Battambang

Cost of Living inBattambang, Cambodia

Battambang, Cambodia119KLower middle incomeRemote-work friendly

Image credit: Maharaja1994

Purchasing Power vs. United States

Your money goes 3.37x further

Based on GDP per capita (PPP). Cambodia: $7,009/capita.

How Far Your Money Goes

Prices are 65% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).

Using the country-level NYC comparison for now. We do not have a defensible city-level aggregate cost index for this city yet.

Overall
2.9x further
Prices are 65% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Rent
10x further
Prices are 90% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Groceries
2.4x further
Prices are 58% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Restaurants
3.9x further
Prices are 75% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).

Income Category

Lower Middle
World Bank GNI

Happiness

4.3 / 10

#117 globally

GDP per Capita

$7,009
PPP, International $

City Population

119K

Child Education

Public-school quality + expat access, alongside international and private school cost β€” the two paths a relocating family weighs.

Public schools

Public-schooling rules are set nationally for Cambodia; Battambang-specific enrollment notes are still being verified.

Limited public-school fit for expats

Quality

Limited public-school fit for expats

Expat access

Not practical for most expat families

hard

Instruction

Khmer

Language fit is more manageable.

PISA / outcomes

Qualitative only

Using curated quality notes for now.

Why this quality rating

Cambodia's public school system faces significant resource and quality constraints. Instruction is in Khmer. International and private schools in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap serve most expat and worldschooling families.

Why the expat-access rating looks like this

Resident families can technically enroll in public schools, but language and quality barriers make it impractical for most international families. Private and international schools are the realistic choice.

❓ Homeschooling

Not regulated

Cambodia has no specific homeschooling legislation. Education is compulsory in theory but enforcement is limited. Many expat families in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap homeschool without issue.

Homeschool legality in Cambodia β€” check current regulations before committing.

Source: User-curated family relocation research (initial seed) (2026-04-14)

International & private schools

Median tuition
3 schools listed
$4,200/yr
American1French1British1

Childcare & Domestic Help

Current nanny and household-help pricing snapshot for Battambang, Cambodia.

Full-time nanny (5 days)

$240-$360

monthly Β· confidence 0.65

Live-in / 24-7 nanny

$425-$625

monthly Β· confidence 0.65

Source: curated family relocation research

Getting Around

The concrete mobility picture for Battambang: airport access, urban transit, and rideshare practicality.

Airport

No practical commercial airport

Families typically connect through Siem Reap or Phnom Penh, with road and occasional rail links filling the gap for longer trips.

Urban transit

Tuk-tuk and road-based local mobility

bus

Battambang is small enough for short tuk-tuk hops, but practical daily movement still depends on road travel and intercity buses rather than structured urban transit.

Rideshare

Tuk-tuk first, thinner app coverage

Ride-hailing is less dependable than in Phnom Penh or Siem Reap, so families should expect tuk-tuks and arranged drivers to do more of the work.

Source: User-curated family relocation research (initial seed) (2026-04-14)

Healthcare

System strength, outcome signals, facility coverage, and self-pay visibility in Cambodia.

Method: country metrics come from public system indicators, facility coverage reflects mapped providers we can inventory, direct pricing only reflects observed self-pay pages, and relative care cost can fall back to broad cost-of-living healthcare indices. Sparse pricing does not imply sparse healthcare availability.

31 facilities tracked
Facilities updated 2 months ago

Healthcare system

Limited

Coverage looks thinner, doctor staffing is lighter, and hospital capacity looks tighter weigh on this rating.

Public care

Limited

Public coverage looks thinner, public funding looks lighter, and patients still shoulder a meaningful share of costs weigh on this rating.

Private care

Limited

The tracked private-style network still looks thin and self-pay pricing transparency is still sparse weigh on this rating.

UHC coverage

62/100

2023

Physicians

0.21/1k

2019

Hospital beds

0.73/1k

2018

Out of pocket

61%

2023

Outcome signals

Life expectancy

70.8 yrs

2024

Maternal mortality

137/100k

2023

Neonatal mortality

9.5/1k

2024

International patient readiness

Limited

Price transparency is still sparse weigh on this rating.

Pricing transparency

Limited

Published self-pay prices are scarce weigh on this rating.

Facility coverage

Clinic: 10Pharmacy: 8Dentist: 6Hospital: 5Doctor: 2

Self-pay pricing visibility

No verified self-pay prices are published for the tracked facilities in Cambodia yet.

This usually reflects low online price transparency rather than a lack of healthcare providers.

