Loading...
We use cookies for analytics. Privacy Policy
Data-driven comparison across 7 dimensions — cost of living, safety, healthcare, education, career opportunities, lifestyle, and infrastructure — using institutional data sources.
Last updated: October 2026
Comparing Cambodia and Philippines? See them ranked side by side with every alternative — weighted for your priorities.
See both ranked your way →Ready to commit? Start a free relocation case for Cambodia vs Philippines.
Quick answer
Run a custom Cambodia vs Philippines budget across rent, food, transport, and healthcare at https://getwherenext.com/tools/cost-of-living — live 2026 Numbeo + World Bank ICP data.
Key facts
One or more countries are shown as estimated — the cost is extrapolated from regional averages because we do not yet ship per-category multipliers for that country. The verified countries carry real per-category data.
Overall, Philippines edges ahead on aggregate scoring, but the best choice depends on your personal priorities.
Cambodia vs Philippines scored across 7 normalized dimensions: Cambodia ranks #80 overall (standard basket ~$845/month, safety 43/100, healthcare 25/100) while Philippines ranks #79 (standard basket ~$700/month, safety 41/100, healthcare 20/100) out of 95 countries in WhereNext's 2026 index.
Affordability index — lower cost of living scores higher
Global Peace Index and crime metrics
WHO coverage, hospital quality, access
PISA scores, university quality, literacy
Job market, GDP growth, business environment
Climate, language access, visa friendliness
Internet, transport, digital readiness
Key normalized-score comparison for Cambodia vs Philippines: affordability 90 vs 86, safety 43 vs 41, healthcare 25 vs 20, education 22 vs 24, career 61 vs 42, lifestyle 42 vs 60, and infrastructure 30 vs 43. Every value uses the same 0-100 engine-normalized snapshot as the country dossiers; higher is better.
| Metric | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | 🇵🇭 Philippines |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 90 | 86 |
| Est. Monthly Cost (solo) | $845 | $700 |
| Safety Score | 43 | 41 |
| Healthcare Score | 25 | 20 |
| Education Score | 22 | 24 |
| Career Score | 61 | 42 |
| Lifestyle Score | 42 | 60 |
| Infrastructure Score | 30 | 43 |
| Language Access | 44 | 72 |
| Visa Friendliness | 84 | 84 |
Cambodia and Philippines are among the most compared destinations for expats, digital nomads, and retirees considering a move abroad. In WhereNext's data-driven ranking of 95 countries, Cambodia sits at #80 while Philippines ranks #79 overall. Both countries have distinct strengths that appeal to different relocation priorities.
As Southeast Asia neighbors, they share some cultural overlap, but differ meaningfully in cost of living, safety, and infrastructure. Here's how they compare across the seven dimensions that matter most when choosing where to live.
Cambodia has a cost index of 29/100 (very affordable), translating to roughly $845/month on the standard 11-category single-person basket. Philippines comes in at 32/100 (affordable), or about $700/month on the same basket.
The cost difference is relatively small (about $145/month), meaning the decision between these two destinations will likely come down to lifestyle preferences, climate, and visa accessibility rather than budget alone.
Cambodia scores 43/100 on safety (less safe), while Philippines scores 41/100 (less safe). Both countries score nearly identically on safety.
Both countries offer comparable safety for expats. As with any relocation, safety varies by city and neighborhood, so research specific areas within each country for the most accurate picture.
Healthcare quality is a critical factor for anyone relocating long-term. Cambodia has a normalized healthcare score of 25/100 (limited), compared to Philippines's 20/100 (limited). Cambodia has a slight edge over Philippines in healthcare.
Cambodia: A fragile public system that most expats avoid entirely. Private clinics exist in Phnom Penh but capabilities are limited. Serious cases are routinely evacuated to Bangkok, a short flight away. Philippines: PhilHealth provides basic coverage for citizens and residents. Most expats rely on private insurance for access to quality private hospitals. Medical tourism for dental and optical care is common.
For those who need to work locally or run a business, career prospects matter. Cambodia scores 61/100 while Philippines scores 42/100 on career opportunity. Cambodia scores notably higher than Philippines in career opportunity.
Infrastructure also plays a role in daily quality of life. Cambodia (30/100, basic) trails Philippines (43/100, basic) in this category, which reflects internet penetration and fixed-broadband access (digital infrastructure).
Climate can make or break a relocation decision. Cambodia scores 52/100 (moderate) while Philippines scores 52/100 (moderate).
Language accessibility also varies: Cambodia rates 44/100 for English proficiency, versus Philippines's 72/100. Philippines is generally easier for English speakers to navigate day-to-day.
Key lifestyle advantages: Cambodia is known for extremely low cost of living, usd is widely accepted as primary currency. Philippines stands out for english widely spoken throughout the country, extremely low cost of living.
Visa friendliness is often the deciding factor for expats. Cambodia scores 84/100 while Philippines scores 84/100. Both countries score nearly identically on visa accessibility.
