Living in Sihanoukville: Cambodia's port city on about $1,100 a month
Beaches and island boats on a small budget, with a rough edge left by the casino boom. Here's what it costs, how safe it is, and who it suits.
- 71,082
- Population (2019)
- $1,100/mo
- Monthly budget · single
- 81°F / 27°C
- Avg temperature
Plan on about $1,100 a month in U.S. dollars for one person in Sihanoukville, with most single budgets in our 2026 data running from $800 to $1,400. A couple needs about $1,600 and a family of four about $2,400. A one-bedroom rents for about $400 near the center and about $300 farther out. For one person, that's below Siem Reap at about $1,200 and Phnom Penh at about $1,500.
The draw is the coast. Sihanoukville is Cambodia's main port and the jumping-off point for Koh Rong and the other islands, with Otres and Ochheuteal beaches close by. It suits independent people on a tight budget who put sea access ahead of polish: remote workers, divers and island-hoppers, and retirees who are comfortable living a long way from top-tier hospitals.
Here's the catch. Years of Chinese-backed casino building left half-finished towers across town and a rougher feel than the rest of the coast. The U.S. State Department's Cambodia advisory names Sihanoukville directly and tells visitors not to walk alone after dusk anywhere in the city. Spend a few weeks here before you sign a lease.
Reviewed and updated October 15, 2026 · 4 min read
At a glance
$1,100
Monthly budget · single person
$400/mo 1-bed rent, center
40/100
Safety index
$20
Internet / month
81°Fannual average
Sep 79° · Apr 83°
Climate
71,082
Population (2019)
Expatsi estimates, updated Oct 2026, based on rental listings, government statistics, and local reporting. Coverage here is thin, so treat these as a rough guide.
Cost of living
What it costs to live in Sihanoukville
Single person
$800–$1,400/mo
about 65% below Austin, TX
Couple
$1,200–$2,100/mo
about 65% below Austin, TX
Family of four
$1,900–$2,900/mo
about 70% below Austin, TX
Compared with Austin, TX (Expatsi estimate, 2026).
- $4 −80%
- Inexpensive meal
- $300–$500/mo −79%
- 1-bed rent, center
- $200–$350/mo −78%
- 1-bed rent, outside
- $20/mo −69%
- Internet
- $139/sq ft −79%
- Buy price, center
Expatsi estimates, updated Oct 2026, based on rental listings, government statistics, and local reporting. Coverage here is thin, so treat these as a rough guide.
Daily life
How Sihanoukville lives
- C grade, 14th percentile among the cities we track
- Dining & cafésmodest
- C grade, 10th percentile among the cities we track
- Arts & culturemodest
- C grade, 7th percentile among the cities we track
- Parks & outdoorsmodest
- C grade, 12th percentile among the cities we track
- Schools & educationmodest
- C- grade, 3rd percentile among the cities we track
- Healthcare accessmodest
- C- grade, 0th percentile among the cities we track
- Bike infrastructuremodest
- C- grade, 4th percentile among the cities we track
- Public transitmodest
Graded on OpenStreetMap amenity density relative to the 369 cities we track. Accessibility is the exception: it's graded against a fixed standard (terrain steepness and sidewalk surfaces), not a curve.
Climate
Weather through the year
Annual average 81°F (27°C) · 126 in of rain a year · Source: Open-Meteo Historical Weather API (temps: ERA5-Land 0.1°; precip/sunshine: ERA5 best-match; 1991-2020 normals)
On the ground
Scenes from Sihanoukville
Getting around
Transport in Sihanoukville
Most residents get around by tuk-tuk, and the easy way to book one is an app. Grab and PassApp both work here, and Grab lets you pay and tip by credit card, which saves haggling. Street tuk-tuks are fine too, but agree on the fare before you get in, since drivers in Sihanoukville tend to charge more than elsewhere in Cambodia.
Plenty of shops rent motorbikes by the day or month, and many long-term residents ride one. Two warnings from people who do: foreign riders get pulled over often for small on-the-spot fines, and some rental shops hold your passport as a deposit, which gets messy if the bike is stolen. If you ride, carry a valid license and keep a copy of your passport, not the original.
You don't need a car for daily life. For Phnom Penh, buses take about four hours on the expressway, and a private car takes from about two and a half. A slower train runs once a day in each direction, about six and a half hours. The State Department advises care on intercity buses, so pick an established company. Sihanouk International Airport sits about 12 miles (20 km) from town, and since June 2026 Cambodia Airways has flown daily to Siem Reap. Boats to Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem leave from Sihanoukville itself.
- 0.1/sq mi
- Transit stops
- 0.0/sq mi
- Bike infrastructure
- 0.5/sq mi
- Wheelchair-accessible places
Mapped features per square mile from OpenStreetMap.
