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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $963 in Phnom Penh versus $588 in Kampong Chhnang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,487 in Phnom Penh versus $937 in Kampong Chhnang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,011 in Phnom Penh versus $1,285 in Kampong Chhnang.

Living in Phnom Penh is roughly 64% more expensive than Kampong Chhnang, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phnom Penh 28% lower, Kampong Chhnang 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.14 ៛20.6K

$5.09 ៛20.4K

0.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.79 ៛119.5K

$30.17 ៛121.0K

-1.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.95 ៛27.9K

$7.06 ៛28.3K

-1.56%

Cappuccino

$2.65 ៛10.6K

$2.59 ៛10.4K

2.32%

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

$1.02 ៛4,101

$0.99 ៛3,973

3.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 ៛4,145

$1.04 ៛4,156

-0.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ៛5,886

$1.47 ៛5,892

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 ៛10.2K

$2.44 ៛9,790

4.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 ៛8,322

$2.10 ៛8,431

-1.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ៛5,839

$1.48 ៛5,925

-1.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ៛4,147

$1.02 ៛4,103

0.98%

Eggs

$1.83 ៛7,328

$1.75 ៛7,028

4.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 ៛50.7K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.04 ៛16.2K

$4.14 ៛16.6K

-2.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ៛41.9K

$10.12 ៛40.6K

3.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 ៛18.4K

$1.14 ៛4,558

303.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ៛6,485

$1.62 ៛6,483

Oranges (1kg)

$3.81 ៛15.3K

$3.99 ៛16.0K

-4.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 ៛5,810

$1.47 ៛5,877

-1.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 ៛6,703

$1.70 ៛6,839

-1.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 ៛4,980

$1.25 ៛5,002

-0.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ៛5,600

$1.46 ៛5,853

-4.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ៛2,683

$0.71 ៛2,830

-5.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.03 ៛8,148

$1.99 ៛7,964

2.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 ៛47.8K

$11.86 ៛47.6K

0.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ៛4,075

$1.02 ៛4,072

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ៛6,822

$1.64 ៛6,573

3.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 ៛6,124

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.79 ៛43.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ៛4,163

$1.06 ៛4,255

-1.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ៛4,055

$0.98 ៛3,941

3.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 ៛18.5K

$4.42 ៛17.7K

4.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ៛4,739

$1.12 ៛4,486

5.36%

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

$49.6K ៛199.2M

$48.7K ៛195.3M

1.97%

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

$36.8K ៛147.4M

$36.7K ៛147.0M

0.27%

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

$106 ៛425.7K

$108 ៛432.8K

-1.62%

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

$6.41 ៛25.7K

$6.49 ៛26.0K

-1.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.17 ៛92.9K

$23.23 ៛93.2K

-0.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ៛187.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.54 ៛58.3K

Cinema Ticket

$4.62 ៛18.5K

$4.61 ៛18.5K

0.22%

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

$374 ៛1.5M

$373 ៛1.5M

0.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K ៛46.9M

$11.6K ៛46.4M

1.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.36 ៛89.7K

$22.05 ៛88.5K

1.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.30 ៛89.4K

$22.57 ៛90.5K

-1.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 ៛360.6K

$90.9 ៛364.6K

-1.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ៛289.7K

$72.5 ៛290.8K

-0.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$504 ៛2.0M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 ៛1.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ៛4.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$567 ៛2.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 ៛11.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ៛6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$349 ៛1.4M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.3

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

Last update for Phnom Penh: May 30, 2026

Last update for Kampong Chhnang: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $30.00 in Phnom Penh vs $30.00 in Kampong Chhnang. Groceries flip the comparison at $245 vs $229, with Kampong Chhnang cheaper for home cooking.

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 Chhnang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phnom Penh and Kampong Chhnang differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($963 vs $588 including rent). Kampong Chhnang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,445 in Phnom Penh and $882 in Kampong Chhnang 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.

Childcare runs $374 in Phnom Penh versus $373 in Kampong Chhnang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kampong Chhnang – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $30.00 in Phnom Penh. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $588 in Kampong Chhnang versus $963 in Phnom Penh, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kampong Chhnang but tight or insufficient in Phnom Penh. The gap between the two cities makes Kampong Chhnang 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 Chhnang 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 Chhnang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Phnom Penh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.