Composite profile
Overall score
62/100
Use the Phnom Penh profile to compare cost framing, country-level transport and healthcare context, and monsoon-climate resilience.
Overall62/100
Affordability78/100
Air quality55/100
Energy55/100
Cambodia / Southeast Asia
Phnom Penh, Cambodia City Intelligence
Phnom Penh is Cambodia's capital at the Mekong-Tonlé Sap confluence, with growing services activity and Southeast-Asian regional connectivity. Phnom Penh is a southeast asia city of about ~2.3M metro in Cambodia. On the composite city-intelligence score, Phnom Penh sits below the indexed median, with practical gaps to close (62/100).
- Last updated
- 2026-05-16
- Data year
- 2025
- Population
- ~2.3M metro
Image credit: Image: KY Geologist / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Overall city intelligence
Mixed62/100
Composite directional score across affordability, air quality, clean energy, and resilience.
Data confidence
Directional
Directional indicators pending integration of verified city-level data.
Verified utility layers
See country hub
Emergency, healthcare, and transport verification status appears on the country hub.
Phnom Penh data table
The table is part of the initial server-rendered HTML and mirrors the key city score cards.
| Metric | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 62/100 | Composite score across major city intelligence modules. |
| Cost of Living | 78/100 | Phnom Penh's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies. |
| Air Quality | 55/100 | Phnom Penh's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Energy | 55/100 | Phnom Penh's energy-readiness profile is a directional indicator that combines national policy framing with city-level adaptation context. |
| Safety | 59/100 | Phnom Penh's safety profile is a directional indicator; verified country-level emergency profiles attach via the country hub where available. |
| Internet Speed | 59/100 | Phnom Penh's connectivity profile is a directional indicator combining national digital-readiness context with widely cited speed-test references. |
| Climate Risk | 55/100 | Phnom Penh's climate-risk profile is a directional indicator combining regional hazard categories with national adaptation capacity. |
| Resilience | 55/100 | Climate adaptation and infrastructure continuity context. |
Safety
Deterministic safety estimates from our index — planning signals derived from country priors and city data, not official crime statistics.
Safety
Overall safety55/100
Low crime56/100
Personal safety57/100
Night safety49/100
Road safety57/100
Phnom Penh has a moderate safety estimate (55/100); standard urban precautions are advised, particularly after dark.
Quality of Life
A composite quality-of-life estimate and its component indicators.
Quality of Life
Quality of life59/100
Healthcare62/100
Education68/100
Green space40/100
Cleanliness57/100
Infrastructure66/100
Mobility60/100
Phnom Penh has a moderate quality-of-life estimate (59/100) across our combined indicators.
Family Friendliness
How the city scores for raising a family, with the indicators that drive it.
Family Friendliness
Family friendliness58/100
Education68/100
Green space40/100
Overall safety55/100
Phnom Penh scores moderate for family living (58/100).
Digital Nomad Suitability
Suitability for remote workers, based on connectivity, mobility, and livability.
Digital Nomad Suitability
Digital nomad suitability65/100
Walkability78/100
Cycling57/100
Infrastructure66/100
Phnom Penh is moderate for remote workers (65/100), based on connectivity, affordability and walkability and day-to-day amenities.
Retirement Suitability
Suitability for retirement, weighing healthcare, affordability, climate, and environment.
Retirement Suitability
Retirement suitability61/100
Healthcare62/100
Cleanliness57/100
Outdoor lifestyle23/100
Phnom Penh is moderate for retirement (61/100), appealing for affordability.
Emergency and public safety in Phnom Penh
Local public safety guidance for Phnom Penh, with the country-level emergency contacts that apply when calling for police, fire, or ambulance.
For the universal emergency contacts that apply in Phnom Penh, including police, fire, and ambulance, see the Cambodia emergency profile, which currently lists no verified national contacts.
Methodology and the wider source registry are documented on the scoring methodology and data sources pages.
Healthcare and hospitals in Phnom Penh
Healthcare context for Phnom Penh, with national-level information from Cambodia where city-specific data is not yet verified. This is informational only and does not provide medical advice.
For the national healthcare and public-health context that applies in Phnom Penh, see the Cambodia healthcare profile, which currently lists no verified national healthcare information.
Related sections: emergency and public safety, scoring methodology, and data sources.
Transport and mobility in Phnom Penh
Local mobility context for Phnom Penh, with national-level context from Cambodia where city-specific data is not yet verified. This is informational only.
For national transport authorities and operators that apply in Phnom Penh, see the Cambodia transport profile, which currently lists no verified national transport information.
Related sections: emergency and public safety, healthcare and hospitals, cities directory, countries directory, scoring methodology, data sources.
Air quality dataset
Source-attributed air-quality dataset for Phnom Penh. Verified measurements are surfaced when published from accepted official datasets; transparent fallback is shown otherwise.
