Moving to South Carolina from Cambodia

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Cambodia to South Carolina — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Cambodia to South Carolina, you would find that South Carolina is 3.1 times more expensive than Cambodia overall. A KHR300,562,500 salary in Cambodia would need to be roughly $115,445 in South Carolina to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Columbia averages 66°F vs 90°F in Phnom Penh, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Cambodia to South Carolina.

What does your salary buy?

KHR300,562,500 $115,445

To maintain the same standard of living in South Carolina

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 3.5 times more

Groceries

pay 97.1% more

Transportation

pay 98.9% more

Housing

pay 3.9 times more

Childcare

pay 5.0 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 3.3 times more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 KHR = 0.0002 USD (July 2026)

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Cambodia to South Carolina, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
2,320 ↓ 28% vs 2022

people moved from Cambodia to United States · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to United States?

Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Cambodia and South Carolina stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate The World Factbook, 2022

share of adults with obesity

KH
3.9%
SC
35.4%

Cambodia performs better than South Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access The World Factbook, 2023

share of households with internet

KH
60.0%
SC
87.0%

South Carolina performs significantly better than Cambodia across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

KH
0.2%
SC
4.9%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

KH
$5,100
SC
$49,914

South Carolina generally does better on employment & economy, though Cambodia leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

KH
70.7 yrs
SC
74.8 yrs

South Carolina performs significantly better than Cambodia across all family life metrics.

Data: The World Factbook

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Phnom Penh Rain: 51.8 in/yr (1316 mm)
90° / 75°F

Avg. annual high / low

Columbia Rain: 46.3 in/yr (1175 mm)
66° / 46°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Phnom Penh Columbia
Jan–Mar 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) 47°/28°F (8°/-2°C)
Apr–Jun 94°/78°F (34°/25°C) 76°/55°F (24°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 90°/76°F (32°/25°C) 86°/65°F (30°/18°C)
Oct–Dec 87°/73°F (30°/23°C) 55°/36°F (13°/2°C)
View all months
Month Phnom Penh Columbia
Jan 88°/71°F (31.2°/21.5°C) 40°/22°F (4.3°/-5.3°C)
Feb 91°/72°F (32.7°/22.5°C) 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.3°C)
Mar 94°/76°F (34.5°/24.2°C) 56°/35°F (13.3°/1.7°C)
Apr 95°/78°F (34.9°/25.4°C) 67°/46°F (19.3°/7.6°C)
May 94°/78°F (34.3°/25.4°C) 75°/55°F (24.0°/12.9°C)
Jun 92°/78°F (33.1°/25.3°C) 85°/65°F (29.2°/18.1°C)
Jul 90°/76°F (32.4°/24.7°C) 90°/69°F (32.0°/20.4°C)
Aug 90°/77°F (32.2°/25.0°C) 88°/67°F (31.3°/19.6°C)
Sep 89°/75°F (31.7°/24.1°C) 80°/58°F (26.6°/14.5°C)
Oct 87°/75°F (30.8°/23.9°C) 68°/47°F (20.0°/8.1°C)
Nov 87°/73°F (30.4°/22.8°C) 55°/37°F (12.7°/2.6°C)
Dec 86°/71°F (30.2°/21.4°C) 42°/25°F (5.6°/-3.8°C)

Data: Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, National Weather Service National Weather Service

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Cambodia and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.

Cambodia passport

Cambodia passport holder visiting United States

Visa Required
Cambodia passport holders need a visa to enter United States.
United States passport

United States passport holder visiting Cambodia

Visa on Arrival
United States passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival in Cambodia.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in South Carolina than Cambodia?

Day-to-day costs in South Carolina run about 54% higher than Cambodia on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to South Carolina?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a KHR300,562,500 comparable salary, that's around $28,861 in South Carolina for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from South Carolina?

Working remotely from South Carolina's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Cambodia and South Carolina.

How is healthcare in South Carolina compared to Cambodia?

Cambodia performs better than South Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in South Carolina compared to Cambodia?

The average high temperature in Columbia is 66°F, compared to 90°F in Phnom Penh. Columbia receives around 46.3 in of rainfall per year, while Phnom Penh gets 51.8 in.

What language do they speak in South Carolina?

The official language in South Carolina is English. In Cambodia, the official language is Khmer.

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At a Glance

KH
Population 16,713,015 4,625,364
Currency Cambodian Riel (KHR) United States Dollar ($)
Languages Khmer English
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +855 +1
Time zones 1 11
Emergency number 117 911