My move to Cambodia

Thankyou

I'm an American living in Los Angeles,  California  but my girlfriend is Cambodian in phnom penh. I do not find any cheaper eating western food in phnom penh at all , about the same as in Los Angeles. Yes, eat at home is the only cheaper way to go.

I agree about the cost of Western food, bearing in mind all the milk, cheese, beef etc is imported from Australia, NZ or the US. Vietnam is exactly the same, so is Thailand. But if you want a Western lifestyle, stay home. Cambodia is a third world country, local food is cheap and healthy. I can go to a nice, clean, well-decorated restaurant and have chicken curry or noodle soup for lunch and with a beer or two it will cost less than $4.
I don't live in PP so I don't know there, but in Siem Reap a good, secure, modern Western style apartment with one bedroom is around $200 to $250 a month. $350 a month will get you a 2/3 bedroom house in a good area. Back in NZ I would not be able to get a one-room bedsit for less than $300 a week.
When I lived in NZ I ate most of my meals at home, and out at restaurants at the weekend with friends. I am sure you did the same in Oz. I do the same here - why talk about eating out, three Western style meals a day, every day of the week? Of course that will cost you, wouldnt mater if you lived in Paramatta or Timbuktu.
This is a fascinating, exotic country, and you can live very comfortably on US$1500 a month or less. Try that in Brisbane or LA, see how far that gets you!

@Cutie4loveeternal2021 I agree with that. Back home in NZ I would eat at home 3 meals a day, go out to a restaurant maybe once a week or so, and have a drink with mates in a bar once or twice a week, and i try to do the same here. Many expats, especially single male retirees, eat all their meals in restaurants every day and are often found in a bar every night. Apart from being a bit unhealthy it can be expensive. In answer to Mike, what I prefer about Siem Reap apart from the fact that it is a pretty little town with low traffic and plenty of entertainment options, the standard of housing in the best I have seen in Cambodia (although to be fair I only know PP, Battambang and Kampot). Apartments in the 250 to 300 range are high standard western style, often with a pool, and if you can afford 500 or more you get real luxury. For a long term resident things like that are very important.

@hdgh29 I think all the reasons you make for SR will be why I settle there. I’ve talked with a realty agent and they are ready to show me some places in October. Can’t wait! I have 40 some days left in Mexico. Then after a few days in California off to Cambodia. I really want a nice small apartment. Not luxury. I do enjoy eating out and will probably do that often. But I also enjoy things like coffee in the mornings at home. So I will do that too.

@Cutie4loveeternal2021 I totally agree. The first thing I’ve noticed was the American prices on certain products and restaurants. Mainly burger and pizza franchises. I’ve just be watching the preparation of Cambodian food daily and a lot of that I would definitely eat daily. A lot of people get broke quick still trying to eat at US named restaurants in another country. That’s the biggest mistake you can make especially if you’re doing it daily. I would go get me some of those good Cambodian soups and noodles, fish, grilled chicken and pork I see them preparing for $3.00 per meal. Some instances $1.50 depending on what you get. I’m getting tired of franchise food here in the US as the quality has really gone down hill and costs more than its actually worth. So that would be an easy step for me to avoid that aspect.

I am an Australian and it is now almost 2024 and I want to know how you can think that paying $250 - $500 per WEEK in Australia far away from any city is more expensive than paying $50 - $250 USD per MONTH which is within a few minute walk of PUB street Siem Reap!!! Food only costs about $1 - $3 for large helpings and beer is only $0.50.....if you always eat western food then yes it is more expensive and milk is imported to Cambodia so it is obvious that it is more expensive!

@alby2111 Siem Reap Cambodia is way cheaper than Australia and if you think that paying $500 per week is cheaper than paying $150 per month then something is wrong!

@alby2111

Well I have been going to Phnom Penh now for 9 years, every 6 months out of 12, I bought a 3rd floor flat modern UK standard 55 M2  in 2017, for $50000 in the UK that would at min be 3 times that, my cost of living costs here are $500 to $600 a month, and I eat western and eastern food, but I am retired as is my Khmer partner so we have a simple life niether of us drink or smoke,  but it is a quality happy one, we are in daun Penh so transport is simple tuk tuk by the door, in the UK I have to walk 2 miles just to get a bus, or use the car, here in Phnom Penh it's never cold little breeze nice people, not so the west, one day I will fully retire here and this will be my permanent life, as for Australia I have no idea of what it costs There, but here it's a lot cheaper then the UK, which the UK government says and the banks a single person needs £25000 a year to have a good life, $12000 in Cambodia would be a good life,

@toni345th Apparently it is cheaper to live in Siem Reap compared to Phenom  Penn and Australia is one of the most expensive counties in the world now so my plan is to move to Siem Reap Cambodia in early 2024 and retire there as I am already retired in Australia and finding it very difficult to live and survive here and apparently I have heard that costs will be increasing again over the next 6 months in Australia!

@dcoulthurst

Yes it is cheaper in other parts, Phnom Penh is really where all the best services are, you need to look at $12000 p/a, for a reasonable life,

@toni345th I have stayed for about 2 months in Siem Reap back in early 2019 and I loved it and I earn about 24,000 a year on my pension as well but travel insurance is the tricky one to find for dental and emergency evacuation just in case!

