How much is enough? It is a relative question when asked in terms of income. We expats often hear the question " How much do I need to survive... HERE"?

Do you live comfortably in Phnom Penh on $1500 USD per month? Does Siem Reap offer you everything you need at $1100 per month? What are you doing and what are you making living in Cambodia?

Also on a side note- Are English teachers really the bottom or do we just like giving that group shit? Is the business owner who sinks $80,000 investment for a $2,0000 per month profit more socio-economically acceptable than the TEFL teacher making $1200 per month?


I will start- I am 29 years old with no children. My significant other is Khmer and she isn't involved in CEO.com so I will leave her exact salary out of this. She lives with me and she makes between $700-$1200 per month, guess if you care.

I teach 30 hours per week at a private school. I have a B.B.A ( bachelors in business) with NO TEFL cert or CELTA and 1 year of teaching experience here in Phnom Penh. I am paid per hour but I end up making about $1400 per month even. Cash in envelope, no taxes.

My rent for our 2 bedroom/3 bathroom house in Boeng TomPun- $250 per month. Fiancee has a company car. I have a new little moto. So expenses are really just food after rent is paid for. We eat out a lot but 10-$15 is the average meal costs for a dinner out for the two of us. Sometimes more, sometimes less.

So lets hear it CEO. I know there have been other threads similar, but I think this one will be great for us. Interesting info, I hope.

Edit- I was also thinking of taking 1 calendar month and trying to keep track of EVERYTHING I purchase in order to see exactly what I spend in an average month in Cambodia. No Khmer New Year or Phcum Ben months. Would anyone be interested in that? It would take some remembering on my part. Buy a red bull for .50 dollar, mark it down in my phone. Let me know in the replies.

Thanks all.

Sir_Q

Username Taken wrote:

General Mackevili wrote:

Sir_Quality_U_Feel wrote:
She lives with me and she makes between $700-$1200 per month, guess if you care.

Holy shit! You can be a stay-at-home-dad!

Dad???

Congratulations SQUFfy. Well done.


On a serious note, if you've got a BBA and making $1400 a month, I think you're selling yourself short. You could be making 2 or 3 times that right here in PP (they're out there).

Keep in mind, that Dad bit is gonna happen sooner or later.

What do I have a B.B.A in? Accounting with a professional cert. is dramatically different than a major in Marketing or Management.....

I am a marketing schmuck and no... without sacrificing loads of intangible but valuable shit would I ever make as much as I do now as a teacher. I left my personal narrative about my specific job out of the OP because I wanted this post to be about what we make and what we do and lets branch out from there.

So with that being said. I work 40 hours per week as a teacher and I love 90% of every moment. Grading tests suck.

I hated every moment of marketing besides the Visa expense account. I know whats out there as it is my background, love it or hate it. With that said, I really don't feel like building up my network in order to obtain a $2000+ per month marketing job in Phnom Penh. If I wanted to persue marketing, I would look at Kuala Lumpur and then Bangkok, with the assumption I wanted to stay in S.E. Asia.

Am I rambling? Stop me if so.

Username Taken wrote:^^ So, how many hours do you work for your $1400, vlad?

Is it 30 (as in your OP) or 40 (as in the previous post)? Either way, $11.66 ph or $8.75 ph is not enough when you have kids in school.

Just saying.

I am not Vlad. I teach 30 classroom hours but work about 40 per week. I hinted at the situation with kids and I agree with you. I don't have kids.

OP - " Cash in envelope. No taxes ". What level of salary do you start paying tax in Cambodia ?

Username Taken wrote:

General Mackevili wrote:Holy shit! You can be a stay-at-home-dad!

Dad???

Congratulations SQUFfy. Well done.

Oh, well done SQUFfy, well done! Let me post this to your Facebook account so your family knows!

Cowshed Cowboy wrote:OP - " Cash in envelope. No taxes ". What level of salary do you start paying tax in Cambodia ?

Well, I think that all depends on where you work and what type of deal they have in place with the right people. What do you make? Are you taxed?