Cost of Living inSiem Reap, Cambodia
Image credit: Mark Fischer
Purchasing Power vs. United States
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.
Income Category
Happiness
4.3 / 10
#117 globally
GDP per Capita
City Population
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; Siem Reap-specific enrollment notes are still being verified.
Quality
Limited public-school fit for expats
Expat access
Not practical for most expat families
hardInstruction
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.
β Homeschooling
Not regulatedCambodia 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
Childcare & Domestic Help
Current nanny and household-help pricing snapshot for Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Full-time nanny (5 days)
$300-$450
monthly Β· confidence 0.65
Live-in / 24-7 nanny
$525-$775
monthly Β· confidence 0.65
Source: curated family relocation research
Getting Around
The concrete mobility picture for Siem Reap: airport access, urban transit, and rideshare practicality.
Airport
International airport
Siem Reap Angkor gives the city direct domestic and regional international service, which is stronger than most secondary Cambodia markets.
Urban transit
Tuk-tuk, shuttle, and bus mix
Daily mobility is still mostly road-based, with tuk-tuks, hotel shuttles, and buses doing far more work than any structured urban transit backbone.
Rideshare
Grab and PassApp available
App-hailed tuk-tuks and cars are a practical fallback for temple-area trips, airport transfers, and gaps beyond the thin local bus network.
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.
Healthcare system
LimitedCoverage looks thinner, doctor staffing is lighter, and hospital capacity looks tighter weigh on this rating.
Public care
LimitedPublic coverage looks thinner, public funding looks lighter, and patients still shoulder a meaningful share of costs weigh on this rating.
Private care
LimitedThe 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
LimitedPrice transparency is still sparse weigh on this rating.
Pricing transparency
LimitedPublished self-pay prices are scarce weigh on this rating.
Facility coverage
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
System metrics: World Bank WDI Β· Updated 2026-06-01
Safety & Governance
Street Safety
Source: Numbeo where a city row is matched; otherwise World Bank WGI and country-level safety context.
Political Stability
World Bank WGI scale: -2.5 to +2.5.
Wages by Sector
| Sector | Median |
|---|---|
| Administrative & Support Services | β |
| Agriculture & Farming | β |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | β |
| Construction | β |
| Education | β |
| Finance & Insurance | β |
| Healthcare & Social Work | β |
| Hospitality & Food Service | β |
| Information & Technology | β |
| Manufacturing | β |
| Mining & Quarrying | β |
| Other Services | β |
| Professional & Scientific Services | β |
| Public Administration & Defence | β |
| Real Estate | β |
| Retail & Wholesale Trade | β |
| Transport & Logistics | β |
| Utilities | β |
2023 annual wages in Siem Reap, Cambodia Β· Source: ILO ILOSTAT (national)
Price Comparison vs. US
Visa Information (US passport)
Short-stay entry
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 Siem Reap compared with the US?
Your money goes about 2.7x further in Siem Reap 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 Siem Reap cheaper or more expensive overall than New York City?
Siem Reap is cheaper overall than New York City β overall living costs are about 65% cheaper than the global benchmark (New York City) for Siem Reap. 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 Siem Reap compare with New York City?
Rent in Siem Reap 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 Siem Reap?
Groceries in Siem Reap 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 Siem Reap
Siem Reap is a city in northwestern Cambodia and the gateway to the Angkor temple complex, set on the floodplain just north of the Tonle Sap lake. Its economy is overwhelmingly tourism-driven: hotels, guesthouses, restaurants and tour operators along the Pub Street and Old Market core, plus a sizeable handicraft and NGO sector tied to heritage and rural development. The 2020β2022 pandemic devastated visitor numbers and the local labor market, with recovery still uneven. A new international airport opened east of the city in 2023, replacing the older facility close to the temples. For relocators, Siem Reap has long hosted a small but established expatriate community drawn by very low costs and English-friendly services. Climate is tropical with a clear MayβOctober monsoon.
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