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 $963 per month in Phnom Penh vs $720 in Siem Reap, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,487 per month in Phnom Penh vs $1,073 in Siem Reap, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,011 per month in Phnom Penh vs $1,426 in Siem Reap, rent included.

Phnom Penh costs about 34% more than Siem Reap, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap are more affordable than the global median – Phnom Penh 28% lower, Siem Reap 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.14 ៛20.7K

$2.54 ៛10.2K

102.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.79 ៛119.8K

$24.11 ៛96.9K

23.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.95 ៛27.9K

$6.92 ៛27.8K

0.43%

Cappuccino

$2.65 ៛10.7K

$1.67 ៛6,719

58.68%

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

$1.02 ៛4,111

$0.69 ៛2,768

47.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 ៛4,154

$0.51 ៛2,059

101.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ៛5,900

$0.98 ៛3,937

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 ៛10.3K

$1.93 ៛7,744

32.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 ៛8,342

$1.81 ៛7,271

14.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ៛5,853

$1.38 ៛5,546

5.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ៛4,156

$1.03 ៛4,151

Eggs

$1.83 ៛7,346

$1.62 ៛6,496

12.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 ៛50.8K

$13.00 ៛52.3K

-2.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.04 ៛16.2K

$3.64 ៛14.6K

10.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 ៛42.0K

$10.42 ៛41.9K

0.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 ៛18.5K

$3.65 ៛14.7K

26.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ៛6,500

$1.07 ៛4,315

51.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.81 ៛15.3K

$3.43 ៛13.8K

11.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 ៛5,823

$1.31 ៛5,277

10.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 ៛6,719

$1.24 ៛4,984

34.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 ៛4,992

$0.95 ៛3,820

30.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ៛5,613

$1.36 ៛5,471

2.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ៛2,689

$0.67 ៛2,681

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.03 ៛8,167

$1.91 ៛7,662

6.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 ៛47.9K

$7.46 ៛30.0K

59.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ៛4,085

$0.73 ៛2,934

39.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ៛6,838

$1.68 ៛6,740

1.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 ៛6,138

$1.01 ៛4,066

51.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.79 ៛43.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ៛4,172

$1.03 ៛4,159

0.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ៛4,065

$0.98 ៛3,954

3.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 ៛18.6K

$4.60 ៛18.5K

0.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ៛4,750

$1.08 ៛4,326

9.26%

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

$49.6K ៛199.6M

$49.0K ៛196.9M

1.37%

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

$36.8K ៛147.8M

$37.0K ៛148.6M

-0.54%

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

$106 ៛426.7K

$73.1 ៛294.0K

45.16%

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

$6.41 ៛25.8K

$6.13 ៛24.7K

4.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.17 ៛93.2K

$19.40 ៛78.0K

19.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.71 ៛187.8K

$36.31 ៛146.0K

28.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.54 ៛58.5K

$3.52 ៛14.2K

313.07%

Cinema Ticket

$4.62 ៛18.6K

$4.46 ៛17.9K

3.59%

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

$374 ៛1.5M

$375 ៛1.5M

-0.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K ៛47.0M

$4,917 ៛19.8M

137.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.36 ៛89.9K

$22.56 ៛90.7K

-0.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.30 ៛89.7K

$18.51 ៛74.4K

20.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 ៛361.5K

$54.1 ៛217.6K

66.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 ៛290.4K

$36.22 ៛145.6K

99.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$504 ៛2.0M

$315 ៛1.3M

60.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 ៛1.1M

$216 ៛868.5K

29.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ៛4.1M

$497 ៛2.0M

105.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$567 ៛2.3M

$319 ៛1.3M

77.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 ៛11.8M

$2,470 ៛9.9M

18.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,484 ៛6.0M

$1,106 ៛4.4M

34.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$349 ៛1.4M

$239 ៛959.9K

46.29%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Siem Reap: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $504 in Phnom Penh versus $315 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 46% 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: $245 vs $217 – 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 34%, 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 $1,445 per month in Phnom Penh and $1,080 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 $963 in Phnom Penh and $720 in Siem Reap. 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 $375 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 $720, than in Phnom Penh at $963. 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.