How much does it cost to live in Phnom Penh?
Typical Month (Mid Range)
$1,108 (KHR 4,474,411)
Housing, food, transport, mobile, coworking and gym.
Updated September 2026 · Sources cited: realestate.com.kh, rumavi.com
- Typical Month (Lower End)
- $456 (KHR 1,841,518)
- Typical Month (Premium)
- $2,442 (KHR 9,863,404)
- Furnished 1-bed rent
- $700 (KHR 2,827,808)
BKK1
Good to know
Good to Know
- Cambodia's economy is heavily dollarized: rent, restaurant bills and most significant purchases are quoted and paid in US dollars, with the Cambodian riel used mainly for small change — so a nomad's real-world budget here is almost entirely USD despite riel being the official currency.
- BKK1 is the most convenient, cafe-and-coworking-dense neighborhood but also the priciest; Toul Tom Poung (Russian Market) offers noticeably cheaper furnished rentals with a similarly walkable, lived-in feel and is popular with younger expats and mid-budget nomads.
- Apartment listings vary on what's included — some serviced units bundle wifi, cleaning and cable into rent, while others exclude electricity and water, which can add up meaningfully given heavy air-conditioning use in the hot season. Always confirm what's included before booking.
- Street food and local Khmer eateries are dramatically cheaper than the Western-style cafes and restaurants clustered in BKK1, so daily food costs can swing widely depending on where you eat.
- The Phnom Penh City Bus is cash-only (or KHQR scan) with a flat KHR1,500 fare per ride and no monthly or rechargeable pass — budget in riel, not dollars, for daily transit.
- For any stay beyond a month, ask immigration specifically for the E-class 'Ordinary' visa, not the standard tourist visa — the tourist visa cannot be converted to a long-stay visa without leaving the country and re-entering.
- Cambodia is a dual-currency economy: USD is used for most rents, coworking, and bigger purchases, while riel is used for small everyday items like bus fares and street food.
- Most nomads use an international plan like SafetyWing rather than a local Cambodian insurance policy, since foreigner-specific local private plans are not widely marketed the way they are in some neighboring countries.
- Coworking pricing varies a lot by space — budget hot-desk options exist from around $60/month, while premium serviced-office brands can run several times that.
Monthly Totals
- Mid-range month
- KHR 4,474,411
Includes 4 estimated components
- Lean month
- KHR 1,841,518
Includes 3 estimated components
- Comfortable month
- KHR 9,863,404
Includes 4 estimated components
Living Costs
- Where nomads live
- Digital nomads and expats concentrate in BKK1 (Boeung Keng Kang 1), which has the densest cluster of serviced apartments, cafes and coworking spaces; Toul Tom Poung (Russian Market/TTP) is the go-to more affordable alternative popular with younger expats and budget-conscious nomads; Riverside/Daun Penh is a secondary cluster. Housing figures below are grounded in BKK1 (mid and premium tiers) and Toul Tom Poung (budget tier), with a private-room tier estimated against both.
Housing (per month)
- Mid-range 1-bed
- KHR 2,827,808
Local listing
realestate.com.kh live listing: 'Fully furnished apartment for Rent I BKK1' serviced apartment, 65m2, listed at $700 per month.
Published in USD
- Budget studio / 1-bed
- KHR 1,615,890
Estimated
Rumavi's 2026 expat cost-of-living guide states Toul Tom Poung apartments cost $300-500/month; this figure is the midpoint of that stated range.
Published in USD
- Premium apartment
- KHR 7,675,478
Local listing
realestate.com.kh live listing: 'Luxury Apartment for rent in BKK1 area' serviced apartment, 97m2, 1 bedroom/2 bathroom with car space, listed at $1,900 per month.
Published in USD
- Private room in a shared home
- KHR 807,945
Estimated
No live listing for a private room in a shared house was found at the time of research. Estimated at roughly a third to half of a budget BKK1/TTP studio rent, based on the general pattern of share-house pricing discussed in expat forums (e.g. Cambodia Expats Online threads on BKK1/BKK3/TTP rental value).
Published in USD
Groceries
- Groceries for one (month)
- KHR 727,151
Estimated
Derived from Rumavi's combined monthly food-and-dining budget line of $200-400 (which bundles groceries and dining out) plus general knowledge of mid-range supermarket pricing in Phnom Penh; no single live grocery-basket source was retrieved at the time of research.
Published in USD
Sample prices
1L Milk
- 1L Milk
- KHR 8,079
Estimated
General estimate for imported/UHT milk at a Phnom Penh supermarket; not verified against a live current price list.
Published in USD
Loaf of White Bread
- Loaf Of White Bread
- KHR 6,060
Estimated
General estimate for a standard supermarket bread loaf; not verified against a live current price list.
Published in USD
1kg Local Rice
- 1kg Local Rice
- KHR 4,848
Estimated
General estimate for locally-grown jasmine rice; not verified against a live current price list.
