Is Cambodia cheap to live in?

Yes, among the cheapest in Southeast Asia. CostLiving’s moderate benchmark for Cambodia is $1,150 a month for a single person, with the budget tier at $690 and comfortable at $1,785. Phnom Penh runs above the national figure at $1,500 a month moderate, and the pattern inverts in Siem Reap and the provinces, where the national benchmark stretches further. Housing is the standout: $410 a month at the moderate tier covers a modern one-bed in the capital’s expat districts, and the dollar-based economy means no exchange-rate arithmetic, since US dollars circulate alongside riel for anything bigger than a market stall. Set against neighbours, Cambodia undercuts Thailand’s moderate benchmark of $1,175 only slightly on paper, but visas are where it really competes: long-stay options remain simpler and cheaper than almost anywhere in the region, which matters more to annual costs than grocery prices do. The trade-offs are infrastructure and healthcare, where serious treatment means Bangkok. Full tiers on our Cambodia cost of living page, and see how it ranks in our cheapest places to live guide.