Cost of Living Comparison Between Phnom Penh and Kampong Cham Cost of Living Comparison Between Phnom Penh and Kampong Cham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $939 in Phnom Penh versus $584 in Kampong Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,462 in Phnom Penh versus $958 in Kampong Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,985 in Phnom Penh versus $1,331 in Kampong Cham.

Living in Phnom Penh is roughly 61% more expensive than in Kampong Cham, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phnom Penh 30% lower, Kampong Cham 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.04 ៛20.3K

$2.57 ៛10.4K

96.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ៛119.6K

$23.97 ៛96.6K

23.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.97 ៛28.1K

$8.15 ៛32.8K

-14.48%

Cappuccino

$2.61 ៛10.5K

$1.67 ៛6,735

56.29%

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

$1.03 ៛4,164

$0.68 ៛2,747

51.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 ៛3,966

$0.51 ៛2,073

92.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ៛5,964

$0.98 ៛3,944

51.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ៛9,922

$1.85 ៛7,448

32.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ៛8,306

$1.76 ៛7,079

17.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ៛5,929

$1.38 ៛5,569

6.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ៛3,886

$0.73 ៛2,929

31.51%

Eggs

$1.78 ៛7,160

$1.62 ៛6,533

9.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.97 ៛52.3K

$14.91 ៛60.1K

-13.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.20 ៛16.9K

$3.55 ៛14.3K

18.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.26 ៛41.4K

$9.03 ៛36.4K

13.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.46 ៛18.0K

$2.06 ៛8,295

116.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ៛6,435

$0.77 ៛3,101

107.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.80 ៛15.3K

$3.01 ៛12.1K

26.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 ៛5,955

$0.97 ៛3,925

52.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 ៛7,004

$1.28 ៛5,159

35.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 ៛4,878

$0.91 ៛3,666

32.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 ៛5,818

$1.30 ៛5,254

10.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ៛2,880

$0.58 ៛2,355

22.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.03 ៛8,194

$1.27 ៛5,101

59.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.07 ៛44.6K

$7.59 ៛30.6K

45.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ៛4,251

$0.57 ៛2,288

84.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ៛6,582

$2.04 ៛8,243

-20.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 ៛6,218

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.57 ៛42.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ៛4,108

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 ៛3,915

$0.77 ៛3,112

25.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 ៛18.6K

$4.94 ៛19.9K

-6.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ៛4,517

$1.08 ៛4,363

3.70%

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

$49.3K ៛198.9M

$34.8K ៛140.3M

41.79%

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

$36.4K ៛146.7M

$39.9K ៛160.9M

-8.87%

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

$104 ៛418.5K

$74.5 ៛300.4K

39.35%

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

$6.21 ៛25.0K

$5.85 ៛23.6K

6.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.75 ៛95.8K

$19.69 ៛79.4K

20.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.45 ៛187.3K

$9.85 ៛39.7K

371.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.53 ៛58.6K

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 ៛18.3K

$6.41 ៛25.8K

-29.33%

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

$379 ៛1.5M

$396 ៛1.6M

-4.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ៛46.8M

$2,497 ៛10.1M

364.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.08 ៛89.0K

$10.08 ៛40.6K

119.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.04 ៛88.9K

$18.11 ៛73.0K

21.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ៛366.6K

$55.4 ៛223.3K

64.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.4 ៛299.9K

$36.80 ៛148.4K

102.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 ៛2.0M

$397 ៛1.6M

27.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 ៛1.1M

$127 ៛511.8K

117.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 ៛4.2M

$539 ៛2.2M

92.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 ៛2.2M

$299 ៛1.2M

84.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,910 ៛11.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,520 ៛6.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$326 ៛1.3M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.3

-42.78%

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

Last update for Phnom Penh: July 12, 2026

Last update for Kampong Cham: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $505 in Phnom Penh and $397 in Kampong Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30.00 in Phnom Penh vs $24.00 in Kampong Cham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $202 per month, with Kampong Cham cheaper across the board.

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 Kampong Cham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phnom Penh and Kampong Cham differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($939 vs $584 including rent). Kampong Cham is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,408 in Phnom Penh and $876 in Kampong Cham to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $505 in Phnom Penh versus $397 in Kampong Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Phnom Penh. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $939 per month in Phnom Penh versus $584 in Kampong Cham – a 61% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $584 in Kampong Cham versus $939 in Phnom Penh, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kampong Cham but tight or insufficient in Phnom Penh. The gap between the two cities makes Kampong Cham the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phnom Penh and Kampong Cham are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kampong Cham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Phnom Penh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.