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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,033 per month in Phnom Penh vs $1,169 in Hawalli, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,666 per month in Phnom Penh vs $3,010 in Hawalli, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,300 per month in Phnom Penh vs $4,851 in Hawalli, rent included.

Phnom Penh is about 12% cheaper than Hawalli, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phnom Penh and Hawalli are more affordable than the global median – Phnom Penh 25% lower, Hawalli 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.71 ៛15.0K

$4.79 KWD 1.48

-22.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 ៛159.6K

$64.7 KWD 19.97

-38.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 ៛28.5K

$9.00 KWD 2.78

-21.78%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.16 KWD 0.98

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 KWD 0.99

Cappuccino

$2.98 ៛12.1K

$4.84 KWD 1.49

-38.43%

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

$1.85 ៛7,472

$0.41 KWD 0.13

351.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 ៛2,679

$0.37 KWD 0.12

78.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 ៛5,884

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 ៛12.2K

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ៛8,624

$1.64 KWD 0.51

29.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 ៛6,662

$1.53 KWD 0.47

7.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ៛4,458

$1.95 KWD 0.60

-43.59%

Eggs

$1.73 ៛7,004

$2.05 KWD 0.63

-15.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.63 ៛59.1K

$3.27 KWD 1.01

347.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.21 ៛17.0K

$3.21 KWD 0.99

31.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.41 ៛38.0K

$3.29 KWD 1.02

186.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 ៛15.5K

$2.54 KWD 0.78

50.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 ៛7,101

$1.95 KWD 0.60

-9.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.19 ៛16.9K

$1.88 KWD 0.58

122.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 ៛8,880

$1.50 KWD 0.46

46.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 ៛6,245

$1.32 KWD 0.41

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 ៛4,969

$1.48 KWD 0.46

-16.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ៛4,603

$2.28 KWD 0.70

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ៛2,984

$0.55 KWD 0.17

34.55%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.19 KWD 0.98

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.91 ៛7,727

$2.67 KWD 0.82

-28.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.89 ៛44.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ៛3,896

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ៛7,287

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ៛1,746

$0.82 KWD 0.25

-47.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.82 ៛39.7K

$49.38 KWD 15.24

-80.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 ៛4,443

$4.73 KWD 1.46

-76.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ៛3,951

$3.30 KWD 1.02

-70.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 ៛21.0K

$16.07 KWD 4.96

-67.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ៛5,571

$0.36 KWD 0.11

283.33%

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

$35.1K ៛142.0M

$21.4K KWD 6,595

64.46%

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

$44.0K ៛177.8M

$20.3K KWD 6,262

116.92%

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

$108 ៛438.4K

$64.7 KWD 19.97

67.66%

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

$7.79 ៛31.5K

$22.99 KWD 7.10

-66.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.04 ៛101.2K

$25.54 KWD 7.89

-1.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.29 ៛162.9K

$64.2 KWD 19.81

-37.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.94 ៛44.2K

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 ៛20.1K

$11.13 KWD 3.44

-55.44%

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

$671 ៛2.7M

$304 KWD 93.7

120.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K ៛45.0M

$9,531 KWD 2,942

16.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.29 ៛114.3K

$32.13 KWD 9.92

-11.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.54 ៛95.2K

$39.36 KWD 12.15

-40.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 ៛372.0K

$97.1 KWD 29.98

-5.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.5 ៛240.5K

$88.0 KWD 27.16

-32.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$633 ៛2.6M

$584 KWD 180

8.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 ៛1.5M

$485 KWD 150

-23.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 ៛4.5M

$982 KWD 303

14.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$817 ៛3.3M

$3,180 KWD 982

-74.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,911 ៛11.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,495 ៛6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$325 ៛1.3M

$1,881 KWD 581

-82.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.07

6.53

23.58%

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

Last update for Phnom Penh: August 30, 2026

Last update for Hawalli: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $633 in Phnom Penh versus $584 in Hawalli. 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 478% higher in Hawalli, 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 $39.00 in Phnom Penh versus $65.0 in Hawalli. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Phnom Penh vs $145 in Hawalli – so Hawalli 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 Hawalli: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,033 in Phnom Penh, $1,169 in Hawalli – roughly 13% apart. Hawalli costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,549 per month in Phnom Penh and $1,754 in Hawalli. 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 72% cheaper in Hawalli – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Phnom Penh and $65.0 in Hawalli. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phnom Penh, where all-in costs run around $1,033, than in Hawalli at $1,169. In Phnom Penh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hawalli it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Hawalli has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,033 in Phnom Penh to $1,169 in Hawalli. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Hawalli makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.