2026 planning guide•Reviewed September 2026

Cost of Living in Phnom Penh (2026): A Realistic Nomad Budget

A solo digital nomad can plan around $1,000–$1,400 per month for a balanced life in Phnom Penh. A simpler local routine can cost $650–$850, while a modern central apartment, imported groceries and frequent international dining can take the budget beyond $1,800.

Choose your lifestyle

Three realistic monthly budgets

Estimates are for one person and cover normal monthly living. Flights, deposits, visa costs, international insurance and major healthcare are excluded.

Lean

$650–$850

Mostly quoted in USD / month

Simple apartment, local food, careful air-conditioning use, tuk-tuks and occasional coworking.

Recommended

Balanced

$1,000–$1,400

Mostly quoted in USD / month

Comfortable furnished apartment, mixed dining, reliable connectivity, coworking and regular social activities.

Comfortable

$1,800–$2,500

Mostly quoted in USD / month

Modern central condo, imported groceries, frequent international dining, private transport and a generous leisure budget.

Balanced budget

Where the money goes

These ranges show the main spending decisions rather than a false single average. Your apartment and food habits will create most of the variation.

Category	USD/month	Local reference	What it covers
Furnished rent	$350–$650	USD pricing is common	A studio or one-bedroom suitable for one person; premium BKK1 condos and larger units can be considerably higher.
Food and groceries	$250–$400	USD and KHR	Local meals plus groceries and several international restaurant visits.
Transport	$50–$100	USD and KHR	Regular tuk-tuks and occasional longer rides; Phnom Penh has no metro system.
Utilities	$45–$90	Usually billed monthly	Electricity is the main variable because of air-conditioning. Confirm the landlord rate, water charges and any building fee before signing.
Home internet	$18–$30	USD pricing is common	A fixed fibre or home Wi-Fi connection. Installation, coverage, minimum term and router conditions are separate from the mobile SIM.
Mobile SIM and data	$6–$15	USD pricing is common	A local Smart, Cellcard or Metfone plan for calls, maps and backup tethering; traveller SIMs can cost more.
Coworking	$40–$130	USD pricing is common	From a part-time hot desk to a fixed desk; working from home or cafés can reduce this.
Health and fitness	$40–$100	USD and KHR	Gym and routine local spending; international insurance and major care are excluded.
Leisure and miscellaneous	$100–$250	USD and KHR	Social activities, household purchases, cafés and a practical contingency buffer.

Connectivity explained

A mobile SIM and home internet are two different budgets

The SIM keeps your phone connected and provides emergency tethering. Fixed internet serves the apartment and usually involves separate availability, installation, router and contract questions. A remote worker should evaluate both.

Phone connection

Mobile SIM, 4G/5G and backup data

$6–$15/month

Smart, Cellcard and Metfone sell local prepaid service. Current Smart and Cellcard 30-day offers show why a normal local plan is usually much cheaper than repeatedly buying short traveller packages.

Local 30-day plan

From about $6

Smart and Cellcard currently publish 30-day 4G/5G packages at this entry point. Data volumes and bonuses change, so verify them on the operator site or app.

High-data local plan

About $10–$15

Useful for frequent tethering. Compare coverage in your building rather than choosing only by the advertised data allowance.

Traveller SIM

Up to about $20/30 days

Simpler on arrival, but published traveller pricing can be materially higher than normal local prepaid service.

Check before paying

Use a passport and an official shop or authorised seller for registration.
Test the signal inside the apartment, especially away from windows and on higher floors.
Check whether unused data rolls over and whether the package renews automatically.
Keep a second network or eSIM option if uninterrupted calls are essential.

Apartment connection

Fixed fibre and apartment Wi-Fi

$18–$30/month

Home internet is a separate decision from mobile service. Cellcard advertises home Wi-Fi packages around $18 and $29, while Smart offers fibre and 5G home products; the best option depends on wiring and coverage at the exact address.

