Moving to Cambodia from Netherlands

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Netherlands to Cambodia, you would find that Cambodia is 56.2% cheaper than Netherlands overall. A €65,577 salary in Netherlands would need to be roughly KHR166,008,069 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 56°F in Amsterdam, making it significantly warmer.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

€65,577 KHR166,008,069

To maintain the same standard of living in Cambodia

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 73.3% less

Groceries

pay 15.8% less

Transportation

pay 43.6% less

Housing

pay 70.5% less

Childcare

pay 69.6% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 62.7% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 4622.7 KHR (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 Netherlands to Cambodia, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
30

people born in Netherlands live in Cambodia · UN DESA

Who's moving to Cambodia?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

NL
0.8
KH
1.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

NL
3.4
KH
18.8

Netherlands performs better than Cambodia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

NL
$8,195
KH
$350
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

NL
39.1
KH
2.1

Cambodia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Netherlands leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

NL
13.0
KH
60.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

NL
6.6t
KH
1.1t

Netherlands generally does better on environment, though Cambodia leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

NL
44.4
KH
3.0
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

NL
16.1%
KH
1.0%

Netherlands generally does better on infrastructure, though Cambodia leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

NL
3.6%
KH
0.2%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

NL
$69,300
KH
$5,100

Netherlands 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

NL
82.2 yrs
KH
70.7 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

NL
3.4
KH
29.6

Netherlands performs better than Cambodia across all family life metrics.

Data: Tax and Customs Administration - Belastingdienst, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Amsterdam Rain: 30.7 in/yr (780 mm)
56° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Amsterdam Phnom Penh
Jan–Mar 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) 91°/73°F (33°/23°C)
Apr–Jun 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) 94°/78°F (34°/25°C)
Jul–Sep 69°/53°F (21°/12°C) 90°/76°F (32°/25°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) 87°/73°F (30°/23°C)
View all months
Month Amsterdam Phnom Penh
Jan 42°/33°F (5.4°/0.5°C) 88°/71°F (31.2°/21.5°C)
Feb 43°/32°F (6.0°/0.2°C) 91°/72°F (32.7°/22.5°C)
Mar 49°/36°F (9.2°/2.4°C) 94°/76°F (34.5°/24.2°C)
Apr 54°/39°F (12.4°/4.0°C) 95°/78°F (34.9°/25.4°C)
May 63°/46°F (17.1°/7.8°C) 94°/78°F (34.3°/25.4°C)
Jun 67°/51°F (19.2°/10.4°C) 92°/78°F (33.1°/25.3°C)
Jul 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.5°C) 90°/76°F (32.4°/24.7°C)
Aug 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.3°C) 90°/77°F (32.2°/25.0°C)
Sep 65°/50°F (18.4°/10.2°C) 89°/75°F (31.7°/24.1°C)
Oct 57°/45°F (14.1°/7.0°C) 87°/75°F (30.8°/23.9°C)
Nov 49°/39°F (9.2°/3.9°C) 87°/73°F (30.4°/22.8°C)
Dec 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) 86°/71°F (30.2°/21.4°C)

Data: Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Netherlands 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.

Netherlands passport

Netherlands passport holder visiting Cambodia

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

Cambodia passport holder visiting Netherlands

Visa Required
Cambodia passport holders need a visa to enter Netherlands.

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 Cambodia than Netherlands?

Generally yes: Cambodia runs about 45% cheaper than Netherlands 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 €65,577 comparable salary, that's around KHR41,502,017 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 Netherlands and Cambodia.

Is Cambodia safe for expats?

Netherlands performs better than Cambodia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Cambodia is 1.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Netherlands.

How is healthcare in Cambodia compared to Netherlands?

Cambodia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Netherlands leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Cambodia, compared to 39.1 in Netherlands. Cambodia scores 58 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Netherlands: 85).

What's the weather like in Cambodia compared to Netherlands?

The average high temperature in Phnom Penh is 90°F, compared to 56°F in Amsterdam. Phnom Penh receives around 51.8 in of rainfall per year, while Amsterdam gets 30.7 in.

What language do they speak in Cambodia?

The official language in Cambodia is Khmer. In Netherlands, the official language is Dutch.

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At a Glance

NL KH
Population 17,400,824 16,713,015
Currency Euro (€) Cambodian Riel (KHR)
Languages Dutch Khmer
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +31 +855
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 117