Moving to Cambodia from Sri Lanka
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Sri Lanka to Cambodia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Sri Lanka to Cambodia, you would find that Cambodia is 2.4 times more expensive than Sri Lanka overall. A LKR25,169,825 salary in Sri Lanka would need to be roughly KHR420,707,350 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.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Sri Lanka to Cambodia.
What does your salary buy?
LKR25,169,825 → KHR420,707,350
To maintain the same standard of living in Cambodia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 16.6% more
Groceries
pay 31.0% more
Transportation
pay 73.7% more
Housing
pay 53.9% more
Childcare
pay 8.8 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 4.6% more
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?
How many people actually move from Sri Lanka to Cambodia, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Sri Lanka to Cambodia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Sri Lanka 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
Cambodia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sri Lanka 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
Sri Lanka performs better than Cambodia 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
Sri Lanka 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
Sri Lanka 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
Sri Lanka generally does better on family life, though Cambodia leads in education spending.
Data: Sri Lanka Inland Revenue Department, 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 | Colombo | Phnom Penh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 88°/73°F (31°/23°C) | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 88°/77°F (31°/25°C) | 94°/78°F (34°/25°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/77°F (30°/25°C) | 90°/76°F (32°/25°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 86°/74°F (30°/23°C) | 87°/73°F (30°/23°C) |
View all months
| Month | Colombo | Phnom Penh |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 88°/72°F (30.9°/22.3°C) | 88°/71°F (31.2°/21.5°C) |
| Feb | 88°/73°F (31.2°/22.6°C) | 91°/72°F (32.7°/22.5°C) |
| Mar | 89°/75°F (31.7°/23.7°C) | 94°/76°F (34.5°/24.2°C) |
| Apr | 89°/76°F (31.8°/24.6°C) | 95°/78°F (34.9°/25.4°C) |
| May | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.5°C) | 94°/78°F (34.3°/25.4°C) |
| Jun | 87°/78°F (30.4°/25.5°C) | 92°/78°F (33.1°/25.3°C) |
| Jul | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.2°C) | 90°/76°F (32.4°/24.7°C) |
| Aug | 86°/77°F (30.0°/25.1°C) | 90°/77°F (32.2°/25.0°C) |
| Sep | 86°/77°F (30.2°/24.8°C) | 89°/75°F (31.7°/24.1°C) |
| Oct | 86°/75°F (30.0°/24.0°C) | 87°/75°F (30.8°/23.9°C) |
| Nov | 86°/74°F (30.1°/23.2°C) | 87°/73°F (30.4°/22.8°C) |
| Dec | 87°/73°F (30.3°/22.8°C) | 86°/71°F (30.2°/21.4°C) |
Data:
National Meteorological Centre,
Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sri Lanka 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.
Sri Lanka passport holder visiting Cambodia
Visa on Arrival
Cambodia passport holder visiting Sri Lanka
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: 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 Sri Lanka?
No — Cambodia is on average about 40% more expensive than Sri Lanka. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Cambodia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly KHR105,176,838 in Cambodia on a LKR25,169,825 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Cambodia?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Cambodia has 3.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Cambodia safe for expats?
Sri Lanka 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 3.4 in Sri Lanka.
How is healthcare in Cambodia compared to Sri Lanka?
Cambodia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Sri Lanka leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 2.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Cambodia, compared to 11.9 in Sri Lanka. Cambodia scores 58 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sri Lanka: 67).
What's the weather like in Cambodia compared to Sri Lanka?
The average high temperature in Phnom Penh is 90°F, compared to 87°F in Colombo. Phnom Penh receives around 51.8 in of rainfall per year, while Colombo gets 99.4 in.
What language do they speak in Cambodia?
The official language in Cambodia is Khmer. In Sri Lanka, the official languages are Sinhala and Tamil.
