Moving to Cambodia from Iceland
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Iceland to Cambodia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Iceland to Cambodia, you would find that Cambodia is 62.9% cheaper than Iceland overall. A ISK9,423,000 salary in Iceland would need to be roughly KHR113,259,965 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 45°F in Reykjavik, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Iceland to Cambodia.
What does your salary buy?
ISK9,423,000 → KHR113,259,965
To maintain the same standard of living in Cambodia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 77.0% less
Groceries
pay 41.4% less
Transportation
pay 51.9% less
Housing
pay 63.7% less
Childcare
pay 59.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 74.4% 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 Iceland 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
Iceland performs better than Cambodia 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 Iceland 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
Iceland 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
Iceland performs better than Cambodia across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Iceland 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
Iceland performs better than Cambodia across all family life metrics.
Data: Directorate of Internal Revenue, 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 | Reykjavik | Phnom Penh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 94°/78°F (34°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 90°/76°F (32°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 87°/73°F (30°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Phnom Penh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 88°/71°F (31.2°/21.5°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 91°/72°F (32.7°/22.5°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 94°/76°F (34.5°/24.2°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 95°/78°F (34.9°/25.4°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 94°/78°F (34.3°/25.4°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 92°/78°F (33.1°/25.3°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 90°/76°F (32.4°/24.7°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 90°/77°F (32.2°/25.0°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 89°/75°F (31.7°/24.1°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 87°/75°F (30.8°/23.9°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 87°/73°F (30.4°/22.8°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 86°/71°F (30.2°/21.4°C) |
Data:
Icelandic Meteorological Office,
Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iceland 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.
Iceland passport holder visiting Cambodia
Visa on Arrival
Cambodia passport holder visiting Iceland
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 Iceland?
Generally yes: Cambodia runs about 62% cheaper than Iceland 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 ISK9,423,000 comparable salary, that's around KHR28,314,991 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 Iceland and Cambodia.
Is Cambodia safe for expats?
Iceland performs better than Cambodia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Cambodia is 1.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Iceland.
How is healthcare in Cambodia compared to Iceland?
Cambodia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Iceland leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Cambodia, compared to 45.2 in Iceland. Cambodia scores 58 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iceland: 89).
What's the weather like in Cambodia compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Phnom Penh is 90°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Phnom Penh receives around 51.8 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Cambodia?
The official language in Cambodia is Khmer. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
