Cost of Living Comparison Between Phnom Penh and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Phnom Penh and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $963 per month in Phnom Penh vs $866 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,487 per month in Phnom Penh vs $1,351 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,011 per month in Phnom Penh vs $1,835 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Phnom Penh costs about 11% more than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Phnom Penh and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Phnom Penh 28% lower, Chiang Mai 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.14 ៛20.7K

$1.94 ฿63.5

164.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.79 ៛119.8K

$18.64 ฿609

59.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.95 ៛27.9K

$7.82 ฿255

-11.13%

Cappuccino

$2.65 ៛10.7K

$1.95 ฿63.8

35.90%

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

$1.02 ៛4,111

$0.85 ฿27.77

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 ៛4,154

$0.35 ฿11.58

194.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ៛5,900

$2.13 ฿69.6

-30.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 ៛10.3K

$3.73 ฿122

-31.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 ៛8,342

$1.71 ฿56.0

21.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ៛5,853

$1.63 ฿53.2

-10.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ៛4,156

$1.14 ฿37.15

-9.65%

Eggs

$1.83 ៛7,346

$1.93 ฿63.1

-5.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 ៛50.8K

$16.21 ฿530

-22.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.04 ៛16.2K

$3.12 ฿102

29.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ៛42.0K

$10.90 ฿356

-4.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 ៛18.5K

$2.75 ฿90.0

67.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ៛6,500

$1.21 ฿39.52

33.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.81 ៛15.3K

$1.62 ฿53.0

135.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 ៛5,823

$1.59 ฿51.8

-8.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 ៛6,719

$1.40 ฿45.70

19.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 ៛4,992

$1.17 ฿38.17

5.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ៛5,613

$0.66 ฿21.60

112.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ៛2,689

$0.53 ฿17.22

26.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.03 ៛8,167

$4.69 ฿153

-56.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 ៛47.9K

$18.66 ฿609

-36.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ៛4,085

$1.80 ฿58.8

-43.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ៛6,838

$3.23 ฿106

-47.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 ៛6,138

$0.90 ฿29.26

70.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.79 ៛43.4K

$19.21 ฿628

-43.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ៛4,172

$1.41 ฿45.91

-26.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ៛4,065

$1.29 ฿42.12

-21.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 ៛18.6K

$7.84 ฿256

-41.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ៛4,750

$1.27 ฿41.58

-7.09%

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

$49.6K ៛199.6M

$21.3K ฿694.9K

133.34%

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

$36.8K ៛147.8M

$22.2K ฿725.4K

65.45%

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

$106 ៛426.7K

$69.1 ฿2,256

53.66%

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

$6.41 ៛25.8K

$14.08 ฿460

-54.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.17 ៛93.2K

$18.00 ฿588

28.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ៛187.8K

$41.06 ฿1,341

13.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.54 ៛58.5K

$6.96 ฿227

108.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.62 ៛18.6K

$5.92 ฿193

-21.96%

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

$374 ៛1.5M

$299 ฿9,766

25.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K ៛47.0M

$15.0K ฿488.3K

-21.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.36 ៛89.9K

$54.7 ฿1,787

-59.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.30 ៛89.7K

$26.77 ฿874

-16.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 ៛361.5K

$85.0 ฿2,776

5.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ៛290.4K

$70.6 ฿2,306

2.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$504 ៛2.0M

$428 ฿14.0K

17.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 ៛1.1M

$237 ฿7,752

18.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ៛4.1M

$801 ฿26.2K

27.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$567 ៛2.3M

$515 ฿16.8K

9.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 ៛11.8M

$1,975 ฿64.5K

48.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ៛6.0M

$1,475 ฿48.2K

0.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$349 ៛1.4M

$617 ฿20.2K

-43.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.3

106.00%

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

Last update for Phnom Penh: May 30, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $504 in Phnom Penh versus $428 in Chiang Mai. 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 77% higher in Chiang Mai, 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 $19.00 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $245 in Phnom Penh vs $246 in Chiang Mai – so Phnom Penh 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 Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phnom Penh costs about 11% more than Chiang Mai, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,445 per month in Phnom Penh and $1,300 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $374 per month in Phnom Penh and $299 in Chiang Mai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Phnom Penh – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chiang Mai, where all-in costs run around $866, than in Phnom Penh at $963. In Chiang Mai 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. Chiang Mai costs $866 versus $963 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 Chiang Mai. 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.