Internet included by landlord

$0–$15

Convenient, but it may be a shared line with limited router access. Test stability and upload speed before relying on it for work.

Entry home Wi-Fi or fibre

Around $18

A useful published baseline. Confirm installation, router, deposit, contract and whether the advertised service reaches the building.

Higher home package

Around $29–$30

Worth considering for multiple users or daily video calls, but real performance still depends on building wiring and Wi-Fi placement.

Check before paying

Ask which fibre providers already serve the building and how long installation usually takes.
Run both download and upload tests during busy evening hours.
Check power-backup arrangements: fibre and a router still stop when the apartment loses electricity.
Confirm cancellation, equipment return and any minimum term before paying installation costs.

Neighbourhoods

Where you live changes the total

Toul Tom Poung

Best balance

Popular with remote workers for cafés, restaurants, markets and generally better value than prime BKK1.

BKK1

Premium convenience

Walkable international services, modern condos and restaurants, but among the city’s highest central asking rents.

Daun Penh

Central and mixed

Riverside access, older apartments and active nightlife. Inspect noise, flooding exposure and building condition carefully.

Toul Kork

More space

A calmer option with larger homes and growing amenities, better suited to people comfortable using tuk-tuks regularly.

Remote work costs

Budget for reliable work

Part-time coworking

From $40/month

Impact Hub Phnom Penh publishes a part-time hot-desk plan at this price.

Full-time hot desk

From $70/month

Impact Hub’s published full-time plan provides a useful current benchmark.

Fixed desk

From $130/month

Published fixed-desk baseline including a locker and meeting-room allowance.

Backup work budget

$20–$60/month

Allow for mobile data, cafés or alternative workspace during power, noise or connectivity problems.

Before month one

One-off arrival and apartment setup costs

A monthly budget does not show how much cash is needed to get established. These planning ranges are separate from flights, visa fees, insurance and major purchases.

Initial cost	USD estimate	Local reference	Planning note
Deposit and advance rent	$700–$1,300	USD pricing is common	A planning range based on one month of deposit plus advance rent for the balanced apartment range; individual leases vary.
Temporary accommodation	$150–$350	USD or KHR	Allow roughly one week to inspect apartments, streets, noise and connectivity before signing.
Household setup	$60–$180	USD and KHR	Bedding, kitchen basics, water, cleaning supplies and items not included in a furnished unit.
Connectivity setup	$20–$60	USD pricing is common	Local SIM, first package, possible home-internet installation and enough backup data for the first weeks.

Beyond the spreadsheet

What changes the real cost of living

Housing quality, legal status, healthcare, payment habits and seasonal conditions can matter more than a small difference in restaurant prices.

Inspect the apartment and every bill

Low advertised rent can hide weak maintenance or marked-up utilities.

Record the electricity meter, landlord rate, water charge and building fee before paying a deposit.
Test water pressure, air-conditioning, locks, lift, generator arrangements and signs of leaks.
Visit after dark to evaluate street access, dogs, nightlife, construction and traffic noise.
Clarify deposit deductions, notice period, guest policy and who pays for repairs in writing.

Transport and street-level reality

There is no metro, so location affects both time and tuk-tuk spending.

Price a normal week of PassApp or Grab rides between home, work, groceries and social areas.
Choose walkability carefully: heat, rain, crossings and pavement quality change what looks close on a map.
Use in-app fares where possible and confirm the destination before departure.
Include airport trips and occasional longer cross-city rides outside the everyday transport baseline.

Healthcare and insurance

Routine local spending is not a substitute for protection against major care.

Identify a nearby clinic and an international-standard hospital before you need one.
Keep international health or travel insurance outside the monthly lifestyle budget.
Review whether a policy covers motorbike incidents, evacuation and treatment outside Cambodia.
Budget separately for prescriptions, dental care, vaccinations and ongoing conditions.

Visa, stay and work documents

The correct route depends on nationality and what you will do in Cambodia.

