Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phnom Penh and Singapore

For one person, living is cheaper in Phnom Penh: $1,037 a month against $3,454 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $29,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Phnom Penh
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Phnom Penh Living Index
168

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index

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Phnom Penh

🇰🇭 Cambodia

$1,037

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,454

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phnom Penh and in Singapore

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phnom Penh and in Singapore actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,037 per month in Phnom Penh vs $3,454 in Singapore, rent included.

Phnom Penh $1,037
Singapore $3,454

A couple spends around $1,654 per month in Phnom Penh vs $5,224 in Singapore, rent included.

Phnom Penh $1,654
Singapore $5,224

A family of three spends $2,271 per month in Phnom Penh vs $6,994 in Singapore, rent included.

Phnom Penh $2,271
Singapore $6,994

Phnom Penh is about 70% cheaper than Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Phnom Penh sits 23% below the global median, while Singapore is 158% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.08 ៛16.5K

$11.53 SGD 14.77

-64.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.62 ៛160.5K

$71.2 SGD 91.2

-44.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 ៛28.0K

$8.76 SGD 11.22

-21.12%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ៛12.2K

$5.25 SGD 6.73

-42.48%

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

$1.87 ៛7,572

$1.83 SGD 2.34

2.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 ៛2,484

$1.25 SGD 1.60

-51.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ៛3,964

$8.42 SGD 10.79

-88.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 ៛11.9K

$10.02 SGD 12.83

-70.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 ៛8,802

$2.94 SGD 3.76

-26.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ៛6,506

$2.47 SGD 3.16

-34.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 ៛4,316

$2.71 SGD 3.47

-60.52%

Eggs

$1.73 ៛7,023

$3.73 SGD 4.77

-53.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.96 ៛60.6K

$21.54 SGD 27.58

-30.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 ៛16.5K

$9.52 SGD 12.20

-57.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 ៛37.5K

$25.98 SGD 33.27

-64.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 ៛15.7K

$4.48 SGD 5.74

-13.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ៛6,879

$3.11 SGD 3.99

-45.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 ៛17.4K

$4.62 SGD 5.92

-6.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ៛8,646

$2.23 SGD 2.86

-4.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 ៛6,549

$2.50 SGD 3.20

-35.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ៛5,172

$2.38 SGD 3.05

-46.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ៛4,656

$1.78 SGD 2.28

-35.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ៛3,099

$1.51 SGD 1.93

-49.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 ៛7,883

$14.18 SGD 18.16

-86.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.20 ៛45.4K

$23.79 SGD 30.47

-52.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ៛4,165

$4.51 SGD 5.78

-77.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ៛7,263

$4.57 SGD 5.86

-60.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ៛1,900

$1.58 SGD 2.03

-70.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.74 ៛39.4K

$96.4 SGD 123

-89.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 ៛4,455

$3.63 SGD 4.65

-69.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ៛3,954

$0.80 SGD 1.02

22.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 ៛20.9K

$16.18 SGD 20.72

-68.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ៛5,484

$2.51 SGD 3.21

-46.22%

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

$35.5K ៛143.9M

$155.9K SGD 199.6K

-77.20%

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

$43.9K ៛177.6M

$145.8K SGD 186.7K

-69.92%

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

$106 ៛431.3K

$175 SGD 224

-39.16%

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

$7.39 ៛29.9K

$12.45 SGD 15.94

-40.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.24 ៛102.2K

$26.64 SGD 34.11

-5.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.80 ៛165.2K

$112 SGD 143

-63.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.94 ៛44.3K

$12.07 SGD 15.46

-9.36%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 ៛20.1K

$11.60 SGD 14.85

-57.16%

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

$665 ៛2.7M

$1,463 SGD 1,874

-54.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K ៛44.5M

$28.4K SGD 36.3K

-61.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.67 ៛112.1K

$81.5 SGD 104

-66.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.26 ៛98.2K

$50.6 SGD 64.8

-52.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 ៛363.6K

$112 SGD 143

-19.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.1 ៛239.3K

$130 SGD 166

-54.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$639 ៛2.6M

$2,916 SGD 3,734

-78.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 ៛1.5M

$2,128 SGD 2,725

-82.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 ៛4.7M

$5,654 SGD 7,241

-79.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$803 ៛3.3M

$3,968 SGD 5,081

-79.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,883 ៛11.7M

$23.6K SGD 30.2K

-87.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,488 ៛6.0M

$16.8K SGD 21.5K

-91.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$330 ៛1.3M

$4,369 SGD 5,594

-92.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.07

2.44

230.74%

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

Last update for Phnom Penh: October 6, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phnom Penh

$370 35.9%

Singapore

$2.1K 61.4% 476% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Phnom Penh

$252 24.5%

Singapore

$457 13.2% 81.7% $206

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phnom Penh

$139 13.5%

Singapore

$214 6.2% 53.9% $75

Eating Out

Phnom Penh

$110 10.7%

Singapore

$256 7.4% 132% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Phnom Penh

$90 8.8%

Singapore

$168 4.9% 86% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Phnom Penh

$51 4.9%

Singapore

$135 3.9% 166% $84

Getting Around

Phnom Penh

$18 1.7%

Singapore

$110 3.2% 527% $93

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $639 in Phnom Penh versus $2,916 in Singapore. 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 1223% higher in Singapore, 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 $40.00 in Phnom Penh versus $71.0 in Singapore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $457 – making Phnom Penh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇭 Phnom Penh

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

09:16 9:16 AM

1 h ahead of Phnom Penh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,009,264 Capital

5,535,002 Capital

💱 Currency

Cambodian Riel KHR ៛

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KHR = 2.47 USD

10,000 KHR = 2.2 EUR

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.696 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, USD, EUR to KHR – Cambodian Riel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇭 Cambodian Riel (៛)

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,050 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.47 USD). 1 EUR = 4,542 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.2 EUR).

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.696 EUR).

USD to KHR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phnom Penh Singapore 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Phnom Penh
Singapore

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Singapore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Singapore is pricier by about 233%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,556 per month in Phnom Penh and $5,180 in Singapore. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 82% more in Singapore, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Phnom Penh and $71.0 in Singapore. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phnom Penh, where all-in costs run around $1,037, than in Singapore at $3,454. In Phnom Penh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Singapore it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phnom Penh – 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 Phnom Penh. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Singapore makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.