Moving to Cambodia from Costa Rica
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Costa Rica to Cambodia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Costa Rica to Cambodia, you would find that Cambodia is 43.2% cheaper than Costa Rica overall. A CRC34,152,674 salary in Costa Rica would need to be roughly KHR228,134,952 in Cambodia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Khmer. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Phnom Penh averages 90°F vs 77°F in San Jose, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Costa Rica to Cambodia.
What does your salary buy?
CRC34,152,674 → KHR228,134,952
To maintain the same standard of living in Cambodia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 54.4% less
Groceries
pay 20.5% less
Transportation
pay 27.7% less
Housing
pay 43.4% less
Childcare
pay 51.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 53.1% less
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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Key Indicator Comparison
How Costa Rica and Cambodia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Costa Rica generally does better on safety, though Cambodia leads in homicide rate.
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 Costa Rica 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
Costa Rica generally does better on environment, though Cambodia leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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
Costa Rica 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
Costa Rica generally does better on employment & economy, though Cambodia leads in unemployment rate.
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
Costa Rica performs better than Cambodia across all family life metrics.
Data: Directorate General of Taxation of Costa Rica, 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 | San Jose | Phnom Penh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/60°F (24°/16°C) | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/62°F (26°/17°C) | 94°/78°F (34°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 77°/62°F (25°/16°C) | 90°/76°F (32°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 76°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 87°/73°F (30°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | San Jose | Phnom Penh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.4°C) | 88°/71°F (31.2°/21.5°C) |
| Feb | 75°/60°F (23.9°/15.3°C) | 91°/72°F (32.7°/22.5°C) |
| Mar | 77°/60°F (25.1°/15.8°C) | 94°/76°F (34.5°/24.2°C) |
| Apr | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.4°C) | 95°/78°F (34.9°/25.4°C) |
| May | 79°/63°F (26.1°/17.0°C) | 94°/78°F (34.3°/25.4°C) |
| Jun | 78°/62°F (25.7°/16.9°C) | 92°/78°F (33.1°/25.3°C) |
| Jul | 77°/61°F (24.9°/16.3°C) | 90°/76°F (32.4°/24.7°C) |
| Aug | 77°/62°F (25.2°/16.7°C) | 90°/77°F (32.2°/25.0°C) |
| Sep | 78°/62°F (25.8°/16.5°C) | 89°/75°F (31.7°/24.1°C) |
| Oct | 78°/62°F (25.4°/16.4°C) | 87°/75°F (30.8°/23.9°C) |
| Nov | 76°/61°F (24.2°/16.3°C) | 87°/73°F (30.4°/22.8°C) |
| Dec | 74°/60°F (23.4°/15.8°C) | 86°/71°F (30.2°/21.4°C) |
Data:
Instituto Meteorológico Nacional,
Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Costa Rica and Cambodia. To live, work, or study long-term in Cambodia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Cambodia's immigration authority.
Costa Rica passport holder visiting Cambodia
Visa on Arrival
Cambodia passport holder visiting Costa Rica
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Cambodia than Costa Rica?
Generally yes: Cambodia runs about 24% cheaper than Costa Rica on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Cambodia?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CRC34,152,674 comparable salary, that's around KHR57,033,738 in Cambodia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Cambodia?
With 3.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Cambodia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Costa Rica and Cambodia.
Is Cambodia safe for expats?
Costa Rica generally does better on safety, though Cambodia leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Cambodia is 1.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 17.4 in Costa Rica.
How is healthcare in Cambodia compared to Costa Rica?
Cambodia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Costa Rica leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Cambodia, compared to 26.4 in Costa Rica. Cambodia scores 58 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Costa Rica: 81).
What's the weather like in Cambodia compared to Costa Rica?
The average high temperature in Phnom Penh is 90°F, compared to 77°F in San Jose. Phnom Penh receives around 51.8 in of rainfall per year, while San Jose gets 73.5 in.
What language do they speak in Cambodia?
The official language in Cambodia is Khmer. In Costa Rica, the official language is Spanish.