Published in USD
Dozen Eggs
- Dozen Eggs
- KHR 10,099
Estimated
General estimate for a dozen supermarket eggs; not verified against a live current price list.
Published in USD
1.5L Bottled Water (Store)
- 1.5L Bottled Water (Store)
- KHR 2,424
Estimated
General estimate for store-bought bottled water, as distinct from restaurant pricing; not verified against a live current price list.
Published in USD
Eating out
- Cheap meal
- KHR 9,089
Estimated
Rumavi's 2026 guide states a local meal costs $2-4; this figure is the midpoint of that range. [Adjusted 2026-09-18: the source's 12119 KHR reduced by 25%; see "adjusted".]
Published in USD
- High-end meal
- KHR 113,112
Estimated
No specific high-end dining source was retrieved at the time of research; estimated relative to the mid-range tier based on general knowledge of upscale Western/fine-dining pricing in BKK1 and the Riverside area.
Published in USD
- Mid-range meal
- KHR 34,843
Estimated
Rumavi's 2026 guide states a restaurant dinner costs $8-15; this figure is the midpoint of that range. [Adjusted 2026-09-18: the source's 46457 KHR reduced by 25%; see "adjusted".]
Published in USD
Work, Transport & Essentials
Coworking
- Day pass
- KHR 28,278
Survey / cost-of-living site
xyzlab.com coworking roundup lists Workspace 1 rates as Day Pass USD 7, Hot Desk USD 60/month, Dedicated Desk USD 100/month, Private Office USD 350-600/month.
Published in USD
- Monthly hot desk
- KHR 242,384
Survey / cost-of-living site
xyzlab.com coworking roundup lists Workspace 1's Hot Desk plan at USD 60/month.
Published in USD
Transport
- About monthly passes
- No monthly or rechargeable pass exists for the Phnom Penh City Bus system — it is cash (or KHQR scan) only, per-ride, flat-fare; a 2026 rider guide confirms 'no options available for monthly passes, tourist passes, rechargeable passes, or online ticket packages.'
- Single ride
- KHR 1,500
Official figure
Tourism Cambodia (Ministry of Tourism information portal) states the city bus fare is KHR1,500 (USD0.37) per voyage irrespective of distance, with only riel accepted onboard.
Mobile & data
- Monthly plan
- KHR 32,318
Survey / cost-of-living site
MoveKH's 2026 digital nomad guide states 4G/5G via Smart or Cellcard is 'excellent and cheap ($8/month for 80GB) as a hotspot backup.'
Published in USD
Short Stays (per night)
- Seasonal pricing
- Yes
- Why
- Phnom Penh experiences a dramatic tourism swing driven by monsoon climate: the dry season (November–February) with minimal rainfall and pleasant temperatures attracts peak tourist flow and commands premium accommodation rates, while the rainy season (May–October) sees significantly fewer tourists and cheaper rates. Water Festival in November further amplifies high-season demand. The climate data explicitly notes 'Fewer tourists, cheaper accommodation' during monsoon months, and the documented 30%+ pricing differential between peak and off-peak periods is material enough to mislead a blended annual rate.
Low season
- Budget
- KHD 32,700
2-star hotel; momondo reports cheapest listings ~$8/night found; KAYAK/trivago confirm June–September as lowest months
- Luxury
- KHD 285,800
5-star hotel; momondo reports ~$70/night; KAYAK shows 5-star avg ~$79/night; Budget Your Trip off-peak luxury ~$78/night; low-season data less abundant but suggest 35–40% discount from peak
- Premium
- KHD 122,100
4-star hotel; momondo ~$33/night average; Trip.com May lowest at ~$80/night overall, premium tier adjusted downward
- Standard
- KHD 122,100
3-star hotel; momondo average ~$33/night; trivago June (peak low season) ~$31/night; KAYAK September ~$140 blended but mixed tier average
High season
- Budget
- KHD 81,750
2-star hotel average (e.g., Capitol 3 Guest House); KAYAK/momondo aggregates for peak months (Dec–Jan)
- Luxury
- KHD 344,500
5-star hotel; Budget Your Trip reports luxury high-season average ~$146/night; Trip.com shows 5-star ~$263 weekday average (June 2026 data, weekday pricing tends higher in booking systems)
- Premium
- KHD 204,250
4-star hotel; KAYAK reports average ~$52/night across all seasons, high-season uplift yields ~$50 typical (Jan peaks at $476 blended average but reflects outlier luxury properties)
- Standard
- KHD 204,250
3-star hotel average; momondo Dec data shows ~$67/night for typical double rooms, downward adjustment for seasonal median
Low-season months
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
High-season months
- November
- December
- January
- February
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this cost of living research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Phnom Penh
Data last updated September 2026 · Verify anything important.