What is a reasonable annual budget for expats in Phnom Penh?

[CaliforniaGuy]

I have been to Cambodia many times over the past 6 or 7 years, but never have stayed longer than a couple of months at a time. I have been asked, and wondering myself, what is a reasonable annual budget for an expat to live a reasonably comfortable life in Phnom Penh, including everything, healthcare, unexpected expenses, entertainment, travel, etc. Would you have a car or a moto or neither, an apartment or townhouse. All this is assuming you want to live here full time, not just the expenses for a years travel adventure. It is hard for me to estimate for myself, since on short trips you tend to spend a lot more per month than staying long term. I assume anyway. Probably a lot would depend on age, if working or retired, and if you have or planning to have a family. For me I am guessing I would want to be able to spend around $3000 per month, or a $36,000 annual budget, which would include travel and family expenses. Curious what the ballpark numbers are for long term expats here. I hear a lot of people throwing around numbers like $500 to $1000 a month. Doesn't seem reasonable to me the way prices are going here. Curious what the long term expats think.

[phuketrichard]

AGAIN???

use the search function [please

[PSD-Kiwi]

What is a reasonable annual budget for expats in Phnom Penh?

How long is a piece of string?

[Soi Dog]

I hear a lot of people throwing around numbers like $500 to $1000 a month. Doesn't seem reasonable to me the way prices are going here. Curious what the long term expats think.

I lived on around $600 per month in Thailand for quite a long time up to 2012. Those were running expenses, though. It took quite a bit of money up front on one-time items (bike, cooking gear, lifetime gym membership, etc.) in order to eventually live off that $600 per month. Definitely would be getting more difficult to live off that these days.

I found Cambodia to be generally more expensive. I would think $1000 per month minimum for a very modest lifestyle nowadays. Not much fun in that scenario. $2000 per month would definitely afford a very comfortable lifestyle for me there. The family men would most probably feel differently about that.

AGAIN???

use the search function [please

Could you not assume what this thread was about by it's title? If the recurring "how much to live" threads annoy you, then don't click on them.

[Bitte_Kein_Lexus]

Minimum 800$. Sky's the limit... To live comfortably, I'd say 1200-1500$/month. But as PSD said, it all depends on the individual. Where a person likes to eat out, what they like to do, how much they like to travel, what kind of apartment they want and so forth. If you think it would require ~3000$/month, then it would probably take that much though to be honest, I'd have trouble spending 3000$/month here. I think you're overestimating your expenses.

[CaliforniaGuy]

AGAIN???

use the search function [please

Geez, maybe a few links to threads you know would have been a tad more useful, not to say a bit more friendly.

[chkwoot]

$400/mo. bare minimum for me. $200 for rent, $50 for utitilities, $5/day for food (raw, non-processed, bought at supermarket, cooked/prepared by myself at home). I already have kitchen equipment, TV, PC, clothes, etc.

I was recently unable to go out for about 6 weeks and that's what I spent. So I know that this is my barest of minimum... but life gets boring pretty quickly!

[CaliforniaGuy]

... I found Cambodia to be generally more expensive. I would think $1000 per month minimum for a very modest lifestyle nowadays. Not much fun in that scenario. $2000 per month would definitely afford a very comfortable lifestyle for me there. The family men would most probably feel differently about that.
...

Minimum 800$. Sky's the limit... To live comfortably, I'd say 1200-1500$/month. But as PSD said, it all depends on the individual. Where a person likes to eat out, what they like to do, how much they like to travel, what kind of apartment they want and so forth. If you think it would require ~3000$/month, then it would probably take that much though to be honest, I'd have trouble spending 3000$/month here. I think you're overestimating your expenses.

Thanks Soi Dog and BKL. This is the kind of real life information I was wondering about. I know one can live on very little a "camping" lifestyle for a while, maybe a year or even more especially if you are young. After that it would tend to get a bit old. And is why I am guessing a lot of expats return home after a year. I was thinking more long term and pleasant relatively comfortable life. Of course we all know Khmers who get by on salaries of $150 a month, but that doesn't include their family network. Usually they live with their family, even after marriage, and pool their resources, help each other when sick, robbed, etc. The expat would not have that type of family support, and so necessarily need extra resources. Also for someone like me, while I do love Khmer cuisine, I cannot go without western food forever, and long term expenses would include some side trips to nearby countries occasionally. What about big expenses? Getting married, if married, a family illness or death can be costly here, or monthly support of wife's family, occasional airfare back to home country. All these have to be amortized in. Maybe an extra $5,000 plus per year on top of the monthly expenses. Amortizing all the extras is where I came up with the $3000 per month guesstimate. Maybe it is better to consider expenses on an annual, rather than monthly basis, where you have to include all these non-recurring expenses. Anyway a lot to think about. Thanks again for your input.

[joelightcloud]

I have a bike, car, wife and live in a villa and can live comfortably on $4,000 per month. $50,000 per year salary minimum if you don't want to "watch the pennies"

[CaliforniaGuy]

$400/mo. bare minimum for me. $200 for rent, $50 for utitilities, $5/day for food (raw, non-processed, bought at supermarket, cooked/prepared by myself at home). I already have kitchen equipment, TV, PC, clothes, etc.

I was recently unable to go out for about 6 weeks and that's what I spent. So I know that this is my barest of minimum... but life gets boring pretty quickly!

Good point! Nobody wants a boring life, I don't want a boring life in Cambodia, heck, I can have that anywhere. So the question then becomes, for a long term existence in Cambodia, what does it take for a interesting and pleasant life, not extravagant, but pleasant, something you could see yourself doing your whole life. Then it just becomes a question of finding a way to get from here to there.