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Bintan vs Phnom Penh cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฎ๐ฉ Bintan
๐ฐ๐ญ Phnom Penh
At a glance
- Where Phnom Penh is clearly cheaper: Cocktail & wine (46%โ), Beer (35%โ), Massage (35%โ)
- Where Bintan is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (60%โ), Convenience store (51%โ), Laundry (41%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Bintan is easier to travel (2.6 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Bintan 3 vs Phnom Penh 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Bintan | Phnom Penh | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Rp 60,000$3.68 | $ 3.5$3.5 | similar |
| Street food1 item | Rp 25,000$1.53 | $ 2$2 | Bintan โ23% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Rp 250,000$15.3 | $ 12$12 | Phnom Penh โ22% |
| Coffeeone cup | Rp 40,000$2.45 | $ 2.8$2.8 | Bintan โ12% |
| Beerone bottle | Rp 50,000$3.07 | $ 2$2 | Phnom Penh โ35% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Rp 150,000$9.2 | $ 5$5 | Phnom Penh โ46% |
| Bottled water | Rp 5,000$0.31 | $ 0.5$0.5 | Bintan โ39% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Rp 8,000$0.49 | $ 1$1 | Bintan โ51% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Rp 50,000$3.07 | $ 2.5$2.5 | Phnom Penh โ19% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Rp 15,000$0.92 | $ 1.25$1.25 | Bintan โ26% |
| Transitone ride | Rp 7,000$0.43 | $ 0.4$0.4 | Phnom Penh โ7% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Rp 100,000$6.13 | $ 8$8 | Bintan โ23% |
| Hotel night3-star | Rp 700,000$42.9 | $ 45$45 | similar |
| Studio rent (month) | Rp 3,300,000$202 | $ 500$500 | Bintan โ60% |
| Laundry | Rp 12,000$0.74 | $ 1.25$1.25 | Bintan โ41% |
| SIM card1 week data | Rp 100,000$6.13 | $ 6$6 | similar |
| Haircutcut | Rp 35,000$2.15 | $ 3$3 | Bintan โ28% |
| Massage1 hour | Rp 250,000$15.3 | $ 10$10 | Phnom Penh โ35% |
| Half-day tourper person | Rp 350,000$21.5 | $ 20$20 | Phnom Penh โ7% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Rp 140,000$8.59 | $ 10$10 | Bintan โ14% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Bintan or Phnom Penh?
Bintan is 17% cheaper than Phnom Penh. Daily budget $84.5 vs $80.9; a month $1,158 vs $1,689.
Which is easier to travel, Bintan or Phnom Penh?
Bintan is easier: Bintan 2.6/5 vs Phnom Penh 3.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Bintan and Phnom Penh?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bintan is about $1,158 and Phnom Penh about $1,689 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.