Moving to Cambodia from Panama
What to Expect
Considering a move from Panama to Cambodia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Panama to Cambodia, you would find that Cambodia is 33.8% cheaper than Panama overall. A PAB75,000 salary in Panama would need to be roughly KHR262,386,682 in Cambodia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Khmer.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Panama and Cambodia.
What does your salary buy?
PAB75,000 → KHR262,386,682
To maintain the same standard of living in Cambodia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 41.4% less
Groceries
pay 19.3% less
Transportation
pay 1.8% more
Housing
pay 50.9% less
Childcare
pay 42.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 44.5% 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
The numbers behind daily life in Cambodia compared to Panama.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Panama 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
Panama generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Cambodia leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Panama 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
Panama 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
Cambodia generally does better on employment & economy, though Panama 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
Panama performs better than Cambodia across all family life metrics.
Data: General Directorate of Revenues, Panama, 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 | Panama City | Phnom Penh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 94°/65°F (34°/18°C) | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 94°/69°F (35°/21°C) | 94°/78°F (34°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 92°/70°F (34°/21°C) | 90°/76°F (32°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 91°/68°F (33°/20°C) | 87°/73°F (30°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Panama City | Phnom Penh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 92°/65°F (33.4°/18.5°C) | 88°/71°F (31.2°/21.5°C) |
| Feb | 94°/65°F (34.2°/18.4°C) | 91°/72°F (32.7°/22.5°C) |
| Mar | 95°/65°F (34.8°/18.4°C) | 94°/76°F (34.5°/24.2°C) |
| Apr | 96°/67°F (35.4°/19.5°C) | 95°/78°F (34.9°/25.4°C) |
| May | 94°/70°F (34.5°/21.1°C) | 94°/78°F (34.3°/25.4°C) |
| Jun | 93°/70°F (33.8°/21.3°C) | 92°/78°F (33.1°/25.3°C) |
| Jul | 93°/70°F (33.9°/21.0°C) | 90°/76°F (32.4°/24.7°C) |
| Aug | 93°/70°F (33.9°/20.9°C) | 90°/77°F (32.2°/25.0°C) |
| Sep | 91°/70°F (32.9°/21.0°C) | 89°/75°F (31.7°/24.1°C) |
| Oct | 91°/69°F (32.6°/20.8°C) | 87°/75°F (30.8°/23.9°C) |
| Nov | 91°/69°F (32.9°/20.3°C) | 87°/73°F (30.4°/22.8°C) |
| Dec | 92°/67°F (33.3°/19.2°C) | 86°/71°F (30.2°/21.4°C) |
Data:
IMHPA - Instituto de Meteorología e Hidrología de Panamá,
Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Panama 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.
Panama passport holder visiting Cambodia
Visa on Arrival
Cambodia passport holder visiting Panama
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 Panama?
On average Cambodia is about 13% less expensive than Panama, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Cambodia?
Budget about KHR65,596,670 for 3 months in Cambodia (based on a PAB75,000 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?
Panama 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 11.3 in Panama.
How is healthcare in Cambodia compared to Panama?
Panama generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Cambodia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Cambodia, compared to 17.3 in Panama. Cambodia scores 58 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Panama: 78).
What's the weather like in Cambodia compared to Panama?
The average high temperature in Phnom Penh is 90°F, compared to 93°F in Panama City. Phnom Penh receives around 51.8 in of rainfall per year, while Panama City gets 75.1 in.
What language do they speak in Cambodia?
The official language in Cambodia is Khmer. In Panama, the official language is Spanish.
