One Month’s Spend for Travelers, Retirees and Nomads
Planning an extended stay in Phnom Penh? Wondering what the cost of living in Phnom Penh might be? One of Cambodia’s many captivating cities has a lot to offer in the way of outstanding cultural experiences, great food and affordable living. Also, it’s a common destination for travelers, digital nomads and retirees. .
When I decided to travel the world full-time, I set a monthly budget for myself of $1600 Canadian dollars (about $1,200 USD) per month. I know that it will vary depending on where I am in the world, but I plan to stick to it as best I can and hope it all evens out in the end. This Blog Post is only to give you a general idea of what to expect for a long term stay in Bangkok. Your expenses could be much lower or higher than mine depending on your style of living.
All figures below will be in US dollars.
Let’s see how my cost of living compares to my budget:
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Cost of Living in Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years. Once a city marked by the shadows of its past, it has emerged as a dynamic metropolis with cultural richness and economic opportunity. While its history is undeniably complex, it’s the city’s present and future that are truly captivating.
For many, the allure of Southeast Asia lies in its promise of exotic experiences without breaking the bank. While it’s certainly cheaper than many Western cities, the allure of ultra-low cost living often painted by some might be overstated. Compared to other Southeast Asian hubs like Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Lumpur, or Manila, Phnom Penh presents a more budget-friendly option, but in my opinion it sacrifices some of the vibrancy found in these rival metropolises.
Despite these caveats, the city remains an attractive choice for travelers and expats seeking an authentic Southeast Asian experience without breaking the bank. Let’s dive into the specifics to understand the true cost of living in Phnom Penh and determine if it’s the right fit for you.
Accommodations
First and foremost the price of this place alone makes it worth it. When you see how much 4 weeks here cost me, you will want to start planning your move to Cambodia immediately. Price aside, the unit was located in the Boeng Snor area of Phnom Penh. Boeng Snor is located just southeast of central Phnom Penh across the Bassac river.
The area is quite nice actually and very walkable. Countless restaurants line the streets and everything you could possibly need is only a short distance away. The downside of the area is it’s dead as can be. All hours of the day it feels like a ghost town. How all the restaurants remain open is beyond me. Seriously, 12:00 dead. 18:00 dead. 22:00 on a Friday night, dead. You can almost guarantee you can walk into any establishment and be the only patron there any time of day. I would usually chalk that up to being an anomaly, but it was like this every day for the entire 4 weeks was there.
Phnom Penh proper is a 20-30 minute tuk-tuk drive away depending on traffic. If you’re looking for a lively authentic SE Asian experience, Phnom Penh proper would be a better choice, but that is also going to come with a higher cost unless you’re willing to stay in a hostel. If you want relaxed and don’t mind commuting this is your place.
My Unit
My unit was for the most part fantastic. Everything needed for a long stay. Fully functional kitchen and bath, decent bedroom, modern living area and a balcony with a washing machine. The unit was extremely clean when I moved in, the host is spectacular and the building is only a few years old and very nicely decorated. With two mini-marts attached to the building, any quick supplies were only a step away.
The only negative besides the area being so far away from Phnom Penh proper would be the internet. When it worked, it was fine for browsing the web and checking emails, but if you needed to make a zoom call or upload a video, it was awful. There weren’t a lot of instances where it didn’t work at all, but occasionally it drops and is gone for a few hours at a time. Any real work I needed to do I used my phone data as a hotspot.
Having said everything above, the price once again, made it all worth it. Would I have liked it to be more lively? Sure, but cost is always a factor for me so it seems like a good trade off.
Check out the unit here. Entire Condo-The Star Polaris 23
Total cost for accommodation for the month: $443
Looking for short term accommodations? Check these great deals:
- Luxury Accommodations: – Rosewood Phnom Penh – Rosewood Phnom Penh presents an ultra-luxury experience at the heart of the Cambodian capital. Soaring 188 meters above the heart of Phnom Penh, the hotel occupies the top 14 floors of Vattanac Capital Tower, the city’s most iconic modern structure and a symbol of the new Cambodia.
- Mid-Range Accommodations: – Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh – With 247 modern rooms, including 43 suites, Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh offers an exciting stay in the heart of Cambodia’s capital. Combining contemporary design with cultural Khmer elements.
- Budget Accommodations: – BKK1 Stay #3 – This property offers access to a terrace, free private parking and free WiFi. The property is non-smoking and is located 2 km from Chaktomouk Hall.
