Moving to Thailand from Cambodia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Cambodia to Thailand? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Cambodia to Thailand, you would find that Thailand is 34.5% more expensive than Cambodia overall. A KHR303,140,952 salary in Cambodia would need to be roughly THB2,358,402 in Thailand to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Thai. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Cambodia and Thailand.
What does your salary buy?
KHR303,140,952 → THB2,358,402
To maintain the same standard of living in Thailand
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 16.1% less
Groceries
pay 3.9% less
Transportation
pay 45.7% more
Housing
pay 4.1% more
Childcare
pay 89.5% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 72.5% more
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?
What the data shows about people moving from Cambodia to Thailand.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Thailand compared to Cambodia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Cambodia performs better than Thailand across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Cambodia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Thailand leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Cambodia generally does better on environment, though Thailand leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Thailand generally does better on infrastructure, though Cambodia leads in water stress level.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Cambodia generally does better on employment & economy, though Thailand leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Thailand performs significantly better than Cambodia across all family life metrics.
Data: General Department of Taxation, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Phnom Penh | Bangkok |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) | 91°/74°F (33°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 94°/78°F (34°/25°C) | 93°/78°F (34°/26°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/76°F (32°/25°C) | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 87°/73°F (30°/23°C) | 89°/73°F (32°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Phnom Penh | Bangkok |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 88°/71°F (31.2°/21.5°C) | 90°/70°F (32.0°/21.0°C) |
| Feb | 91°/72°F (32.7°/22.5°C) | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.3°C) |
| Mar | 94°/76°F (34.5°/24.2°C) | 93°/77°F (33.7°/24.9°C) |
| Apr | 95°/78°F (34.9°/25.4°C) | 95°/79°F (34.9°/26.1°C) |
| May | 94°/78°F (34.3°/25.4°C) | 93°/78°F (34.0°/25.6°C) |
| Jun | 92°/78°F (33.1°/25.3°C) | 92°/78°F (33.1°/25.4°C) |
| Jul | 90°/76°F (32.4°/24.7°C) | 91°/77°F (32.7°/25.0°C) |
| Aug | 90°/77°F (32.2°/25.0°C) | 90°/77°F (32.5°/24.9°C) |
| Sep | 89°/75°F (31.7°/24.1°C) | 90°/76°F (32.3°/24.6°C) |
| Oct | 87°/75°F (30.8°/23.9°C) | 90°/76°F (32.0°/24.3°C) |
| Nov | 87°/73°F (30.4°/22.8°C) | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.1°C) |
| Dec | 86°/71°F (30.2°/21.4°C) | 88°/69°F (31.3°/20.8°C) |
Data:
Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology,
Thai Meteorological Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Cambodia and Thailand. To live, work, or study long-term in Thailand, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Thailand's immigration authority.
Cambodia passport holder visiting Thailand
Visa Free
Thailand passport holder visiting Cambodia
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Thailand than Cambodia?
On average Thailand is about 6% less expensive than Cambodia, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Thailand?
Budget about THB589,600 for 3 months in Thailand (based on a KHR303,140,952 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Thailand?
Connectivity is usually fine (Thailand: 17.5 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Thailand offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Thailand safe for expats?
Cambodia performs better than Thailand across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Thailand is 4.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.8 in Cambodia.
How is healthcare in Thailand compared to Cambodia?
Cambodia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Thailand leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 9.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Thailand, compared to 2.1 in Cambodia. Thailand scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Cambodia: 58).
What's the weather like in Thailand compared to Cambodia?
The average high temperature in Bangkok is 91°F, compared to 90°F in Phnom Penh. Bangkok receives around 59.0 in of rainfall per year, while Phnom Penh gets 51.8 in.
What language do they speak in Thailand?
The official language in Thailand is Thai. In Cambodia, the official language is Khmer.
