Northbridge International School
IBInternational
Fee not published
- IB Diploma average points: 32.5 points (2026) · source
Confirmed on its own website
Cost of Living inPhnom Penh, Cambodia
Phnom Penh, Cambodia1.6MCapitalLower middle incomeRemote-work friendly
Image credit: Mao Piseth
Purchasing Power vs. United States
Your money goes 2.99x further
Based on GDP per capita (PPP). Cambodia: $7,300/capita.
How Far Your Money Goes
Prices are 63% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Overall
2.7x further
Prices are 63% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Rent
7.6x further
Prices are 87% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Groceries
2.3x further
Prices are 56% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Restaurants
3.2x further
Prices are 69% lower than the global benchmark (New York City = 100).
Income Category
Lower Middle
World Bank GNI
GDP per Capita
$7,300
PPP, International $
City Population
1.6M
Monthly Costs
Rent
1BR City Center$622/mo
1BR Outside Center$350/mo
3BR City Center$1,206/mo
3BR Outside Center$767/mo
Food
Cheap Meal$5.00
Mid-Range (2 people)$40
Milk (1L)$2.12
Bread (500g)$1.75
Eggs (12)$1.79
Transport
Monthly Pass$9.60
Taxi per km$1.00
Gasoline (1L)$1.09
Utilities
Basic (85m² apt)$113/mo
Internet (60+ Mbps)$29/mo
Education
Preschool$633/mo
Intl Primary School$11,702/yr
Child Education
Public-school quality + expat access, alongside international and private school cost — the two paths a relocating family weighs.
Public schools
This describes Cambodia as a whole. Enrollment rules and school quality can vary within the country, so check with schools in Phnom Penh.
Quality
Limited public-school fit for expats
Expat access
Not practical for most expat families
hardInstruction
Khmer
Local-language fluency usually matters.
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 regulatedMinimal requirements
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 — check current regulations before committing.
Source: User-curated family relocation research (initial seed) (2026-04-14)
International & private schools
3 confirmed schools
- IB2
- British1
International School of Phnom Penh
IBInternational
Fee not published
Confirmed on its own website
British International School of Phnom Penh
BritishInternational
Fee not published
Confirmed on its own website
Schools' websites are found with Wikidata and OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), and each is checked on the school's own site.
How schools rank by exam results →Childcare & Domestic Help
Current nanny and household-help pricing snapshot for Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Full-time nanny (5 days)
$325-$475
monthly · confidence 0.65
Live-in / 24-7 nanny
$575-$825
monthly · confidence 0.65
Source: curated family relocation research
Getting Around
The concrete mobility picture for Phnom Penh: airport access, urban transit, and rideshare practicality.
Walkability score: 25/100 (limited). This is derived from the verified mobility profile and is used by the walkability gate.
Walkability
25/100
mobility profile minimal transit
Airport
International airport
Phnom Penh International gives Cambodia’s capital practical regional coverage and enough international service for routine family travel.
Urban transit
Tuk-tuk and bus mix
bus
City mobility is still informal and road-based, with buses present but tuk-tuks doing much of the practical everyday work.
Rideshare
Grab and PassApp available
App-hailed rides are a normal part of getting around Phnom Penh when the bus network is too thin or indirect.
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.
189 facilities tracked
Facilities updated 7 months ago
Healthcare system
LimitedCoverage looks thinner, doctor staffing is lighter, and hospital capacity looks tighter weigh on this rating.
Public care
LimitedA visible public hospital footprint help, but public coverage looks thinner and public funding looks lighter.
Private care
GoodA meaningful tracked hospital and clinic network and a clearly private facility base help, but self-pay pricing transparency is still sparse.
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
MixedA visible private hospital base and multiple facilities have websites help, but price transparency is still sparse.
Pricing transparency
LimitedMultiple facilities have crawlable websites help, but published self-pay prices are scarce.
Facility coverage
Hospital: 62Clinic: 47Pharmacy: 46Dentist: 26Doctor: 6Laboratory: 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
Praram 9 Hospital Cambodia Office
Hospital · Emergency
Leng Chhay Clinic
Hospital · Emergency
GANO EXCEL CLINIC
Hospital · Emergency
generaltraditional_chinese_medicine
Institut Pasteur du Cambodge
Hospital · Emergency
Sunrise Japan Hospital Phnom Penh
Hospital · Emergency
Raffles Medical
Hospital · Emergency
System metrics: World Bank WDI · Updated 2026-11-01
Safety & Governance
Street Safety
Safety Index51/100
Crime Index50/100
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
| Sector | Median |
|---|---|
| Administrative & Support Services | — |
| Agriculture & Farming | — |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | — |
| Construction | — |
| Education | — |
| Finance & Insurance | — |
| Healthcare & Social Work | — |
| Hospitality & Food Service | — |
| Information & Technology | — |
| Manufacturing | — |
| Mining & Quarrying | — |
| Other Services | — |
| Professional & Scientific Services | — |
| Public Administration & Defence | — |
| Real Estate | — |
| Retail & Wholesale Trade | — |
| Transport & Logistics | — |
| Utilities | — |
2023 annual wages in Phnom Penh, Cambodia · Source: ILO ILOSTAT (national)
Price Comparison vs. US
bread 500g
$1.75Estimated48% cheaper
budget hotel
$116.81Survey-verified222% more
childcare preschool
$632.50Estimated59% cheaper
eggs dozen
$1.79Estimated63% cheaper
gasoline liter
$18.57Survey-verified1703% more
inexpensive meal
$6.57Survey-verified69% cheaper
internet 60mbps
$29.13Estimated57% cheaper
luxury hotel
$116.81Survey-verified76% cheaper
milk liter
$2.12Estimated74% more
monthly pass
$18.57Survey-verified73% cheaper
rent 1br
$444.49Survey-verified75% 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 — no invented facts, no extra data sources.
How far does your money go in Phnom Penh compared with the US?
Your money goes about 3.0x further in Phnom Penh than in the US, based on the current PPP estimate.
Is Phnom Penh cheaper or more expensive overall than New York City?
Phnom Penh is cheaper overall than New York City — overall living costs are about 63% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City) for Phnom Penh.
How does rent in Phnom Penh compare with New York City?
Rent in Phnom Penh is about 87% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City).
How expensive are groceries and restaurants in Phnom Penh?
Groceries in Phnom Penh are about 56% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City), and restaurant prices are about 69% cheaper than the same benchmark.
About Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is Cambodia's capital and economic core, a Mekong-and-Tonle Sap riverfront city of about 1.57 million that handles most of the country's banking, government, and import-export activity. For relocators it sits at the affordable end of Southeast Asia: rents in expat-friendly districts like BKK1 and Toul Tom Poung remain a fraction of Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh City, and the country offers comparatively flexible long-stay business and retirement visas. The tradeoff is hot, humid weather year-round with a punishing May-October rainy season, dollarized pricing that erodes some PPP advantage, and infrastructure (power, traffic, air quality) that lags the regional leaders. English works in expat enclaves; Khmer helps everywhere else.
Tropical climate: Hot and humid year-round (25-35°C), monsoonal rains May-OctoberReliable internet available in central areas and coworking spaces, though consistency variesGrowing expat and digital nomad community with established coworking hubs and international schoolsModerately walkable downtown area, though tuk-tuks and motorbikes are primary transportExceptional street food scene with cheap local eats and upscale restaurant optionsVibrant nightlife with riverside bars, clubs, and late-night venuesMultiple coworking spaces with meeting rooms and fast fiber connectionsGenerally safe for expats in populated areas, petty theft a concern in crowded zones
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