Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Siem Reap and Dubai

For one person, living is cheaper in Siem Reap: $806 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $25,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Siem Reap
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Siem Reap Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
Learn more

Dubai Living Index

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Siem Reap

🇰🇭 Cambodia

$806

/mo nomad

Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Siem Reap and in Dubai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $806 in Siem Reap versus $2,896 in Dubai.

Siem Reap $806
Dubai $2,896

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,247 in Siem Reap versus $4,384 in Dubai.

Siem Reap $1,247
Dubai $4,384

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,689 in Siem Reap versus $5,872 in Dubai.

Siem Reap $1,689
Dubai $5,872

Living in Siem Reap costs roughly 72% less than in Dubai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Siem Reap is 40% below, Dubai is 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.43 ៛9,884

$12.67 AED 46.55

-80.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.16 ៛98.1K

$81.7 AED 300

-70.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 ៛31.7K

$9.34 AED 34.30

-16.38%

Cappuccino

$1.69 ៛6,857

$5.89 AED 21.62

-71.31%

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

$0.70 ៛2,854

$1.69 AED 6.20

-58.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ៛1,746

$0.78 AED 2.86

-44.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ៛4,148

$13.66 AED 50.2

-92.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ៛8,045

$13.49 AED 49.54

-85.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ៛8,687

$1.84 AED 6.78

16.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 ៛7,159

$1.50 AED 5.50

17.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 ៛3,540

$2.57 AED 9.45

-66.15%

Eggs

$1.72 ៛6,979

$3.32 AED 12.18

-48.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.24 ៛61.9K

$12.60 AED 46.28

20.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.84 ៛11.5K

$9.66 AED 35.46

-70.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.20 ៛41.5K

$12.78 AED 46.93

-20.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 ៛17.6K

$2.60 AED 9.54

66.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 ៛5,008

$1.90 AED 6.99

-35.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.68 ៛14.9K

$1.91 AED 7.02

92.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 ៛4,431

$1.37 AED 5.02

-20.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 ៛5,415

$1.13 AED 4.14

17.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 ៛4,534

$1.01 AED 3.71

10.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 ៛5,262

$1.44 AED 5.30

-9.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ៛3,227

$0.67 AED 2.48

17.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.41 ៛5,709

$5.88 AED 21.59

-76.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.75 ៛31.5K

$16.15 AED 59.3

-52.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ៛4,051

$2.72 AED 10.00

-63.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ៛9,162

$3.08 AED 11.32

-26.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 ៛3,949

$1.60 AED 5.87

-39.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.14 ៛61.5K

$76.0 AED 279

-80.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 ៛8,169

$3.24 AED 11.91

-37.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ៛4,103

$0.71 AED 2.61

42.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 ៛20.3K

$7.96 AED 29.22

-37.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ៛5,310

$0.98 AED 3.62

33.67%

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

$24.8K ៛100.7M

$27.4K AED 100.6K

-9.48%

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

$22.7K ៛92.2M

$22.0K AED 80.9K

3.04%

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

$103 ៛417.4K

$249 AED 913

-58.64%

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

$5.82 ៛23.6K

$54.4 AED 200

-89.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.37 ៛62.4K

$91.5 AED 336

-83.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.20 ៛134.8K

$103 AED 380

-67.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.27 ៛57.9K

$42.32 AED 155

-66.28%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 ៛20.2K

$16.29 AED 59.8

-69.49%

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

$283 ៛1.2M

$844 AED 3,098

-66.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,488 ៛18.2M

$18.3K AED 67.1K

-75.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.69 ៛108.4K

$67.0 AED 246

-60.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.31 ៛54.0K

$57.9 AED 213

-77.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.5 ៛278.3K

$102 AED 375

-32.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.31 ៛184.1K

$98.7 AED 363

-54.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 ៛1.3M

$2,393 AED 8,788

-86.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 ៛940.8K

$1,533 AED 5,630

-84.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$669 ៛2.7M

$4,594 AED 16.9K

-85.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$434 ៛1.8M

$2,939 AED 10.8K

-85.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,454 ៛10.0M

$7,046 AED 25.9K

-65.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,099 ៛4.5M

$4,222 AED 15.5K

-73.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$239 ៛969.1K

$3,461 AED 12.7K

-93.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.2

4.54

102.64%

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

Last update for Siem Reap: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dubai: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Siem Reap

$235 29.2%

Dubai

$292 10.1% 24.1% $57

Accommodation & Living

Siem Reap

$232 28.7%

Dubai

$1.5K 52.9% 562% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Siem Reap

$124 15.4%

Dubai

$394 13.6% 218% $270

Eating Out

Siem Reap

$77 9.5%

Dubai

$305 10.5% 298% $228

Clothing & Footwear

Siem Reap

$69 8.6%

Dubai

$147 5.1% 112% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Siem Reap

$43 5.4%

Dubai

$136 4.7% 215% $93

Getting Around

Siem Reap

$26 3.2%

Dubai

$89 3.1% 242% $63

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $329 in Siem Reap and $2,393 in Dubai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays 1351% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $24.00 in Siem Reap vs $82.0 in Dubai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $292 per month, with Siem Reap cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇭 Siem Reap

🇦🇪 Dubai

🕒 Local time

11:45 11:45 AM

08:45 8:45 AM

3 h behind Siem Reap

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

171,800

3,790,000

💱 Currency

Cambodian Riel KHR ៛

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KHR = 2.46 USD

10,000 KHR = 2.19 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to KHR – Cambodian Riel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇭 Cambodian Riel (៛)

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4,062 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.46 USD). 1 EUR = 4,567 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.19 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

USD to KHR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Siem Reap Dubai 5,240 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Siem Reap
Dubai

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

Siem Reap vs Dubai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Siem Reap is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 259% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1351% lower in Dubai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $329 in Siem Reap versus $2,393 in Dubai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Siem Reap runs roughly 402% less than in Dubai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $283 in Siem Reap versus $844 in Dubai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $806 in Siem Reap versus $2,896 in Dubai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Siem Reap but tight or insufficient in Dubai. The gap between the two cities makes Siem Reap the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Siem Reap is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Siem Reap and Dubai 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 Siem Reap gentler on the wallet – expenses run 259% less than in Dubai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.