Moving to Cambodia from Malaysia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Malaysia to Cambodia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Malaysia to Cambodia, you would find that Cambodia is 5.3% more expensive than Malaysia overall. A MYR305,250 salary in Malaysia would need to be roughly KHR331,997,330 in Cambodia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Khmer. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Malaysia and Cambodia.
What does your salary buy?
MYR305,250 → KHR331,997,330
To maintain the same standard of living in Cambodia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 30.3% more
Groceries
pay 9.3% more
Transportation
pay 43.2% more
Housing
pay 13.3% more
Childcare
pay 4.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 33.9% 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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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Malaysia to Cambodia.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Cambodia compared to Malaysia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Malaysia 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 Malaysia 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 performs significantly better than Malaysia across all environment metrics.
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
Malaysia 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
Malaysia 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
Malaysia performs better than Cambodia across all family life metrics.
Data: Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia, 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 | Kuala Lumpur | Phnom Penh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) | 94°/78°F (34°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 90°/76°F (32°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 89°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 87°/73°F (30°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kuala Lumpur | Phnom Penh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/72°F (32.1°/22.5°C) | 88°/71°F (31.2°/21.5°C) |
| Feb | 91°/73°F (32.9°/22.8°C) | 91°/72°F (32.7°/22.5°C) |
| Mar | 92°/74°F (33.2°/23.2°C) | 94°/76°F (34.5°/24.2°C) |
| Apr | 92°/75°F (33.1°/23.7°C) | 95°/78°F (34.9°/25.4°C) |
| May | 91°/75°F (32.9°/23.9°C) | 94°/78°F (34.3°/25.4°C) |
| Jun | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.6°C) | 92°/78°F (33.1°/25.3°C) |
| Jul | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.2°C) | 90°/76°F (32.4°/24.7°C) |
| Aug | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.1°C) | 90°/77°F (32.2°/25.0°C) |
| Sep | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 89°/75°F (31.7°/24.1°C) |
| Oct | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 87°/75°F (30.8°/23.9°C) |
| Nov | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) | 87°/73°F (30.4°/22.8°C) |
| Dec | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.9°C) | 86°/71°F (30.2°/21.4°C) |
Data:
Malaysian Meteorological Department,
Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Malaysia 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.
Malaysia passport holder visiting Cambodia
Visa Free
Cambodia passport holder visiting Malaysia
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 Cambodia than Malaysia?
On average Cambodia is around 10% pricier than Malaysia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Cambodia?
Budget about KHR82,999,332 for 3 months in Cambodia (based on a MYR305,250 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Cambodia?
Connectivity is usually fine (Cambodia: 3.0 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Cambodia offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Cambodia safe for expats?
Malaysia performs better than Cambodia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Cambodia is 1.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Malaysia.
How is healthcare in Cambodia compared to Malaysia?
Cambodia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malaysia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Cambodia, compared to 23.2 in Malaysia. Cambodia scores 58 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Malaysia: 76).
What's the weather like in Cambodia compared to Malaysia?
The average high temperature in Phnom Penh is 90°F, compared to 90°F in Kuala Lumpur. Phnom Penh receives around 51.8 in of rainfall per year, while Kuala Lumpur gets 95.6 in.
What language do they speak in Cambodia?
The official language in Cambodia is Khmer. In Malaysia, the official languages are English and Malay.
