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Kampot 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
๐ฐ๐ญ Kampot
๐ฐ๐ญ Phnom Penh
At a glance
- Where Phnom Penh is clearly cheaper: Transit (80%โ), Taxi (29%โ), Haircut (25%โ)
- Where Kampot is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (70%โ), Studio rent (month) (60%โ), Beer (38%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Kampot 3 vs Phnom Penh 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Kampot | Phnom Penh | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 3.5$3.5 | $ 3.5$3.5 | similar |
| Street food1 item | $ 1.5$1.5 | $ 2$2 | Kampot โ25% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 10$10 | $ 12$12 | Kampot โ17% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 2$2 | $ 2.8$2.8 | Kampot โ29% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 1.25$1.25 | $ 2$2 | Kampot โ38% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 3.5$3.5 | $ 5$5 | Kampot โ30% |
| Bottled water | $ 0.5$0.5 | $ 0.5$0.5 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 1$1 | $ 1$1 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 3.5$3.5 | $ 2.5$2.5 | Phnom Penh โ29% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 1.5$1.5 | $ 1.25$1.25 | Phnom Penh โ17% |
| Transitone ride | $ 2$2 | $ 0.4$0.4 | Phnom Penh โ80% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 6$6 | $ 8$8 | Kampot โ25% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 35$35 | $ 45$45 | Kampot โ22% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 200$200 | $ 500$500 | Kampot โ60% |
| Laundry | $ 1.2$1.2 | $ 1.25$1.25 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 5$5 | $ 6$6 | Kampot โ17% |
| Haircutcut | $ 4$4 | $ 3$3 | Phnom Penh โ25% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 8$8 | $ 10$10 | Kampot โ20% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 20$20 | $ 20$20 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 3$3 | $ 10$10 | Kampot โ70% |
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, Kampot or Phnom Penh?
Kampot is 28% cheaper than Phnom Penh. Daily budget $69.5 vs $80.9; a month $1,051 vs $1,689.
Which is easier to travel, Kampot or Phnom Penh?
About the same: Kampot 3.0/5, Phnom Penh 3.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Kampot and Phnom Penh?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Kampot is about $1,051 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.