Cambodia is still affordable, still welcoming, and still worth a serious look.
Whether you’re planning a trip, weighing a longer stay, or seriously considering the move, here’s what thirteen years of actually living here has taught us.
You’ve probably already tried the Facebook groups.
They’re full of good intentions and bad information — advice from three years ago, contradictory opinions, and questions that go unanswered for weeks. You end up more confused than when you started, and no closer to knowing what’s actually true.
We wrote this because we got tired of watching people make the same avoidable mistakes we made when we first arrived. Everything here is current as of 2026, and it comes from thirteen years of actually living in Cambodia — not a week-long research trip, and not a compilation of other people’s blog posts.
Cambodia doesn’t get the attention that Thailand or Vietnam receive, and that’s precisely what makes it worth a second look. The cost of living remains genuinely low. The culture is warm once you understand a handful of local customs. And unlike its more heavily touristed neighbors, it still feels like a place finding its own way, rather than one built entirely around foreign visitors.
My wife is Khmer, and I’ve lived here for thirteen years. Between the two of us, we’ve paid the foreigner tax more times than we’d like to admit — and learned, often the hard way, what actually works here and what doesn’t.
Four things that hold up, whether you’re here for two weeks or twenty years.
Genuinely comfortable, at a fraction of the cost
Not a backpacker’s compromise — real comfort, without the price tag you’d expect back home.
A culture that rewards a little effort
Learn a handful of local customs and courtesies, and you’ll find doors open far more easily than you expected.
Still relatively undiscovered
Fewer crowds, fewer traps built specifically for tourists, and more of the country as it actually is.
Useful at any stage
The knowledge that keeps you safe on a short visit is the same knowledge that helps you settle in for good.
The questions people ask in the forums every single day — answered properly, once.
- —Housing and rentalsHow contracts, deposits, and landlord expectations actually work here.
- —Utilities and billingThe setups that quietly cost foreigners more than they should.
- —Everyday costsWhat things really cost, so you can budget with confidence instead of guesswork.
- —What to bringThe things we wish we’d packed, and the things not worth the suitcase space.
- —Common trapsThe recurring tricks and setups that catch newcomers and visitors alike.
- —Settling inThe practical, unglamorous admin and logistics nobody explains clearly.
Every year, newcomers and visitors alike lose money and time to a handful of recurring traps: rental agreements that look standard but aren’t, utility billing setups that quietly overcharge foreigners, motorbike rentals with terms designed to work against you, and well-meaning “helpful” locals whose help comes with a hidden price. None of these are secret. They’re just rarely explained clearly — and they’re the kind of thing you only learn about after they’ve already cost you.
We cover all of it, in plain language, in the guide.
Get the Guide to Moving to Cambodia
Built for anyone making the move — and just as useful if you’re staying a while, or simply visiting. Thirteen years of lessons learned, updated for 2026.