🇰🇭Cost of Living in Phnom Penh

Cambodia · Population: 2,281,951 · Cost Index: 25/100

Cost of Living in Phnom Penh

Cambodia · Asia

Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia, a rapidly growing city where French colonial architecture meets modern development along the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers. It offers very affordable living and a thriving expat community.

2,281,951

Population

Cost Index

Safety Index

Quality of Life

Average Monthly Cost: $700 (single person, excluding rent)

Estimated monthly budget in Phnom Penh

Typical total monthly cost by household type.

Single person

$700

per month

Couple

$1,050

per month

Family of 4

$1,470

per month

Student

$530

per month

Estimates based on the average cost of living in Phnom Penh, scaled by household size. Actual costs vary with lifestyle, neighbourhood and housing.

Cost Breakdown

Housing

Avg: $420.00

1-Bedroom Apartment (City Center)(per month)

$350.00

1-Bedroom Apartment (Outside Center)(per month)

$180.00

3-Bedroom Apartment (City Center)(per month)

$750.00

3-Bedroom Apartment (Outside Center)(per month)

$400.00

Food & Groceries

Avg: $3.45

Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant(per meal)

$2.00

Meal for 2 at Mid-Range Restaurant(per meal)

$15.00

McMeal at McDonald's(per meal)

$5.00

Milk (1 liter)(per liter)

$2.00

Bread (500g loaf)(per loaf)

$1.00

Rice (1 kg)(per kg)

$0.75

Eggs (12)(per dozen)

$1.50

Chicken Breast (1 kg)(per kg)

$3.50

Apples (1 kg)(per kg)

$3.00

Banana (1 kg)(per kg)

$0.80

Transportation

Avg: $4.53

Monthly Public Transit Pass(per month)

$20.00

One-Way Ticket (Local Transport)(per trip)

$0.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)(base fare)

$0.75

Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff)(per km)

$0.50

Gasoline (1 liter)(per liter)

$1.15

Utilities

Avg: $37.00

Basic Utilities (85m² Apt)(per month)

$80.00

Mobile Phone Plan(per month)

$6.00

Internet (60 Mbps+)(per month)

$25.00

Healthcare

Avg: $13.33

Doctor Visit(per visit)

$15.00

Dentist Visit(per visit)

$20.00

Prescription Medicine (avg)(per prescription)

$5.00

Entertainment

Avg: $9.38

Fitness Club Monthly(per month)

$30.00

Cinema Ticket(per ticket)

$4.00

Cappuccino(per cup)

$2.50

Beer (0.5l) at Restaurant(per glass)

$1.00

Clothing

Avg: $34.33

Pair of Jeans (Levi's)(per pair)

$30.00

Summer Dress (Chain Store)(per item)

$18.00

Running Shoes (Nike, Adidas)(per pair)

$55.00

Popular Phnom Penh comparisons

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Frequently asked questions about Phnom Penh

Is Phnom Penh expensive to live in?

Phnom Penh has a cost of living index of 25 out of 100, where New York City scores 100. This makes it one of the more affordable cities we track.

How much money do you need to live in Phnom Penh?

A single person needs an estimated $700 per month to live in Phnom Penh, covering rent, food, transport and other essentials. A family or a more comfortable lifestyle will cost more.

What is the cost of living index in Phnom Penh?

Phnom Penh's cost of living index is 25 out of 100. The index is relative to New York City (100), so a score of 50 means overall costs are roughly half those of New York.

What is quality of life like in Phnom Penh?

Phnom Penh scores 40 out of 100 for quality of life and 48 out of 100 for safety in our index.

Data & sources

As an independent cross-check, the World Bank puts the overall price level in Cambodia at 36 relative to the United States (=100) in 2024. View source

Cost figures on this site are independent estimates, cross-referenced with public data sources including World Bank, Numbeo, Eurostat, OECD.