Moving to Cambodia from Spain

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Spain to Cambodia, you would find that Cambodia is 44.0% cheaper than Spain overall. A €67,000 salary in Spain would need to be roughly KHR171,000,000 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 68°F in Madrid, making it significantly warmer.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → KHR171,000,000

To maintain the same standard of living in Cambodia

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 65.3% less

Groceries

pay 11.7% less

Transportation

pay 33.4% less

Housing

pay 56.1% less

Childcare

pay 18.3% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 40.2% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 4549.17 KHR (October 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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Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

ES
0.7
KH
1.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

ES
3.5
KH
18.8

Spain 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

ES
$4,935
KH
$350
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

ES
42.9
KH
2.1

Cambodia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Spain 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

ES
10.0
KH
60.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

ES
4.5t
KH
1.1t

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

ES
39.2
KH
4.2
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

ES
43.2%
KH
1.0%

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

ES
10.4%
KH
0.3%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

ES
$38,627
KH
$2,872

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

ES
83.9 yrs
KH
70.8 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

ES
2.6
KH
16.4

Spain performs better than Cambodia across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2011–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Agencia Tributaria, Spain (2016), General Department of Taxation (2016), The World Factbook (2016). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Madrid Rain: 16.6 in/yr (421 mm)
68° / 50°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Madrid Phnom Penh
Jan–Mar 55°/40°F (13°/4°C) 91°/73°F (33°/23°C)
Apr–Jun 73°/53°F (23°/12°C) 94°/78°F (34°/25°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/64°F (30°/18°C) 90°/76°F (32°/25°C)
Oct–Dec 58°/44°F (14°/7°C) 87°/73°F (30°/23°C)
View all months
Month Madrid Phnom Penh
Jan 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C) 88°/71°F (31.2°/21.5°C)
Feb 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C) 91°/72°F (32.7°/22.5°C)
Mar 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C) 94°/76°F (34.5°/24.2°C)
Apr 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C) 95°/78°F (34.9°/25.4°C)
May 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C) 94°/78°F (34.3°/25.4°C)
Jun 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C) 92°/78°F (33.1°/25.3°C)
Jul 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C) 90°/76°F (32.4°/24.7°C)
Aug 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C) 90°/77°F (32.2°/25.0°C)
Sep 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C) 89°/75°F (31.7°/24.1°C)
Oct 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C) 87°/75°F (30.8°/23.9°C)
Nov 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C) 87°/73°F (30.4°/22.8°C)
Dec 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C) 86°/71°F (30.2°/21.4°C)

Data: Agencia Estatal de Meteorología Agencia Estatal de Meteorología, Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Spain 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.

Spain passport

Spain passport holder visiting Cambodia

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

Cambodia passport holder visiting Spain

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

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 Spain?

Generally yes: Cambodia runs about 44% cheaper than Spain 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 €67,000 comparable salary, that's around KHR42,750,000 in Cambodia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Cambodia?

With 4.2 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 Spain and Cambodia.

Is Cambodia safe for expats?

Spain 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 Spain.

How is healthcare in Cambodia compared to Spain?

Cambodia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Spain leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Cambodia, compared to 42.9 in Spain. Cambodia scores 58 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Spain: 85).

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

The average high temperature in Phnom Penh is 90°F, compared to 68°F in Madrid. Phnom Penh receives around 51.8 in of rainfall per year, while Madrid gets 16.6 in.

What language do they speak in Cambodia?

The official language in Cambodia is Khmer. In Spain, the official languages are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish.

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At a Glance

ES KH
Population 49,355,143 17,847,982
Currency Euro (€) Cambodian Riel (KHR)
Languages Basque, Catalan, Galician, Spanish Khmer
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +34 +855
Time zones 2 1
Emergency number 112 117