Air quality dataset for Phnom Penh
Verified data unavailableLast updated 2026-05-16 / data year 2025
Verified air-quality measurements are not yet published for this location
Source-attributed values for Phnom Penh will appear here after the platform integrates verified measurements from accepted official publishers. Until then, structured air-quality module context remains available on the dedicated module page.
| Metric | Value | Data year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air quality | Verified air-quality measurements are not yet published for this location. | ||
Data provenance
Source attributionGlobal City Intelligence — air-quality dataset
Verified data unavailable- Publisher
- Global City Intelligence
- Last verified
- 2026-05-16
The air-quality dataset begins empty by design. Verified city-level measurements appear here only after they are sourced from accepted publishers (WHO, EEA, US EPA, OpenAQ, OECD, or official national/city environmental agencies).
Methodology and context
Numeric measurements appear in this section only after they are sourced from accepted official publishers. The dataset is independently validated at build time; malformed records cannot ship to production.
- Scoring methodology — how indicators across the platform are constructed.
- Data sources registry — the official sources cited by verified datasets.
- Open the Phnom Penh air-quality module
- Browse the clean-air city collection
Quick answers
Quick, evidence-based answers about Phnom Penh drawn from this profile's indexed cost, climate, safety, economy, education, healthcare and nearby-nature data. Figures are deterministic estimates for orientation — verify specifics with official sources.
Quick answers about Phnom Penh
Is Phnom Penh worth visiting?
Yes — good quality of life (59/100) and a tourism economy economy.
Is Phnom Penh good for families?
Good (58/100) on safety, schools and green space.
Is Phnom Penh affordable?
More affordable than average; about 2,570,000 KHR/month for one person (estimate).
When is the best time to visit Phnom Penh?
Late spring to early autumn; warmest in Jul, coldest in Jan.
What are Phnom Penh's main industries?
Mainly government, tourism, hospitality.
What is the climate in Phnom Penh?
A tropical climate, averaging about 26.6°C.
Does Phnom Penh have universities?
Higher education is good (64/100).
What is healthcare like in Phnom Penh?
Healthcare access is good (58/100).
Is Phnom Penh good for retirement?
Retirement suitability is good (62/100).
What nature is near Phnom Penh?
No major nature destinations are indexed within day-trip range.
Related comparisons
Pairs that share a city, comparison intent, or region — useful for users planning a wider relocation, remote-work, or business decision.
Explore Phnom Penh modules
City pages link to module and ranking pages so crawlers can move through the topic cluster naturally.
Cost of Living in Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies.
Air Quality in Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated.
Energy in Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh's energy-readiness profile is a directional indicator that combines national policy framing with city-level adaptation context.
Safety in Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh's safety profile is a directional indicator; verified country-level emergency profiles attach via the country hub where available.
Internet Speed in Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh's connectivity profile is a directional indicator combining national digital-readiness context with widely cited speed-test references.
Climate Risk in Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh's climate-risk profile is a directional indicator combining regional hazard categories with national adaptation capacity.
City rankings
Compare this city against other indexed cities in crawlable ranking tables.
Cost of living in Phnom Penh
Cost of living estimates for Phnom Penh — monthly budgets, rent, food, and transport in the local currency, plus an affordability score for comparison. Planning estimates derived from country baselines, not live prices.
Climate in Phnom Penh
Climate profile for Phnom Penh — Tropical climate, annual average 26.6°C, comfort score 66/100. Month-by-month temperatures, rainfall, sunshine, and the best months to visit. Deterministic planning estimates, not a forecast.
Economy and jobs in Phnom Penh
Economy and jobs profile for Phnom Penh — tourism economy, economy score 61/100, key industries including government, tourism, hospitality. Employment, salary, startup, remote-work, and career indicators. Deterministic planning estimates.
Universities and education in Phnom Penh
Education profile for Phnom Penh — regional education center, education score 62/100, 5 representative universities, plus research, student life, and international-student indicators. Deterministic dataset, not institutional rankings.
Healthcare and retirement in Phnom Penh
Healthcare and retirement profile for Phnom Penh — mixed healthcare profile, healthcare score 58/100, retirement score 62/100. Medical access, specialist and emergency care, affordability, and retirement suitability. Deterministic planning estimates.
Estimate a monthly budget for Phnom Penh
Estimate a monthly budget for Phnom Penh using your own housing, food, transport, healthcare, and lifestyle inputs. Planning estimator only — not an official cost-of-living measurement.
Plan a trip budget for Phnom Penh
Plan a trip budget for Phnom Penh using your own accommodation, food, local transport, activities, travel, healthcare buffer, and emergency buffer inputs. Planning estimator only — not an official travel cost estimate.
Nearby cities from Phnom Penh
Where else nearby you could spend a day or a weekend from Phnom Penh. Links are derived from geographic proximity, shared region, shared natural-recreation areas, transport corridors, and country borders — not popularity or tourism rankings.
