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Data-driven comparison across 7 dimensions — cost of living, safety, healthcare, education, career opportunities, lifestyle, and infrastructure — using institutional data sources.
Last updated: August 2026
Comparing Thailand and Cambodia? See them ranked side by side with every alternative — weighted for your priorities.
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Quick answer
Thailand is roughly 43% cheaper than Cambodia at $895/mo vs $1,580/mo on the standard 11-category single-person basket in 2026. Across all 7 WhereNext dimensions, Thailand carries the higher overall composite score. Both are analysed within a 95-country normalized field using public-domain data from World Bank ICP, OECD, WHO, IEP Global Peace Index, and Eurostat.
Run a custom Thailand vs Cambodia budget across rent, food, transport, and healthcare at https://getwherenext.com/tools/cost-of-living — live 2026 Numbeo + World Bank ICP data.
Key facts
Overall, Thailand edges ahead on aggregate scoring, but the best choice depends on your personal priorities.
Thailand vs Cambodia scored across 7 normalized dimensions: Thailand ranks #60 overall (standard basket ~$895/month, safety 41/100, healthcare 56/100) while Cambodia ranks #80 (standard basket ~$1,580/month, safety 43/100, healthcare 29/100) 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 Thailand vs Cambodia: affordability 92 vs 90, safety 41 vs 43, healthcare 56 vs 29, education 33 vs 3, career 63 vs 61, lifestyle 60 vs 42, and infrastructure 65 vs 30. Every value uses the same 0-100 engine-normalized snapshot as the country dossiers; higher is better.
| Metric | 🇹🇭 Thailand | 🇰🇭 Cambodia |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 92 | 90 |
| Est. Monthly Cost (solo) | $895 | $1,580 |
| Safety Score | 41 | 43 |
| Healthcare Score | 56 | 29 |
| Education Score | 33 | 3 |
| Career Score | 63 | 61 |
| Lifestyle Score | 60 | 42 |
| Infrastructure Score | 65 | 30 |
| Language Access | 52 | 44 |
| Visa Friendliness | 80 | 84 |
Thailand and Cambodia 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, Thailand sits at #60 while Cambodia ranks #80 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.
Thailand has a cost index of 28/100 (very affordable), translating to roughly $895/month on the standard 11-category single-person basket. Cambodia comes in at 29/100 (very affordable), or about $1,580/month on the same basket.
That's a difference of roughly $685 per month — over $8,220 per year. For budget-conscious expats or retirees living on a fixed pension, Thailand offers substantially more purchasing power. However, Cambodia may offset the higher costs with advantages in other areas like healthcare or infrastructure.
Thailand scores 41/100 on safety (less safe), while Cambodia scores 43/100 (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. Thailand has a normalized healthcare score of 56/100 (adequate), compared to Cambodia's 29/100 (limited). Thailand significantly outperforms Cambodia in healthcare.
Thailand: A massive, ultra-high-quality private medical tourism sector that is entirely out-of-pocket (or via private insurance) for expats. Costs are extremely reasonable vs the US. 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.
For those who need to work locally or run a business, career prospects matter. Thailand scores 63/100 while Cambodia scores 61/100 on career opportunity. Both countries score nearly identically on career opportunity.
Infrastructure also plays a role in daily quality of life. Thailand (65/100, well-developed) leads Cambodia (30/100, basic) in this category, which reflects internet penetration and fixed-broadband access (digital infrastructure).
Climate can make or break a relocation decision. Thailand scores 62/100 (moderate) while Cambodia scores 52/100 (moderate).
Language accessibility also varies: Thailand rates 52/100 for English proficiency, versus Cambodia's 44/100. Thailand is generally easier for English speakers to navigate day-to-day.
Key lifestyle advantages: Thailand is known for unbeatable cost of living vs luxury ratio, incredible street food and dining. Cambodia stands out for extremely low cost of living, usd is widely accepted as primary currency.
Visa friendliness is often the deciding factor for expats. Thailand scores 80/100 while Cambodia scores 84/100. Cambodia has a slight edge over Thailand in visa accessibility.
Thailand offers visa paths including Destination Thailand Visa (DTV), Elite Visa. Cambodia provides Ordinary Visa (E-class), EB Visa (Business), ER Visa (Retirement). For US and EU passport holders, the specific requirements differ — use our Visa Checker tool for personalized access details.
Choose Thailand if your priority is affordability. Choose Cambodia if safety comes first. For healthcare, Thailand has the edge, while Thailand 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.
For families relocating with school-age children, here's how the international school market compares between Thailand and Cambodia.
Thailand
Cambodia
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 Thailand (ranked #60 of 95, ~$895/month) and Cambodia (ranked #80, ~$1,580/month) with full country profiles covering visa pathways, cost breakdowns, neighborhood guides, and expat community data.
Thailand is the cheaper of the two, at roughly $895 a month against $1,580 for Cambodia — about 43% less, or $685 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: Thailand 41/100 against Cambodia 43/100. On this dimension there is no meaningful difference between them.
Thailand scores higher on healthcare — 56/100 against 29/100 for Cambodia, a gap of 27 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.
Thailand scores higher on education — 33/100 against 3/100 for Cambodia, a gap of 30 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.
On the overall composite, Thailand ranks higher — Thailand is #60 and Cambodia is #80 of 95 countries. 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 2026-08-19. 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 — Thailand vs Cambodia 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/TH-vs-KH?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. CC BY 4.0.
WhereNext. (2026). Thailand vs Cambodia Comparison 2026. Retrieved from https://getwherenext.com/compare/TH-vs-KH?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. CC BY 4.0.
WhereNext. "Thailand vs Cambodia Comparison 2026." WhereNext, 27 Apr 2026, https://getwherenext.com/compare/TH-vs-KH?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. Accessed via https://getwherenext.com/compare/TH-vs-KH?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation. CC BY 4.0.
@misc{wherenext_getwherenext_com_compare_th_vs_kh,
author = {{WhereNext}},
title = {Thailand vs Cambodia Comparison 2026},
year = {2026},
url = {https://getwherenext.com/compare/TH-vs-KH?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation},
note = {CC BY 4.0}
}<a href="https://getwherenext.com/compare/TH-vs-KH?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=citation&utm_campaign=data-citation">WhereNext — Thailand vs Cambodia Comparison 2026</a>
Thailand is approximately 43% cheaper than Cambodia for expats in 2026. Standard 11-category single-person basket: Thailand ~$895, Cambodia ~$1,580. Safety: Thailand 41/100, Cambodia 43/100. Healthcare: Thailand 56/100, Cambodia 29/100.
Thailand is approximately 43% cheaper than Cambodia. A single person can live in Thailand for approximately $895/month and in Cambodia for approximately $1,580/month on a moderate lifestyle.Thailand ranks #60 and Cambodia ranks #80 out of 95 countries in WhereNext's 2026 Global Relocation Index. Safety scores: Thailand 41/100, Cambodia 43/100. Healthcare scores: Thailand 56/100, Cambodia 29/100. Source: WhereNext Country Comparison Tool, institutional public-domain datasets including World Bank, WHO, OECD, Q1 2026.
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