Cost of Living in Siem Reap, Cambodia

One Month’s Spend for Travelers, Retirees and Nomads

Planning an extended stay in Siem Reap? Wondering what the cost of living in Siem Reap might be? One of Cambodia’s many captivating cities has a lot to offer in the way of mind blowing 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 Siem Reap

When you think of Siem Reap, Angkor Wat’s ancient temples is the first thing that comes to mind, but there’s so much more to this magical city. Whether you’re a digital nomad, an expat chasing adventure, or just curious about life beyond a tourist’s view, you’ll find the cost of living in Siem Reap surprisingly affordable compared to other spots in Southeast Asia.

Siem Reap actually reminded me of a smaller and older version of Chiang Mai, Thailand. It’s an adorable little city with the friendliest people you will ever meet. So without wasting too much time, let’s jump into what this month long stay cost me

This site contains affiliate links to products and services. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links which help keep me on the road and costs you absolutely nothing

Accommodations

Holy mother of God did I find a deal on my accommodations for the month. I thought Phnom Penh was cheap, but this one really blew me away. My accommodations were located within a 5 minute walk to pub street and just outside of the very centre of the tourist hub. I know I normally avoid these types of areas, but it doesn’t feel overly touristy. I was situated along the river with pedestrian bridges to get over to Pub Street and whatever was happening over there. Right next door I had a large open air market with tons of street food and the area was extremely walkable

My Unit

This was a change pace from my usual accommodations. Mostly because it is an Inn so I basically had a decent sized hotel room for my four weeks. No kitchen or washer, but it had a large bed, a work station, balcony and large bathroom. The wifi was a bit sketchy when I first arrived, but they went out of their way to install a new router on my floor and after that there was no problem with it. The unit did include a mini-fridge and an electric kettle for coffee making.

The staff made this place extra special. Kim, the onsite property manager, went above and beyond to make sure I was comfortable. From doing laundry, room cleaning, money exchange with no additional fees to topping up my cell package for the month for next to nothing, I really can’t say enough great things about her.

This is not a 5 star hotel by any stretch but it is clean, comfortable and Kim is invaluable. Oh, there is also an attached cafe to the property where you can get fresh coffees or hand out and people while drinking a beer in the evening. If you’re looking for a budget accommodation, this should be your go to.

Check out the unit here. Large Queen room with balcony next to PUB street

Total cost for accommodation for the month: $283

Looking for short term accommodations? Check these great deals:

  • Luxury Accommodations: – Mane Boutique Hotel & Spa – Built around three unique contemporary Khmer villas each with different styles, the hotel is tucked away in a quiet neighborhood in Siem Reap but minutes away from the heart of town, the hotel is also a mere 15-minute ride by car or tuktuk from Angkor Wat and the archeological park.
  • Mid-Range Accommodations: – Bayon Modern Residence – Set in Siem Reap, 1.7 km from King’s Road Angkor, Bayon Modern Residence offers accommodation with an outdoor swimming pool, free private parking, a garden and a shared lounge. Each accommodation at the 4-star hotel has city views, and guests can enjoy access to a terrace and to a bar.
  • Budget Accommodations: – The Palmery – The hotel will provide guests with air-conditioned rooms with a desk, a safety deposit box, a flat-screen TV, a balcony and a private bathroom with a shower for as little as $20 per night.

Or Check Here For the Latest Deals on Booking.com Below:

Related Reading: Cost Living in Phnom Penh

Cost of Living in Siem Reap – Activities

You can’t visit Siem Reap without seeing Angkor Wat right? You better believe it. So that is exactly what Em and I did. It was one of my bucket list destinations and I am so happy that I got to see it. For our trip we hired a tuk-tuk friver for the day who we found through Kim. We started before sunrise and stayed at the complex for around 10 hours. The site is massive so if you’re planning a visit, you may want to consider a couple of days to see it all. We only saw three of the temple comlexes while we were there

Tickets to Angkor Wat are $37 per person and we paid an additional $20 for the Tuk tuk

During our time in Siem Reap we also went on a day trip with Rough Road Adventures. You spend a day seeing several villages, temples and the tallest hill in the region. You end the tirp with a gorgeous sunset over ricefields and dinner at a local restaurant. This tour was totally worth it to me. You will see more in a single day than many short tours would see in an entire week. And it’s a great way to see the surrounding areas you wouldn’t otherwise see.

Tickets for Rough Road Adventures worked out to $125 for the two of us.

Total cost for activities for the month: $219

You Can See a Bit From Each of the Tours in this Video: SIEM REAP, Cambodia – Food and Sites

Dining and Restaurants

I am still a little mind boggled by the cost of dining in Cambodia compared to other SE Asian nations, but comparing it to western standards is still very affordable. Having said that, Em and I didi spend a few evenings down at Pub Street. I know I would normally suggest people avoid places like this but surprisingly the food was good and the drinks are strong. We ent three times and split the the bills each time. My costs incurred for these three outings was $49.

This rest of this category covers the three videos I made and Grab deliveries. One of the videos I made was an awesome place on the outskirts of Siem Reap and that one cost me $37. I also made a video that featured some western food so that was of course poricey at $50. Grab deliveries in Siem Reap were much lower than I experienced in Phnom Pen. A low end meal on Grab would cost me a minimum of $4 per person and our most expensive was $15 per person.

Total Cost for Dining out for One Month: $362

Epic CAMBODIAN FOOD in Siem Reap:

Cost of Living in Siem Reap – Groceries

I buy very few groceries these days and this does not change this month. This category only consists of some toiletries I bought when I arrived in Siem Reap

Total Cost for Groceries for the Month: $14

Cell Phones

I only topped up my sim card on arrival, which Kim did for me through her phone in about three mintues at no extras charge. I had a 30gb of data valid for 30 days which is more than enough as long as I have wifi in my unit.

Total Cost for Phone and Data for one Month: $6

Transportation

This is making up. a lot of tuk-tuks in and around Siem Reap, which I took almost daily. The only car I hired was the day we left for the airport. The airport is quite a distance from the city centre and that cost $32 for just that trip.

Total cost for Transportation for One Month: $86

Looking for fun things to do in Siem Reap? Check out some of these tours from Viator

Visas

I extended my Cambodian visa while I was still in Phnom Penh and that was included in that months expenses, so for this month, a big fat zero.

Total Cost for Visa extension: $0

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 also month included water that I would purchase from Kim and room cleanings.

Total Miscellaneous Costs for one month: $57

One thing I can’t live without while on the road full time – Saves me lots of money too!

Cost of Living in Siem Reap – Totals

Cost of Living in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Looking at the table above, you can see I am under budget this month which is a great thing.. M $1027 works out to a little over $1,395 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 Siem Reap 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!

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