Keep exploring
Places like Sihanoukville
Community
Community & practical notes
Safety, in practice: Sihanoukville scores 40 on our safety index, lower than Phnom Penh at 45 and Siem Reap at 52. The State Department's Cambodia advisory warns about bag and phone snatching from passing motorbikes, drugged drinks and armed robbery, and says online scam operations are common in the country. If a local job offer looks too generous, be wary: the advisory says English teachers have been lured by well-paid offers, and working in a scam center is a crime in Cambodia.
Healthcare: Care here is basic. Expats report using the international clinics and CT Clinic, with quality that ranges from poor to good. For anything serious, people go to Phnom Penh or fly to Bangkok. Most Cambodian hospitals don't accept U.S. health insurance and expect cash, so get an international policy that covers medical evacuation before you move.
LGBTQ expats: Same-sex relationships are legal in Cambodia, but the law defines marriage as between a man and a woman. There are no anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people in work, housing or anywhere else. A same-sex spouse can't get residence through your marriage here.
Black Americans: We couldn't find reporting on what daily life in Sihanoukville is like for Black Americans in particular. Before you commit, ask Black expats living elsewhere in Cambodia about their experience and plan a trial stay of a month or more.
Limited mobility: This is a hard city for wheelchair users. We couldn't find an accessibility guide from the city or a tourism board, construction sites are scattered across town, and app tuk-tuks are the main way to get around. Visit in person and test your daily routes before you rent.
Working online: Home internet runs about $20 a month in our data. That suits remote workers with portable U.S. income, but keep a mobile hotspot as a backup.
Retiring here: Retirees 55 and older can use Cambodia's ER retirement extension: you arrive on an ordinary E visa, then convert it in Phnom Penh into a 12-month, multiple-entry extension that doesn't allow paid work. The low costs and the beach make Sihanoukville tempting, but the distance from good hospitals matters more as you age, so weigh it against Phnom Penh. Compare your retirement visa options or start with our Cambodia guide.
Housing
Renting and buying
- 1-bed rent (center)
- $300–$500/mo
- 1-bed rent (outside center)
- $200–$350/mo
- Buy price (center)
- $139/sq ft
- Buy price (outside center)
- $84/sq ft
Expatsi estimates, based on rental listings, government statistics, and local reporting. Coverage here is thin, so treat these as a rough guide.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Can I retire in Sihanoukville?
Yes, if you're 55 or older. Cambodia's ER retirement extension lets you arrive on an ordinary E visa and convert it in Phnom Penh into a 12-month, multiple-entry stay that you renew each year. It doesn't allow paid work. Healthcare in Sihanoukville is basic, so retirees need insurance with medical evacuation.
How do you get from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville?
Most people take the expressway. Buses take about four hours with a rest stop, and a private car takes from about two and a half hours. A train runs once a day in each direction and takes about six and a half hours. Sihanouk International Airport has domestic flights, including a daily Cambodia Airways service from Siem Reap.
Is Sihanoukville cheaper than Phnom Penh?
Yes. A single person spends about $1,100 a month in Sihanoukville versus about $1,500 in Phnom Penh, based on Expatsi's 2026 data. A one-bedroom near the center rents for about $400 in Sihanoukville and about $700 in Phnom Penh. Phnom Penh has far better hospitals, though.
How much does it cost to live in Sihanoukville?
One person spends about $1,100 a month in U.S. dollars in Sihanoukville, and most single budgets fall between $800 and $1,400 in Expatsi's 2026 data. A couple needs about $1,600 a month and a family of four about $2,400. A one-bedroom apartment rents for about $400 a month near the center and about $300 farther out.
What is the weather like in Sihanoukville?
Hot all year, with an average temperature around 81F. April is the warmest month, with average highs near 88F. The rainy season peaks from July through September, and December through February is the driest stretch. Sihanoukville gets about 126 inches of rain a year.
What is healthcare like in Sihanoukville?
Basic. Expats report using a few private international clinics, with quality that varies, and many go to Phnom Penh or Bangkok for serious care. Most hospitals in Cambodia don't accept U.S. health insurance and expect cash payment, so an international policy with medical evacuation coverage is a must.
Is Sihanoukville safe for Americans?
Go in with care. The U.S. State Department rates Cambodia Level 2, exercise increased caution, and its advisory specifically tells visitors to avoid walking alone after dusk anywhere in Sihanoukville, especially along the waterfront. Motorbike bag snatching is common. Sihanoukville scores 40 on Expatsi's safety index, below Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
See how Sihanoukville fits your life
over 100 countries on what actually matters: cost, healthcare, climate, and safety. About five minutes.
Why not you?