Notable facilities

Sovann Polyclinic
Hospital Β· Emergency
Website
Handa medical center
Hospital Β· Emergency
Battambang Laboratory
Hospital Β· Emergency
αž˜αžŽαŸ’αžŒαž›αžŸαž»αžαž—αžΆαž– αžœαžαŸ’αžαž‚αžš
Hospital Β· Emergency
Battambang Provincial Hospital
Hospital Β· Emergency
Battambang Pediatric Clinic
Clinic

System metrics: World Bank WDI Β· Updated 2026-06-01

Safety & Governance

City-level perceived-crime data is not sourced for Battambang yet. Showing Cambodia national safety and governance signals until a matched city row lands.

Street Safety

Safety Index42/100
Crime Index58/100

Source: Numbeo where a city row is matched; otherwise World Bank WGI and country-level safety context.

Political Stability

Political Stability+0.11

World Bank WGI scale: -2.5 to +2.5.

Wages by Sector

SectorMedian
Administrative & Support Servicesβ€”
Agriculture & Farmingβ€”
Arts, Entertainment & Recreationβ€”
Constructionβ€”
Educationβ€”
Finance & Insuranceβ€”
Healthcare & Social Workβ€”
Hospitality & Food Serviceβ€”
Information & Technologyβ€”
Manufacturingβ€”
Mining & Quarryingβ€”
Other Servicesβ€”
Professional & Scientific Servicesβ€”
Public Administration & Defenceβ€”
Real Estateβ€”
Retail & Wholesale Tradeβ€”
Transport & Logisticsβ€”
Utilitiesβ€”

2023 annual wages in Battambang, Cambodia Β· Source: ILO ILOSTAT (national)

Price Comparison vs. US

bread 500g
$1.75Estimated48% cheaper
budget hotel
$6.00Estimated83% cheaper
childcare preschool
$632.50Estimated59% cheaper
eggs dozen
$1.79Estimated63% cheaper
gasoline liter
$1.09Estimated6% more
inexpensive meal
$5.00Estimated76% cheaper
internet 60mbps
$29.13Estimated57% cheaper
International School (Annual)
$4200.00Estimated86% cheaper
luxury hotel
$100.00Estimated79% cheaper
milk liter
$2.12Estimated74% more
monthly pass
$9.60Estimated86% cheaper
rent 1br
$622.19Estimated66% cheaper
rent 3br
$1206.18Estimated62% cheaper
taxi km
$1.00Estimated47% cheaper
utilities basic
$113.27Estimated47% cheaper

Visa Information (US passport)

Short-stay entry

visa on arrival

US passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival.

Quick comparison FAQ

Structured from the deltas already shown on this page β€” no invented facts, no extra data sources.

How far does your money go in Battambang compared with the US?

Your money goes about 3.4x further in Battambang than in the US, based on the current PPP estimate. We are using the country-level cost index for Cambodia here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.

Is Battambang cheaper or more expensive overall than New York City?

Battambang is cheaper overall than New York City β€” overall living costs are about 65% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City) for Battambang. We are using the country-level cost index for Cambodia here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.

How does rent in Battambang compare with New York City?

Rent in Battambang is about 90% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City). We are using the country-level cost index for Cambodia here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.

How expensive are groceries and restaurants in Battambang?

Groceries in Battambang are about 58% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City), and restaurant prices are about 75% cheaper than the same benchmark. We are using the country-level cost index for Cambodia here because a defensible city-level aggregate index is not available yet.

About Battambang

Battambang is Cambodia's second-largest city by some counts, with a population around 120,000, located on the Sangkae River in northwestern Cambodia about 290 kilometers from Phnom Penh and 170 kilometers from the Thai border at Poipet. The town is the rice basket of Cambodia and retains a notable concentration of French colonial shophouse architecture along the riverfront. The local circus school Phare Ponleu Selpak and a small but established art scene have drawn long-stay foreigners, alongside NGO workers tied to landmine clearance and rural development. Khmer is universal; English is common in tourism, French rarer. Climate is tropical with a wet season from May through October. The new Battambang airport is set to expand domestic and Bangkok connections.

Tropical monsoon climate with hot, humid summers and cooler dry season (Nov-Feb)Internet speeds variable (3-15 Mbps typical), wifi connectivity scattered but improvingSmall but welcoming expat/nomad community centered around coffee shops and coworkingCompact walkable city center with increasing street-level shops and restaurantsAuthentic Khmer cuisine with few Western options; excellent street food and marketsLimited nightlife compared to Siem Reap; quiet evening scene after 10pmEmerging coworking spaces and cafes with work-friendly setupsGenerally safe for foreigners with low crime rates; common-sense precautions sufficient