517

$1.54 RON 7.06

-27.27%

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

$49.3K ៛198.9M

$28.1K RON 128.6K

75.83%

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

$36.4K ៛146.7M

$26.1K RON 119.6K

39.49%

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

$104 ៛418.5K

$144 RON 658

-27.69%

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

$6.21 ៛25.0K

$8.13 RON 37.28

-23.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.75 ៛95.8K

$6.83 RON 31.32

247.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.45 ៛187.3K

$46.09 RON 211

0.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.53 ៛58.6K

$34.35 RON 158

-57.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 ៛18.3K

$6.98 RON 32.01

-35.10%

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

$379 ៛1.5M

$424 RON 1,943

-10.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ៛46.8M

$6,801 RON 31.2K

70.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.08 ៛89.0K

$69.0 RON 317

-68.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.04 ៛88.9K

$34.69 RON 159

-36.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ៛366.6K

$69.3 RON 318

31.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.4 ៛299.9K

$95.5 RON 438

-22.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 ៛2.0M

$240 RON 1,102

110.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 ៛1.1M

$201 RON 920

37.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 ៛4.2M

$417 RON 1,915

148.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 ៛2.2M

$337 RON 1,546

63.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,910 ៛11.7M

$1,515 RON 6,949

92.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,520 ៛6.1M

$1,183 RON 5,424

28.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$326 ៛1.3M

$1,025 RON 4,700

-68.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.3

6.5

58.46%

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

Last update for Phnom Penh: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bistrita: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $505 in Phnom Penh versus $240 in Bistrita. 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 214% higher in Bistrita, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Phnom Penh versus $46.00 in Bistrita. Groceries tell a different story – $244 in Phnom Penh vs $196 in Bistrita – so Bistrita wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Bistrita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phnom Penh costs about 2% more than Bistrita, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Phnom Penh and $1,379 in Bistrita. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 24% more in Phnom Penh, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Phnom Penh and $46.00 in Bistrita. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bistrita, where all-in costs run around $920, than in Phnom Penh at $939. In Bistrita it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phnom Penh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bistrita costs $920 versus $939 in Phnom Penh. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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