Cost of Living Comparison Between Siem Reap and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Siem Reap and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $720 in Siem Reap versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,073 in Siem Reap versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,426 in Siem Reap versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Siem Reap costs roughly 43% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Siem Reap 46% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.54 ៛10.2K

$4.70 ฿153

-45.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.11 ៛96.9K

$45.37 ฿1,482

-46.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.92 ៛27.8K

$8.43 ฿275

-17.91%

Cappuccino

$1.67 ៛6,719

$2.93 ฿95.6

-43.00%

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

$0.69 ៛2,768

$0.69 ฿22.40

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ៛2,059

$0.37 ฿11.99

37.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ៛3,937

$2.41 ฿78.6

-59.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ៛7,744

$3.72 ฿122

-48.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 ៛7,271

$2.23 ฿72.9

-18.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 ៛5,546

$1.83 ฿59.8

-24.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ៛4,151

$2.17 ฿70.8

-52.53%

Eggs

$1.62 ៛6,496

$2.21 ฿72.3

-26.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.00 ៛52.3K

$19.74 ฿645

-34.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ៛14.6K

$3.63 ฿119

0.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.42 ៛41.9K

$13.53 ฿442

-22.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 ៛14.7K

$3.28 ฿107

11.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ៛4,315

$1.61 ฿52.6

-33.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 ៛13.8K

$2.41 ฿78.6

42.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ៛5,277

$2.08 ฿68.1

-37.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ៛4,984

$1.53 ฿49.93

-18.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ៛3,820

$1.48 ฿48.36

-35.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ៛5,471

$0.99 ฿32.29

37.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ៛2,681

$0.51 ฿16.67

31.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.91 ៛7,662

$4.41 ฿144

-56.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 ៛30.0K

$19.38 ฿633

-61.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ៛2,934

$1.78 ฿58.1

-58.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ៛6,740

$2.71 ฿88.6

-38.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ៛4,066

$1.37 ฿44.79

-26.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ៛4,159

$3.02 ฿98.6

-65.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ៛3,954

$0.99 ฿32.48

-1.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 ៛18.5K

$14.10 ฿461

-67.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ៛4,326

$1.36 ฿44.51

-20.59%

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

$49.0K ៛196.9M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

73.67%

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

$37.0K ៛148.6M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

12.31%

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

$73.1 ៛294.0K

$122 ฿3,975

-39.93%

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

$6.13 ៛24.7K

$13.57 ฿443

-54.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.40 ៛78.0K

$18.31 ฿598

5.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.31 ៛146.0K

$60.2 ฿1,967

-39.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.52 ៛14.2K

$17.14 ฿560

-79.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 ៛17.9K

$8.69 ฿284

-48.68%

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

$375 ៛1.5M

$693 ฿22.6K

-45.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,917 ៛19.8M

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-68.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.56 ៛90.7K

$59.5 ฿1,944

-62.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.51 ៛74.4K

$34.77 ฿1,136

-46.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.1 ៛217.6K

$115 ฿3,743

-52.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.22 ៛145.6K

$83.3 ฿2,720

-56.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$315 ៛1.3M

$613 ฿20.0K

-48.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$216 ៛868.5K

$437 ฿14.3K

-50.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 ៛2.0M

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-76.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 ៛1.3M

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-78.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,470 ៛9.9M

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-34.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,106 ៛4.4M

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-57.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$239 ៛959.9K

$508 ฿16.6K

-53.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.2

5.33

72.61%

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

Last update for Siem Reap: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $315 in Siem Reap and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 113% 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 $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $293 per month, with Siem Reap cheaper across the board.

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Siem Reap is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 113% less. 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: $315 in Siem Reap versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $375 in Siem Reap versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Siem Reap – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $720 in Siem Reap versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Siem Reap but tight or insufficient in Phuket. 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 Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Siem Reap and Phuket 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 76% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.