Moving to Cambodia from Singapore

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Singapore to Cambodia, you would find that Cambodia is 59.0% cheaper than Singapore overall. A SGD96,960 salary in Singapore would need to be roughly KHR91,086,468 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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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

SGD96,960 KHR91,086,468

To maintain the same standard of living in Cambodia

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 43.7% less

Groceries

pay 38.9% less

Transportation

pay 52.3% less

Housing

pay 66.0% less

Childcare

pay 82.5% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 73.2% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 SGD = 3099.86 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 Singapore to Cambodia, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
130 ↑ 6% vs 2015

people born in Singapore 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 Singapore 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

SG
0.1
KH
1.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

SG
1.9
KH
18.8

Singapore performs better than Cambodia across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

SG
$6,551
KH
$350
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

SG
26.0
KH
2.1

Cambodia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Singapore 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

SG
23.0
KH
60.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

SG
9.8t
KH
1.1t

Singapore 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

SG
37.7
KH
3.0
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

SG
83.1%
KH
1.0%

Singapore 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

SG
3.5%
KH
0.2%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

SG
$127,500
KH
$5,100

Cambodia generally does better on employment & economy, though Singapore leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

SG
86.3 yrs
KH
70.7 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

SG
1.6
KH
29.6

Singapore generally does better on family life, though Cambodia leads in education spending.

Data: Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Singapore Rain: 83.2 in/yr (2113 mm)
89° / 77°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Singapore Phnom Penh
Jan–Mar 89°/76°F (31°/25°C) 91°/73°F (33°/23°C)
Apr–Jun 90°/78°F (32°/26°C) 94°/78°F (34°/25°C)
Jul–Sep 89°/78°F (31°/25°C) 90°/76°F (32°/25°C)
Oct–Dec 88°/76°F (31°/25°C) 87°/73°F (30°/23°C)
View all months
Month Singapore Phnom Penh
Jan 87°/76°F (30.6°/24.3°C) 88°/71°F (31.2°/21.5°C)
Feb 89°/76°F (31.5°/24.6°C) 91°/72°F (32.7°/22.5°C)
Mar 90°/77°F (32.2°/24.9°C) 94°/76°F (34.5°/24.2°C)
Apr 90°/78°F (32.4°/25.3°C) 95°/78°F (34.9°/25.4°C)
May 90°/78°F (32.3°/25.7°C) 94°/78°F (34.3°/25.4°C)
Jun 89°/78°F (31.9°/25.7°C) 92°/78°F (33.1°/25.3°C)
Jul 89°/78°F (31.4°/25.4°C) 90°/76°F (32.4°/24.7°C)
Aug 89°/78°F (31.4°/25.3°C) 90°/77°F (32.2°/25.0°C)
Sep 89°/77°F (31.6°/25.2°C) 89°/75°F (31.7°/24.1°C)
Oct 89°/77°F (31.8°/25.0°C) 87°/75°F (30.8°/23.9°C)
Nov 88°/76°F (31.2°/24.6°C) 87°/73°F (30.4°/22.8°C)
Dec 87°/76°F (30.5°/24.3°C) 86°/71°F (30.2°/21.4°C)

Data: Meteorological Service Singapore Meteorological Service Singapore, Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Singapore 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.

Singapore passport

Singapore passport holder visiting Cambodia

Visa Free
Singapore passport holders can enter Cambodia without a visa.
Cambodia passport

Cambodia passport holder visiting Singapore

Visa Free
Cambodia passport holders can enter Singapore without a visa.

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 Singapore?

Generally yes: Cambodia runs about 70% cheaper than Singapore 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 SGD96,960 comparable salary, that's around KHR22,771,617 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 Singapore and Cambodia.

Is Cambodia safe for expats?

Singapore performs better than Cambodia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Cambodia is 1.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.1 in Singapore.

How is healthcare in Cambodia compared to Singapore?

Cambodia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Singapore leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Cambodia, compared to 26.0 in Singapore. Cambodia scores 58 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Singapore: 89).

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

The average high temperature in Phnom Penh is 90°F, compared to 89°F in Singapore. Phnom Penh receives around 51.8 in of rainfall per year, while Singapore gets 83.2 in.

What language do they speak in Cambodia?

The official language in Cambodia is Khmer. In Singapore, the official languages are Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil.

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At a Glance

SG KH
Population 5,921,231 16,713,015
Currency Singapore Dollar (SGD) Cambodian Riel (KHR)
Languages Chinese, English, Malay, Tamil Khmer
Driving side Left Right
Calling code +65 +855
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 999 117