Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Cambodia

For one person, living is cheaper in Cambodia: $898 a month against $2,720 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $21,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

United States
Cambodia
🇺🇸 United States
$2,720
/mo nomad
🇰🇭 Cambodia
$898
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Cambodia

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

A single person spends $2,720 per month in the United States vs $898 in Cambodia, rent included.

  • United States $2,720
  • Cambodia $898

A couple spends around $3,954 per month in the United States vs $1,465 in Cambodia, rent included.

  • United States $3,954
  • Cambodia $1,465

A family of three spends $5,188 per month in the United States vs $2,032 in Cambodia, rent included.

  • United States $5,188
  • Cambodia $2,032

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($984–$5,225) than in Cambodia ($485–$1,080), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United States is about 203% higher than in Cambodia on average.

The United States sits 101% above the global median, while Cambodia is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
United States
Cambodia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.75 $19.75
$3.03 ៛12.3K
551.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.3 $79.3
$30.46 ៛123.8K
160.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 $11.78
$6.92 ៛28.1K
70.23%
Cappuccino
$5.62 $5.62
$2.27 ៛9,214
147.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 $2.68
$1.00 ៛4,047
168.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 $2.10
$0.57 ៛2,299
268.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.98 $5.98
$1.02 ៛4,135
486.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.89 $7.89
$2.43 ៛9,876
224.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
United States
Cambodia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.09 $1.09
$2.18 ៛8,845
-50.00%
White Bread (500g)
$3.61 $3.61
$1.69 ៛6,853
113.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.61 $4.61
$0.95 ៛3,862
385.26%
Eggs
$4.34 $4.34
$1.77 ៛7,182
145.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.86 $12.86
$14.60 ៛59.3K
-11.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.50 $12.50
$4.08 ៛16.6K
206.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.41 $17.41
$9.43 ៛38.3K
84.62%
Apples (1kg)
$5.42 $5.42
$3.99 ៛16.2K
35.84%
Banana (1kg)
$1.66 $1.66
$1.41 ៛5,728
17.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.39 $4.39
$4.26 ៛17.3K
3.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.96 $4.96
$1.59 ៛6,462
211.95%
Potato (1kg)
$2.85 $2.85
$1.35 ៛5,471
111.11%
Onion (1kg)
$3.06 $3.06
$1.13 ៛4,586
170.80%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.29 $2.29
$1.38 ៛5,603
65.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.30 $2.30
$0.78 ៛3,178
194.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.01 $11.01
$1.79 ៛7,289
515.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.94 $14.94
$10.91 ៛44.3K
36.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 $2.13
$1.01 ៛4,116
110.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.79 $3.79
$1.77 ៛7,183
114.12%
🚌 Getting Around
United States
Cambodia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.04 $2.04
$1.01 ៛4,123
101.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$59.1 $59.1
$15.12 ៛61.4K
290.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.48 $3.48
$1.08 ៛4,403
222.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.89 $1.89
$0.98 ៛3,995
92.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.76 $29.76
$5.13 ៛20.8K
480.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.08 $1.08
$1.27 ៛5,175
-14.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K $28.0K
$34.4K ៛139.6M
-18.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K $25.8K
$32.9K ៛133.5M
-21.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
United States
Cambodia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$217 $217
$106 ៛430.0K
104.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$62.7 $62.7
$6.47 ៛26.3K
869.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$73.0 $73.0
$21.05 ៛85.5K
246.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
United States
Cambodia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.08 $42.08
$36.91 ៛150.0K
14.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.10 $23.10
$9.96 ៛40.5K
131.93%
Cinema Ticket
$14.77 $14.77
$4.98 ៛20.2K
196.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
United States
Cambodia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,490 $1,490
$470 ៛1.9M
216.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.7K $21.7K
$12.8K ៛51.9M
70.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
United States
Cambodia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.5 $53.5
$27.49 ៛111.7K
94.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.69 $42.69
$22.42 ៛91.1K
90.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.7 $92.7
$75.1 ៛305.1K
23.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 $117
$49.42 ៛200.8K
135.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
United States
Cambodia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,671 $1,671
$408 ៛1.7M
309.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,338 $1,338
$279 ៛1.1M
379.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,723 $2,723
$979 ៛4.0M
178.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,131 $2,131
$667 ៛2.7M
219.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,269 $3,269
$2,558 ៛10.4M
27.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,553 $2,553
$1,409 ៛5.7M
81.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
United States
Cambodia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,253 $4,253
$278 ៛1.1M
1429.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.57
8.07
-18.59%

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

Last update for the United States: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cambodia: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
United States
$1.3K
Cambodia
$279 79.1% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
United States
$415
Cambodia
$247 40.5% $168
Monthly Utilities & Internet
United States
$352
Cambodia
$133 62.2% $219
Eating Out
United States
$326
Cambodia
$88 72.9% $237
Clothing & Footwear
United States
$137
Cambodia
$79 42.9% $59
Getting Around
United States
$80
Cambodia
$25 68.6% $55
Sport & Entertainment
United States
$72
Cambodia
$47 34.5% $25

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,628 in the United States vs $368 in Cambodia. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,721 in Washington, DC and $647 in Phnom Penh.

Average salary: $4,531 in the United States vs $224 in Cambodia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 342% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 159% more in the United States.

Public transport is 385% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 20 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know
🇺🇸 United States
🇰🇭 Cambodia
🕒 Local time
18:21 6:21 PM
06:21 6:21 AM
12 h ahead of the United States
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
340,110,988
17,423,880
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KHR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 4,063 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.46 USD). 1 EUR = 4,561 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • United States Cambodia 14,620 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • United States
  • Cambodia

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
United States vs Cambodia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cambodia more expensive than the United States?
Cambodia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 67% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,628 versus $368 in Cambodia.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Cambodia – part of why living there is about 67% cheaper overall.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget in Cambodia or in the United States?
$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Cambodia, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Cambodia or to the United States?
Cambodia is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

United States vs other spots: cost of living compared

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