How much does Phnom Penh cost in 2026?
Daily budgets for backpacker, mid-range and comfortable travel in Phnom Penh, with real 2026 prices for food, coffee, drinks, rooms and transport.
Updated 20 Oct 2026
Phnom Penh is still one of the better-value capitals in Southeast Asia, but prices in the central districts have risen noticeably since 2019. Here is what things actually cost in 2026, and three sample daily budgets.
What individual things cost
- Local breakfast (kuy teav noodle soup, bai sach chrouk): US$2–3.50
- Specialty coffee: US$3–4.50 | iced coffee from a cart: US$1–1.50
- Casual lunch at a mid-range restaurant: US$5–9
- Sit-down Khmer dinner for two with drinks: US$18–35
- Craft beer / cocktail at a bar: US$3.50–7 | local draught: US$0.75–1.50 in happy hour
- Dorm bed: US$6–12 | mid-range double: US$40–70 | 4–5 star: US$90–180
- Tuk-tuk across the centre: US$1.50–3 | airport transfer: US$15–25
- Museum entry (Tuol Sleng, National Museum): US$5–10
Backpacker: about US$35–45 a day
Dorm bed, street and market food, iced coffee, one or two beers in happy hour, tuk-tuks shared or kept short, one paid sight a day. Cambodia rewards this style: the cheapest food is often the best, and the outer neighbourhoods barely moved on price.
Mid-range: about US$80–120 a day
Comfortable double room, a mix of local meals and one nicer restaurant, specialty coffee daily, a couple of cocktails or a rooftop round, ride-hailing without thinking about it, sights and a half-day trip. This is where most independent travellers land.
Comfortable: US$180–300+ a day
Four-star room or serviced apartment, restaurants from the top of the directory, cocktails at design bars, private car for day trips, spa. Even at this level Phnom Penh costs less than Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh City for equivalent quality.
Where prices bite, and where they don't
The rise is concentrated in expat-facing venues in BKK1, Riverside and Tonle Bassac: specialty coffee, western food, cocktails, boutique rooms. What barely moved: market meals, street food, local noodle shops, PassApp fares, and anything in Tuol Tom Poung or further out. Mixing the two keeps a trip cheap without feeling like a sacrifice.
Payment tips
- Dollars for most things; riel for small change. A card covers restaurants, cafés and hotels.
- KHQR (scan-to-pay) is widely accepted now, but keep cash for markets, street food and tuk-tuks.
- ATMs charge US$4–6 per withdrawal, so take out larger amounts less often.