Cheapest cities in Cambodia

Hello Bhavna.

Very hard to answer as cheap is so personal. What I find cheap another may find expensive.

And as you talk about expats it's not the low budget backpackers destination, but a permanent residence.

A few tips I could give to future low budget expats:

1. Share your accommodation. There are shared apartments or houses available, that lower your monthly rental costs.

2. Cook your own meals. Apart from $2 street food that you don't want to eat every day you can vary your meals by cooking yourself. Ingredients are nearly always affordable, certainly on markets.

3. Rent or buy a bicycle. The cheapest form of transport, together with walking.

These tips go well in whatever city, a cheap city is what you make of it.

Cheers.

Joe
Cambodia expert
Expat.com team

Yes I’m no longer a resident, but recently lived three years in Phnom Penh, I know guys who live well on less than 1000usd$ per month and travel in country some, but if can live in the province, which as jo would agree is difficult you can rent a little house in the province 50$ a month maybe a market close,,   Not ideal . But  really cheap and livable is , pp or Batttenbang  , siem reap even cheaper rents than pp. but a lot of tourists  in siem reap , for all around easy living you can’t beat pp.  pp has everything, just my opinion

Imho. Well written

"Cheap" is relative depending on one's expectations or requirements. 

I've met people with preconceive ideas about Cambodia's living costs then are baffled that there are $2500/month service apts/condos available. 

My best advice would be to live as much like a local as possible. 

For example, a lot of the locals who aren't from Phnom Penh but are living and working here do a few things. 

They share apartments, buy from local markets, and walk when they can. 

There are ways that a person can do to live comfortable enough here.