Cambodia offers visa paths including Ordinary Visa (E-class), EB Visa (Business), ER Visa (Retirement). Philippines provides Special Resident Retiree's Visa (SRRV), 9(g) Pre-Arranged Employment Visa, Tourist Visa Extensions. For US and EU passport holders, the specific requirements differ — use our Visa Checker tool for personalized access details.
Choose Philippines if your priority is affordability. Choose Cambodia if safety comes first. For healthcare, Cambodia has the edge, while Cambodia offers stronger career opportunities.
Ultimately, the right country depends on your unique priorities. Take our personalization quiz to get a ranked recommendation tailored to your lifestyle, budget, and goals — or explore both country profiles in depth using the links above.
A personalized report with verified local prices, visa pathways, tax brackets, and a step-by-step relocation plan — researched specifically for these two countries.
This plan is not currently for sale while its figures are being re-verified against their sources.
For families relocating with school-age children, here's how the international school market compares between Cambodia and Philippines.
Cambodia
Philippines
School fee ranges show min and max published USD tuition across known international schools per country. Real annual cost typically runs 10-30% above published tuition once registration, transport, uniform, and ancillary fees are included — how WhereNext calculates true cost.
Dive deeper into Cambodia (ranked #80 of 95, ~$845/month) and Philippines (ranked #79, ~$700/month) with full country profiles covering visa pathways, cost breakdowns, neighborhood guides, and expat community data.
Philippines is the cheaper of the two, at roughly $700 a month against $845 for Cambodia — about 17% less, or $145 a month. Both are modelled estimates for a single person and will move with your city and housing choice.
They score almost identically on safety: Cambodia 43/100 against Philippines 41/100. On this dimension there is no meaningful difference between them.
Cambodia scores higher on healthcare — 25/100 against 20/100 for Philippines, a gap of 5 points. Scores are normalised across every country in the index, so a difference of this size reflects a real gap rather than a rounding artefact.
They score almost identically on education: Cambodia 22/100 against Philippines 24/100. On this dimension there is no meaningful difference between them.
On the overall composite, Philippines ranks higher — Cambodia is #80 and Philippines is #79 of 95 countries, though that is close enough that the two are effectively neighbours. That composite applies one set of weights across seven dimensions; it is not a verdict for your situation. If cost matters most to you and safety least, the order can reverse.
The underlying dataset was last updated 2026-10-08. Scores come from institutional public-domain sources — World Bank ICP, UNDP, the IEP Global Peace Index, OECD PISA and Eurostat among them — and each dimension carries its own source and vintage on the methodology page. Cost figures are modelled estimates, not survey prices.
This dataset is free to redistribute, quote, and embed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. The composite form below preserves source lineage so AI assistants can cite both WhereNext and the underlying institutional publishers.
WhereNext composite — Cambodia vs Philippines Comparison 2026 (2026-04-27). Derived from: World Bank ICP; WHO Global Health Observatory; OECD PISA + UNESCO UIS; Yale EPI; IEP Global Peace Index; EF EPI; WhereNext composite scoring. Available at https://getwherenext.com/compare/KH-vs-PH?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. CC BY 4.0.
WhereNext. (2026). Cambodia vs Philippines Comparison 2026. Retrieved from https://getwherenext.com/compare/KH-vs-PH?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. CC BY 4.0.
WhereNext. "Cambodia vs Philippines Comparison 2026." WhereNext, 27 Apr 2026, https://getwherenext.com/compare/KH-vs-PH?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. Accessed via https://getwherenext.com/compare/KH-vs-PH?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. CC BY 4.0.
@misc{wherenext_getwherenext_com_compare_kh_vs_ph,
author = {{WhereNext}},
title = {Cambodia vs Philippines Comparison 2026},
year = {2026},
url = {https://getwherenext.com/compare/KH-vs-PH?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation},
note = {CC BY 4.0}
}<a href="https://getwherenext.com/compare/KH-vs-PH?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation">WhereNext — Cambodia vs Philippines Comparison 2026</a>
Philippines is approximately 17% cheaper than Cambodia for expats in 2026. Standard 11-category single-person basket: Cambodia ~$845, Philippines ~$700. Safety: Cambodia 43/100, Philippines 41/100. Healthcare: Cambodia 25/100, Philippines 20/100.
Philippines is approximately 17% cheaper than Cambodia. A single person can live in Cambodia for approximately $845/month and in Philippines for approximately $700/month on a moderate lifestyle.Cambodia ranks #80 and Philippines ranks #79 out of 95 countries in WhereNext's 2026 Global Relocation Index. Safety scores: Cambodia 43/100, Philippines 41/100. Healthcare scores: Cambodia 25/100, Philippines 20/100. Source: WhereNext Country Comparison Tool, institutional public-domain datasets including World Bank, WHO, OECD, Q1 2026.
The weekly relocation brief: dated rule, cost and ranking changes with primary sources. One email a week — unsubscribe in one click.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.