Or check here for the latest deals on below
Read Next: Cost of Living in Siem Reap
Cost of Living in Phnom Penh – Activities
This month Em and I visited the S21 Museum, which is a former school that was turned into a prison where numerous atrocities took place during the Khmer Rouge. We also visited the killing fields where human beings were being exterminated daily. I had planned to take a lot of pictures of this for a blog post write up, but i took one photo as I walked into S21 and that was it for the day. The heaviness of both locations just made it a story that I don’t want or feel I can tell.
Em paid for all of these activities so I can not add them to my Cost of Living in Phnom Penh. But for general knowledge, this is what she paid to get us into these attractions.
Em’s cost for us visiting these attractions:
- S21Museum Entrance fees: $10 per person
- Round Trip Bus S21 to the Killing Fields: $14 per person
- The Killing Fields entrance fees: $5 per person
I did hire a private vehicle to drive me from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap for my next month so I am that including here. Not cheap, but still cheaper than a flight and it was a great way to see some of the smaller villages in Cambodia.
Total cost for activities for the month: $90
Khmer STREET FOOD in Phnom Penh:
Dining and Restaurants
As a full time content creator that focuses on food this is where things got a little surprising as far as affordability is concerned. Much cheaper than in the west, but for comparison sake, my expenses for this month ended up costing more, than in my most recent visits to each of Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Manila. In fairness to Phnom Penh here, I do feature one western spot in one of my videos here that is not cheap, but I only made 3 videos in the city too.
So this category covers the three videos, nights out with Em and Grab deliveries. Grab deliveries here are also more expensive than any other SE Asian city I have been to which I find very surprising. A low end meal on Grab would cost me a minimum of $6 per person and western cravings the cheapest was $37.
Total Cost for Dining out for One Month: $366
Cambodian FOOD TOUR:
Cost of Living in Phnom Penh – Groceries
I buy very few groceries these days and this does not change this month. This consists of small snacks to have around the AirBnb and water.
Total Cost for Groceries for the Month: $33
Cell Phones
I purchased a sim card when I arrived in country with MetPhone. My plan included 50 GB of data for 30 days. I did not have calls or text included with my package. Thank God I had that much data as I needed it when uploading videos. The speeds were very respectable but still slower than any other SE Asian nation I have been to. Great price though
Total Cost for Phone and Data for one Month: $10
Transportation
Because of the area I stayed, if I wanted to get to any of the real action I had to take transportation of some kind. Luckily tuk-tuk’s are a very affordable option. My most expensive transportation for the month was a tuk-tuk from Boeng Snor to the immigration office to extend my Visa that cost me $12.
Total cost for Transportation for One Month: $54
Looking for fun things to do in Phnom Penh? Check out some of these tours from Viator
Visas
US passport holders are required to have a Visa to enter Cambodia. I applied only for an Evisa which cost me $36. I then applied for a 30 day extension in country so I can tick off a bucket list item and spend another 4 weeks in Siem Reap. The 30 day extension costs another $30
Total Cost for Visa extension: $66
Miscellaneous Expenses
This category covers everything that’s not included above. I include alcohol in miscellaneous, because I do enjoy a beer from time to time while hanging around the Airbnb. You might not drink and if you are planning a budget you can easily omit this cost. This month included a lot of iced coffee and a night or two drinking at a bar where I met a fellow American who also happened to be into old school death metal. It has been a long time since I have met anybody that knows the anything about old scholl metal so I enjoyed having some beers while talking about 80’s and 90’s bands
Total Miscellaneous Costs for one month: $38
One thing I can’t live without while on the road full time – Saves me lots of money too!
Cost of Living in Phnom Penh – Totals
Cost of Living in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Looking at the table above, you can see I am under budget this month which is a great thing. Food prices still shock me a bit considering Cambodia is still very much a developing country when comparing it to other major SE Asian cities. At any rate, my $1100 works out to a little over $1,521 CAD. All in all not too bad, though money is quickly running out, so If you have a job that I can do remotely from anywhere in the world, send me a message😁. Everything considered, this confirms what I always knew, it is cheaper to live abroad than living back in North America. The Cost of Living in Phnom Penh is 1/3 of what my costs would have been in Canada
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Have you lived in Phnom Penh for any length of time? Were your numbers similar to my cost of living in Phnom Penh for one month? Do you have any other tips for potential travelers? Leave a comment and let me know. I would love to hear from you