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Cross-border · about 213 km from Phnom Penh. Explore Ho Chi Minh City's city intelligence profile.
Bangkok, Thailand
Cross-border · about 538 km from Phnom Penh. Explore Bangkok's city intelligence profile.
Da Nang, Vietnam
Cross-border · about 613 km from Phnom Penh. Explore Da Nang's city intelligence profile.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Cross-border · about 1002 km from Phnom Penh. Explore Kuala Lumpur's city intelligence profile.
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Cross-border · about 1025 km from Phnom Penh. Explore Chiang Mai's city intelligence profile.
Phnom Penh FAQ
Common questions about living in, visiting, working in, studying in and retiring to Phnom Penh, answered from the indexed cost-of-living, climate, safety, economy, education, healthcare and nearby-nature data on this profile.
Frequently asked questions about Phnom Penh
Is Phnom Penh worth visiting?
Phnom Penh has a moderate quality-of-life estimate (59/100) across our combined indicators. Visitors can also reach nature such as nearby parks and countryside within weekend range.
What is it like to live in Phnom Penh?
Phnom Penh has a moderate quality-of-life estimate (59/100) across our combined indicators. It indexes 59/100 for overall quality of life.
How much does it cost to live in Phnom Penh?
A single resident of Phnom Penh spends roughly 2,570,000 KHR per month, with a one-bedroom rent near 1,360,000 KHR. Overall the city is more affordable than average for Cambodia. These are modelled estimates, not live quotes — verify locally.
What should I know about moving to Phnom Penh?
Plan for below-average living costs and check current rents before relocating. Phnom Penh is moderate for remote workers (65/100), based on connectivity, affordability and walkability and day-to-day amenities.
What is the job market like in Phnom Penh?
Phnom Penh's labour market is moderate, with opportunities concentrated in tourism and hospitality, finance and professional services and technology. Phnom Penh has a tourism-driven economy with strengths in government, tourism and hospitality.
Is Phnom Penh good for digital nomads and remote work?
Phnom Penh offers solid infrastructure and amenities for remote professionals, with a remote-work score of 58/100.
What are the education options in Phnom Penh?
Phnom Penh is a regional education center with a mix of universities and research activity in our dataset, spanning fields such as Engineering, Economics and Law.
Is Phnom Penh a good place to study?
Phnom Penh offers a strong student environment, supported by walkable neighborhoods and relatively affordable living.
What is healthcare like in Phnom Penh?
Phnom Penh has a mixed healthcare profile, supported by hospitals, specialist services, and public-health infrastructure, with a healthcare score of 58/100. Residents have solid access to healthcare across primary, specialist, and emergency care.
Is Phnom Penh a good place to retire?
Phnom Penh offers a combination of healthcare access, safety, and amenities that may appeal to retirees, with a retirement score of 62/100. Residents benefit from walkable streets and day-to-day services.
What is the climate like in Phnom Penh?
Phnom Penh has a tropical climate, averaging about 26.6°C annually with roughly 1400 mm of rain. The hottest month is Jul and the coldest Jan. The driest is typically Jan.
Is Phnom Penh a safe place to live?
Phnom Penh has a moderate safety estimate (55/100); standard urban precautions are advised, particularly after dark.
How easy is it to get around Phnom Penh?
Phnom Penh indexes a walkability score of 78 and a cycling score of 57 out of 100. Check the local operator for live transit routes and fares.
What nature and outdoor places are near Phnom Penh?
Phnom Penh has limited indexed nature destinations within day-trip range.
Is Phnom Penh good for families?
Phnom Penh scores moderate for family living (58/100).
What outdoor activities are there around Phnom Penh?
Phnom Penh rates 23/100 for outdoor lifestyle and 40/100 for green space.
Interpretation
Use the Phnom Penh profile to compare cost framing, country-level transport and healthcare context, and monsoon-climate resilience. Its standout dimensions are cost of living (78/100) and safety (59/100). The area most worth watching is climate risk (55/100), where the model registers practical gaps. Data year 2025; last updated 2026-05-16. Drawn from 4 institutional references.
Country context is available on the Cambodia country page. Related rankings include Overall Intelligence, Quality of Life, Remote Work. See where Phnom Penh appears in global rankings or read the scoring methodology.
Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation. Verified datasets are being integrated; official sources should be used for critical decisions.
Sources
4 institutional references inform this view, listed below with reliability notes. Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation; verified datasets are being integrated and official sources should be used for critical decisions.
- UN-Habitat: World Cities Report 2024
Used as a policy and methodology reference for urban exposure and resilience signals.
- NASA: NASA POWER
Used as an energy-resource and weather-normalization reference.
- World Health Organization: WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines
Used to normalize air-quality indicators toward health-protective benchmarks.
- IPCC: AR6 WGII Chapter 6: Cities, settlements and key infrastructure
Used to explain urban climate vulnerability and adaptation scoring logic.