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 $1,033 per month in Phnom Penh vs $870 in Bistrita, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,666 per month in Phnom Penh vs $1,358 in Bistrita, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,300 per month in Phnom Penh vs $1,845 in Bistrita, rent included.

Phnom Penh costs about 19% more than Bistrita, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phnom Penh and Bistrita are more affordable than the global median – Phnom Penh 25% lower, Bistrita 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.71 ៛15.0K

$7.31 RON 33.14

-49.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 ៛159.5K

$43.88 RON 199

-10.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 ៛28.5K

$6.58 RON 29.86

6.99%

Cappuccino

$2.98 ៛12.1K

$2.70 RON 12.26

10.37%

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

$1.85 ៛7,471

$1.64 RON 7.44

12.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 ៛2,678

$1.43 RON 6.50

-53.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 ៛5,883

$2.25 RON 10.21

-35.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 ៛12.2K

$3.22 RON 14.58

-6.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ៛8,622

$1.50 RON 6.82

42.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 ៛6,660

$1.16 RON 5.27

42.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ៛4,458

$1.09 RON 4.93

0.92%

Eggs

$1.73 ៛7,003

$3.30 RON 14.95

-47.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.63 ៛59.1K

$6.56 RON 29.77

123.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.21 ៛17.0K

$6.41 RON 29.09

-34.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.41 ៛38.0K

$8.43 RON 38.21

11.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 ៛15.4K

$0.98 RON 4.44

289.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 ៛7,100

$1.62 RON 7.33

8.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.19 ៛16.9K

$1.59 RON 7.22

163.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 ៛8,878

$2.23 RON 10.10

-1.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 ៛6,244

$0.70 RON 3.20

120.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 ៛4,968

$0.65 RON 2.93

89.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ៛4,602

$1.04 RON 4.72

9.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ៛2,984

$0.98 RON 4.44

-24.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.91 ៛7,725

$5.83 RON 26.46

-67.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.89 ៛44.0K

$7.64 RON 34.64

42.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ៛3,895

$0.94 RON 4.28

2.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ៛7,285

$1.08 RON 4.92

66.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ៛1,745

$0.42 RON 1.90

2.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.82 ៛39.7K

$22.36 RON 101

-56.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 ៛4,442

$0.74 RON 3.36

48.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ៛3,950

$0.73 RON 3.33

34.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 ៛21.0K

$7.77 RON 35.25

-33.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ៛5,570

$1.59 RON 7.21

-13.21%

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

$35.1K ៛142.0M

$30.1K RON 136.5K

16.76%

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

$44.0K ៛177.8M

$26.0K RON 117.9K

69.20%

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

$108 ៛438.3K

$121 RON 548

-10.20%

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

$7.79 ៛31.5K

$7.33 RON 33.26

6.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.04 ៛101.2K

$6.32 RON 28.67

296.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.29 ៛162.8K

$42.65 RON 193

-5.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.94 ៛44.2K

$33.62 RON 152

-67.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 ៛20.1K

$6.47 RON 29.34

-23.34%

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

$671 ៛2.7M

$464 RON 2,105

44.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K ៛45.0M

$7,025 RON 31.9K

58.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.29 ៛114.3K

$60.4 RON 274

-53.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.54 ៛95.1K

$32.55 RON 148

-27.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 ៛371.9K

$66.4 RON 301

38.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.5 ៛240.4K

$89.9 RON 408

-33.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$633 ៛2.6M

$229 RON 1,036

176.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 ៛1.5M

$194 RON 878

92.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 ៛4.5M

$400 RON 1,814

181.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$817 ៛3.3M

$331 RON 1,500

147.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,911 ៛11.8M

$1,552 RON 7,040

87.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,495 ៛6.0M

$1,193 RON 5,412

25.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$325 ៛1.3M

$1,064 RON 4,826

-69.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.07

6.73

19.91%

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

Last update for Phnom Penh: August 30, 2026

Last update for Bistrita: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $633 in Phnom Penh versus $229 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 227% 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 $39.00 in Phnom Penh versus $44.00 in Bistrita. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Phnom Penh vs $195 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 19% 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 $1,549 per month in Phnom Penh and $1,305 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 29% 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 $39.00 in Phnom Penh and $44.00 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 $870, than in Phnom Penh at $1,033. 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 $870 versus $1,033 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.