Cost of Living Comparison Between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap Cost of Living Comparison Between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $939 per month in Phnom Penh vs $709 in Siem Reap, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,462 per month in Phnom Penh vs $1,089 in Siem Reap, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,985 per month in Phnom Penh vs $1,469 in Siem Reap, rent included.

Phnom Penh costs about 33% more than Siem Reap, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap are more affordable than the global median – Phnom Penh 30% lower, Siem Reap 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.04 ៛20.3K

$2.49 ៛10.0K

102.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ៛119.6K

$23.88 ៛96.3K

24.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.97 ៛28.1K

Cappuccino

$2.61 ៛10.5K

$1.64 ៛6,621

59.15%

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

$1.03 ៛4,164

$0.74 ៛2,997

39.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 ៛3,966

$0.51 ៛2,065

92.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ៛5,964

$0.99 ៛3,986

49.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ៛9,922

$1.93 ៛7,787

27.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ៛8,306

$1.81 ៛7,302

13.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ៛5,929

$1.38 ៛5,550

6.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ៛3,886

$1.03 ៛4,141

-6.80%

Eggs

$1.78 ៛7,160

$1.64 ៛6,598

8.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.97 ៛52.3K

$12.65 ៛51.0K

2.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.20 ៛16.9K

$3.59 ៛14.5K

16.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.26 ៛41.4K

$10.21 ៛41.2K

0.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.46 ៛18.0K

$3.61 ៛14.5K

23.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ៛6,435

$1.12 ៛4,526

42.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.80 ៛15.3K

$3.39 ៛13.7K

12.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 ៛5,955

$1.31 ៛5,280

12.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 ៛7,004

$1.25 ៛5,024

39.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 ៛4,878

$0.91 ៛3,671

32.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 ៛5,818

$1.30 ៛5,222

10.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ៛2,880

$0.71 ៛2,869

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.03 ៛8,194

$1.92 ៛7,733

5.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.07 ៛44.6K

$7.40 ៛29.8K

49.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ៛4,251

$0.79 ៛3,196

32.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ៛6,582

$1.68 ៛6,792

-2.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 ៛6,218

$1.02 ៛4,123

50.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.57 ៛42.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ៛4,108

$1.02 ៛4,110

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 ៛3,915

$0.98 ៛3,955

-1.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 ៛18.6K

$4.37 ៛17.6K

5.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ៛4,517

$1.13 ៛4,541

-0.88%

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

$49.3K ៛198.9M

$48.5K ៛195.4M

1.76%

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

$36.4K ៛146.7M

$37.3K ៛150.3M

-2.39%

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

$104 ៛418.5K

$73.1 ៛294.6K

42.06%

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

$6.21 ៛25.0K

$6.01 ៛24.2K

3.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.75 ៛95.8K

$19.54 ៛78.8K

21.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.45 ៛187.3K

$36.16 ៛145.8K

28.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.53 ៛58.6K

$3.40 ៛13.7K

327.35%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 ៛18.3K

$4.52 ៛18.2K

0.22%

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

$379 ៛1.5M

$369 ៛1.5M

2.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ៛46.8M

$5,081 ៛20.5M

128.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.08 ៛89.0K

$21.85 ៛88.1K

1.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.04 ៛88.9K

$18.00 ៛72.6K

22.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ៛366.6K

$54.3 ៛218.9K

67.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.4 ៛299.9K

$36.15 ៛145.7K

105.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 ៛2.0M

$311 ៛1.3M

62.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 ៛1.1M

$222 ៛894.4K

24.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 ៛4.2M

$509 ៛2.1M

104.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 ៛2.2M

$331 ៛1.3M

66.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,910 ៛11.7M

$2,509 ៛10.1M

15.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,520 ៛6.1M

$1,069 ៛4.3M

42.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$326 ៛1.3M

$237 ៛956.3K

37.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.3

9.2

11.96%

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

Last update for Phnom Penh: July 12, 2026

Last update for Siem Reap: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $505 in Phnom Penh versus $311 in Siem Reap. 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 38% higher in Phnom Penh, 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 $30.00 in Phnom Penh versus $24.00 in Siem Reap. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $215 – making Siem Reap the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Siem Reap: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phnom Penh is pricier by about 33%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,408 per month in Phnom Penh and $1,063 in Siem Reap. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $939 in Phnom Penh and $709 in Siem Reap. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $379 per month in Phnom Penh and $369 in Siem Reap. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Siem Reap, where all-in costs run around $709, than in Phnom Penh at $939. In Siem Reap it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phnom Penh it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Siem Reap – 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 Siem Reap. 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.