Cambodia
Cambodia is a Southeast Asian nation located in the Indochina peninsula, bordered by Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. The country covers approximately 181,035 square kilometers and is home to nearly 17 million people, with the Khmer ethnic group comprisi...
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With a safety index of 50/100, Cambodia offers moderate safety conditions for expats and their families.
Cambodia requires most international travelers, including citizens of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, to obtain a tourist visa (Type-T) for entry, but convenient options like visa on arrival at international airports (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville) and major land borders or eVisa applications make this straightforward without advance embassy visits.[1][5][6] The tourist visa costs USD 30, is valid for 3 months from issuance, and permits a 30-day stay from entry, extendable once for another 30 days at...
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27% below EU avg
23% below EU avg
54% below EU avg
65% below EU avg
Baselines based on EU averages. Source: Numbeo indices.
Capital
Phnom Penh
Timezone
UTC+07:00
Area
181,035 km²
Population
16,718,971
Cambodia shows a purchasing power index of 25/100, indicating below average economic conditions for expats.
GDP
$29.96B
HDI
0.6
Quality of Life
31/100
-12 vs NYC
Purchasing Power
10/100
-32 vs NYC
Understanding the economic landscape is essential for evaluating living costs and opportunities in Cambodia. This comprehensive overview covers key financial indicators including cost of living, housing markets, income levels, and fiscal policies that shape daily life and long-term financial planning.
Cost of Living Index
Very affordable (CPI: 34.8). Groceries (41.8), restaurants (25.4), and rent (9.6) are low compared to NYC=100 baseline, ideal for expats.
Housing Market
Property prices average 37.1 years of household income, making ownership very expensive. Rentals remain affordable with regional variations in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
Average Income Levels
Low purchasing power index of 23.1 limits buying power for residents. Average incomes lag behind regional peers amid moderate GDP growth.
Tax System
Progressive income tax up to 20% for residents, 0-20% for non-residents; VAT at 10%; low property taxes with few regional variations. Simple structure benefits expats.
Business Environment
Moderate ease of doing business with ongoing reforms; growing FDI in tourism and manufacturing, but high bureaucracy and property downturn challenges noted in 2025 World Bank update.
Social Security
Limited coverage via National Social Security Fund for pensions and health insurance, mainly formal sector workers. Weak unemployment benefits and rural safety nets.
Cambodia features a predominantly tropical climate characterized by high temperatures year-round, high humidity, and distinct wet and dry seasons, making it appealing for expats seeking warm weather but challenging due to heat and monsoon rains. The country spans about 181,000 km² with limited climate diversity, primarily falling under Tropical savanna (Aw) and Tropical monsoon (Am) classifications per Köppen-Geiger, with coastal southwest areas wetter.
3 distinct climate regions — see full guide for details
Read full guideLife Expectancy
69.0
Population
16,718,971
Religions
Currently under research
Ethnic Composition
Research in Progress
We're currently analyzing expat perspectives for Cambodia. Check back soon for insights from real experiences!
We're gradually rolling out this feature and continuously improving the insights. The data is based on real expat discussions and will become more comprehensive over time.
Cambodia is a constitutional monarchy dominated by the Cambodian People's Party (CPP), which holds all seats in the National Assembly following the 2023 elections. Hun Manet succeeded his father Hun Sen as Prime Minister in August 2023, marking a generational transition within the ruling elite. The country faces criticism for lacking genuine political competition and multi-party democracy.
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Population
16,718,971
Currency
KHR
Timezone
UTC+07:00
Calling Code
+855
Week starts on
Monday
Gini Coefficient
N/A
Traffic side
right side
Data Source: Safety, crime, and quality metrics are sourced from Numbeo, a crowd-sourced global database of reported data.
All scores are relative comparisons on a 0-100 scale, where 50 = global average. Higher scores mean better than average, lower scores mean worse than average.