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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $960 per month in Phnom Penh vs $595 in Kampong Thom, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,479 per month in Phnom Penh vs $959 in Kampong Thom, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,998 per month in Phnom Penh vs $1,322 in Kampong Thom, rent included.

Phnom Penh costs about 61% more than Kampong Thom, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Phnom Penh and Kampong Thom are more affordable than the global median – Phnom Penh 29% lower, Kampong Thom 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.06 ៛20.3K

$4.93 ៛19.7K

2.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.67 ៛118.9K

$30.53 ៛122.4K

-2.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.86 ៛27.5K

$6.97 ៛27.9K

-1.58%

Cappuccino

$2.63 ៛10.5K

$2.65 ៛10.6K

-0.75%

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

$1.04 ៛4,162

$0.99 ៛3,977

5.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 ៛4,007

$0.98 ៛3,930

2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ៛5,897

$1.54 ៛6,168

-4.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 ៛10.1K

$2.44 ៛9,776

3.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ៛8,707

$2.08 ៛8,339

4.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 ៛5,923

$1.47 ៛5,886

0.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ៛4,022

$0.98 ៛3,925

2.04%

Eggs

$1.78 ៛7,116

$1.75 ៛6,994

1.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 ៛50.4K

$12.65 ៛50.7K

-0.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 ៛16.4K

$4.16 ៛16.7K

-1.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.43 ៛41.8K

$10.30 ៛41.3K

1.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 ៛18.3K

$4.44 ៛17.8K

2.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 ៛6,227

$1.53 ៛6,113

1.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.86 ៛15.5K

$3.91 ៛15.7K

-1.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 ៛5,923

$1.46 ៛5,835

1.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 ៛6,743

$1.74 ៛6,991

-3.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 ៛4,938

$1.21 ៛4,831

1.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 ៛5,737

$1.41 ៛5,651

1.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ៛2,813

$0.67 ៛2,683

4.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.04 ៛8,174

$1.95 ៛7,815

4.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.62 ៛46.6K

$11.53 ៛46.2K

0.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ៛4,020

$1.00 ៛4,008

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ៛6,535

$1.68 ៛6,724

-2.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 ៛5,877

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.62 ៛42.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ៛4,316

$1.07 ៛4,301

0.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ៛4,099

$1.03 ៛4,125

-0.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 ៛17.9K

$4.57 ៛18.3K

-1.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ៛4,493

$1.17 ៛4,693

-4.27%

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

$48.5K ៛194.3M

$48.5K ៛194.4M

-0.05%

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

$37.2K ៛148.9M

$36.7K ៛147.2M

1.16%

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

$105 ៛420.3K

$106 ៛425.8K

-1.30%

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

$6.29 ៛25.2K

$6.45 ៛25.8K

-2.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.08 ៛92.5K

$23.43 ៛93.9K

-1.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.82 ៛183.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.51 ៛58.2K

Cinema Ticket

$4.63 ៛18.6K

$4.37 ៛17.5K

5.95%

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

$374 ៛1.5M

$370 ៛1.5M

1.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ៛45.2M

$11.6K ៛46.6M

-3.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.06 ៛88.4K

$22.19 ៛88.9K

-0.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.24 ៛89.1K

$22.03 ៛88.3K

0.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 ៛363.7K

$89.7 ៛359.7K

1.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.3 ៛289.8K

$72.4 ៛290.3K

-0.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$504 ៛2.0M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 ៛1.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,040 ៛4.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ៛2.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,922 ៛11.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,527 ៛6.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$318 ៛1.3M

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Kampong Thom: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Phnom Penh versus $31.00 in Kampong Thom. Groceries tell a different story – $245 in Phnom Penh vs $243 in Kampong Thom – so Kampong Thom 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 Kampong Thom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phnom Penh is pricier by about 61%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,440 per month in Phnom Penh and $893 in Kampong Thom. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $960 in Phnom Penh and $595 in Kampong Thom. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $374 per month in Phnom Penh and $370 in Kampong Thom. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kampong Thom, where all-in costs run around $595, than in Phnom Penh at $960. In Kampong Thom it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phnom Penh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kampong Thom – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Kampong Thom. 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.