Gigna do a policy for retires I was quoted $ 2445 annual policy,

@toni345th This is a very expensive quote as it is $204 USD? a month......al I want is for big dental procedures and emergency evacuation if it is needed..... i am looking at around $40 AUD per month if It exists

Disregard. Wrong message. Admin please delete.

I just need to find out if I can arrive at Siem reap airport from Australia in 2024 and get an ordinary visa on arrival at the airport and I don't want the tourist visa either please?

@dcoulthur 

you can't just get medical evacuation for a life threatening problem, you would be in hospital first,

hi I am curious to find out if it is possible for me to get my retirement visa befor turning 55 years old as I am a 53 year Australian on the Disability Support Pension since 2017. I will be 54 on March 7th 2024. So I don't work and Australia is way to expensive for me to live and I have lived in Cambodia for about 2 month back in 2019 and I have just managed to return back to Australia from living in the Philippines for about 3.5 years as I was trapped there due to there being no flights with all the Covid -19 lock downs at the time.

@toni345th I mean an emergency evacuation incase something bad like an accident or something happened to me and I need to be flown to Thailand hospital for example! I also want dental cover for tooth removal or worse, etc....!

@alby2111 the only way you are spending that much eating out is you are accross the street from ankor wat or some other high end resort area. I can get room service for lower price than you are saying. One thing that is more expensive is security. In America my neighbors are great in cambodia my neighbors are on drugs and I must have a 10 foot high wall with barb wire and cameras and dogs. Food is tough if you want to eat steak then yes better raise the cow yourself or pay double or triple what costco offers for prime ribeye. Same for produce. If you want to eat strawberries and kiwis then you are screwed. Price of cars is a toss up most of the time America has better prices for electronics and vehicles. Eat chicken and rice and it's almost free also my car registration is more in cambodia for most of my cars. Forget what else I'm missing except quality medical is free for me in usa from my work insurance but in cambodia I must pay cash but it's very low in price but prob not as good quality. Blood test in cambodia 40$? Mri 200$. Tylenol in usa almost free in cambodia its 50% more in price. (Ankor market in phnom penh sells Kirkland products at 50% mark up but they have what I need)

I have to add that I have usd so you are right. I convert most all my $$ to khmer money so I feel rich with 100,000$ bills hahha every 10$ I convert saves me 30 cents? Guess it's not that much but you are most likely confused at the money changer. It's only getting me a extra 300$ per 10000$ but everywhere you pay they do 4000 to 1 usd. High end restaurants in usa will be 150$ per plate. Never seen such a nice restaurant in cambodia but they prob exist.  All you can eat kovi beef a1 is 35$? In aeon mall so good!!!

@dcoulthurst

All health plans will put you in a hospital that can cater for your needs and the emergency you face, if the hospital can not deal with your emergency you can be transferred by medievac but only if your policy pays for it and it's referred by the doctor dealing with your case, there are limited policies but when you include dentists and medievac it's a whole new ball game, few will except existing conditions, just go on the internet it will give you a good idea of what's out there, one important thing to consider is, what hospitals deal direct with your policy provider not all do, which means you paying yourself and claiming it back later from your policy provider,

I am Australian and I would like to know how much money per month I should be able to pay for medical insurance in Australian Dollars or do I have to pay for a whole year upfront?

I only want medical insurance for large things including medical evacuation to Thailand or back to Australia if the doctor thinks it is necessary for me.

I have been searching for medical insurance and it is so confusing for me and so far I have been told that the companies won't insure me for more than a year which is bad!

I am hoping to find a medical insurance for me where I can pay monthly and in the vicinity of $50 - $100 AUD per month if these prices actually exist!

@dcoulthurst The premiums depend on your age and any previous health conditions. So without knowing this it is not possible to even guess how much.

Ok my age will 54 on March 7 and any previous medical conditions would be diabetes type 2 and slightly high blood pressure and that is it I guess!

@dcoulthurst

1200 a year with 2000$ Co pay..

Please explain as I don't understand anything about insurance payments

What Small Box is stating, is that you would pay $1,200 a year for the policy and your Co-Pay, (which is what you have to pay first before insurance kicks in is $2,000).

In the USA when you have coverage, you always have to pay a ”Co-Pay” for each visit.  Kind of like a service fee.

If your insurance provides coverage for medication, you might have to pay a certain dollar amount for each prescription, and they cover the back end.

Hope this helps!

Eric

is it $2,000 or $200?

also I am Australian and I am NOT American ok

Wow, well I was just trying to help, if you read my post, I didn't say you were American, I was just providing some insight on how the Co-Pay system works in America.

Try not to be so offended when an American offers help!  Thats what we do!!!  😉

Regards,

EODEricMD

I am sorry about that and I am not offended when an American offers help it's just that we are talking about Cambodia and for some reason America seems to be involved in the country of discussion. I just want to see about medical insurance for an Australian moving to live in Cambodia in 2024 and using Australian Dollars as well would be very helpful. I have never heard about the co-payment before sorry but I do know that people will pay an amount of money first and then the insurance will pay the rest of the bill and that amount from what I have seen so far is $0 , $100, $250.

Thank you for your help