Check Cambodia's official e-Visa and immigration information before travel.
A tourist entry is not a general work authorisation; longer stays and local work can require different documents.
Keep extensions, agents, work permits, photographs and document fees outside the lifestyle total.
Verify official requirements again before every renewal because procedures can change.

USD, riel, cards and QR payments

Phnom Penh operates with both US dollars and Cambodian riel.

Write the rent currency and exchange method into the lease, especially if a bill can be settled in either currency.
Expect riel for smaller purchases and change; avoid relying on damaged US notes.
Cards are useful at larger businesses, but cash or local QR payment remains important for daily life.
Track ATM, exchange and foreign-card fees as a separate budget line.

Rain, heat and power resilience

Season and building quality influence comfort and work reliability.

Ask about street flooding and building access during heavy rain, not only whether the apartment itself floods.
Air-conditioning use can move the electricity bill far above the low-season estimate.
Keep mobile data, a charged power bank and an alternative workspace for outages.
Protect electronics from unstable power with appropriate surge protection where needed.

Spend better

Keep the budget realistic

Confirm whether electricity is charged at the utility rate or a landlord rate before paying a deposit.
Compare an older serviced apartment with a new condo; amenities can add far more to rent than location alone.
Use local restaurants for everyday meals and treat imported groceries as a separate premium category.
Test mobile coverage and fixed internet in the exact apartment, not only in the building lobby.
Keep visa, insurance, flights, deposits and major healthcare outside this monthly lifestyle estimate.

Frequently asked questions

Planning your Phnom Penh budget

How much does a digital nomad need per month in Phnom Penh?

A balanced solo budget is approximately $1,000–$1,400 per month in 2026. Lean living can fall near $650–$850, while modern central accommodation and imported goods can push spending above $1,800.

Is Phnom Penh cheaper than Bangkok?

It can be cheaper for rent, coworking and some local services. Imported groceries, electricity and international-standard healthcare can narrow the difference, so the result depends on lifestyle.

Are rents paid in dollars or riel?

Many landlords quote and accept rent in US dollars, while Cambodian riel is common for smaller daily transactions. Confirm the currency and exchange method in the lease.

Is a SIM included with home internet in Phnom Penh?

Usually these are separate services. A local SIM provides mobile data and backup tethering, while fixed fibre or home Wi-Fi serves the apartment and can require installation, a router and a minimum term. Some bundles exist, but they should not be assumed.

How much should I reserve to move into a Phnom Penh apartment?

A practical reserve is around $930–$1,890 for deposit, advance rent, a short temporary stay, basic household setup and connectivity. Lease terms vary, and flights, visa, insurance and major purchases are extra.

Are visa and health insurance included?

No. Visa, international insurance, flights, deposits and major medical expenses vary by person and should be planned separately.

Method and sources

Checked, dated and designed for planning

Ranges combine official or first-party prices, current market observations and crowd-sourced cross-checks. They are planning estimates, not quotes. Prices vary by season, contract, exchange rate and personal lifestyle. Last reviewed September 2026.

Cambodia National Institute of Statistics CPIOfficial Phnom Penh consumer-price reporting.Smart mobile plansOfficial current prepaid and traveller-package overview.Cellcard mobile plansOfficial local prepaid, data and traveller-SIM prices.Cellcard Home WiFiOfficial residential internet packages and current conditions.Smart home internetOfficial fibre, fixed-wireless and home-internet options.Cambodia official e-VisaOfficial visa information and application portal; verify eligibility and entry conditions.Impact Hub Phnom Penh coworking pricesPublished current membership prices and inclusions.Phnom Penh Rental market dataCurrent asking-rent observations by district; property sizes and standards vary.Numbeo Phnom PenhCrowd-sourced price cross-check; individual observations vary.

Put the budget in context

Compare Internet, safety, neighbourhoods, coworking and local context before choosing Phnom Penh as your next base.

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