Guide to Being a Digital Nomad in Cambodia in 2025
Increasingly people are choosing to be a Digital Nomad in Cambodia ahead of other more traditional places in the region, such as Indonesia, The Philippines, and Thailand in particular.
What is it actually like to base yourself in the Kingdom though, how does it compare to the rest of the region and what problems if any (there are lots actually) do you have to navigate? All of this and more in my guide to being a digital nomad in Cambodia by a digital nomad in Cambodia.
What is a Digital Nomad?
A digital nomad is someone who uses technology to work remotely while traveling. They’re not tied down to a specific location and can work from anywhere with a strong internet connection. Whether it’s freelance work, remote employment, or running an online business, the key feature of a digital nomad lifestyle is the flexibility to work from a variety of locations.
Digital nomads often travel to exotic or affordable destinations, living in different countries for extended periods, all while maintaining their careers remotely. It’s a growing movement, especially among millennials and entrepreneurs who crave freedom and a change from the traditional office environment.
The Overall Digital Nomad Cambodia Scene
The overall digital nomad scene in Cambodia is extremely good due to a number of key factors that we will get into during this guide. First and foremost though is the ease of getting here and living here. For most developed countries, Cambodia is an easy visa on arrival with it costing just $30 and being easily renewed at a visa office, or by visa runs. One can also simply “buy” a work visa, which we will go into more detail later.
Secondly, there is good, reliable, cheap internet, which is available throughout the country, with the data offerings being particularly good for the area. And it is overall a very cheap place to rent, buy, and generally live your life. Oh, and did we mention the weather?
Image: threeland.com
Cost of Living in Cambodia
We have written a more detailed article on the cost of living in Cambodia, which you can read here, but the overall fact though is that Cambodia is an extremely cheap place to live. Accommodation in the capital Phnom Penh can cost as little as $200 a month, with $500 getting you a serviced apartment with a gym and a pool. Utilities are equally reasonable, ranging from $30-100 a month depending on how much you like to use your AC. These lower if you move to other cities within Cambodia, although so do the facilities offered.
Other expenses are also minimal with things like a beer and dinner in downtown costing less than $5 at times, although should one wish to splash the cash, it is just as easy to spend big bucks at rooftop bars. Travel is also a negotiable expense with Grab offering a ride across town for just a few bucks and a 6-hour journey to Siem Reap costing just $12.50.
Digital Nomad Destinations within Cambodia
When it comes to destinations for nomads within Cambodia, the main two places are Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, both of which have the largest expat communities, as well as the best infrastructure, such as the two main airports of the country.
After this would come Kampot, which is heavily aimed at foreigners, as well as Battambang, which while less popular is big enough to offer most amenities. Sihanoukville is also fairly busy, although this for the most part consists of dodgy Chinese businessmen, as well as gamblers visiting the mostly unfinished casinos of the city. Koh Rong island is also a beautiful place to live, but only if you can mostly survive on 4G and LTE rather than need a super-fast internet connection.
Is There a Cambodian Digital Nomad Visa?
Currently, Cambodia does not offer a visa, unlike Thailand or Indonesia, that is aimed specifically at the digital nomad community, but this is actually not a bad thing, as what they do offer is far superior.
In Cambodia, for all intents, you can buy a work visa in the country with a work permit for around $450 a year. Said visa acts almost like a Green Card with you having the right to work as you please, including for yourself. In actuality, this makes it far superior to the Digital Nomad Visa of Thailand, which aside from needing to be renewed at 6-month intervals, does not actually offer all that much extra.
Can You Open a Bank Account as a Digital Nomad in Cambodia?
Should you spend the $450 and get yourself a work visa and permit, all banks in Cambodia will allow you to open a bank account there. This is another thing you get in Cambodia that does not come with a Digital Nomad Visa in Thailand. This actually makes Cambodia probably the easiest country within South-East Asia to do banking.
The number one by far for expats is ABA, who also provide the main QR payment pathway within the Kingdom. Popular alternatives include Accleda and Korean bank Woori, although pretty much all offer Visa, Mastercard, and even UnionPay options that can be used globally. For some reason, Cambodian bank accounts are not yet ApplePay-friendly.
You can read our article on the best banks for expats in Cambodia here.
Can You Use Paypal in Cambodia? How About Stripe etc?
Sadly, while opening a bank account that can be used to send and transfer money throughout the world is easy in Cambodia, sadly using Paypal and the like is not. Technically you can open a PayPal account in Cambodia, but it cannot be linked to a bank account, rendering it all but useless.
Other important apps such as Stripe and the like are also not available to use within Cambodia, which makes the place not all that business-friendly for freelancers. Although, of course, you can do these things in another jurisdiction and then just use an international card in Cambodia.
Can You Open a Company in Cambodia?
Another “negative” in Cambodia is that despite reports to the contrary, setting up a company in Cambodia is actually fairly time-consuming and indeed expensive. While there is no exact number, you can expect to drop $2k plus on opening a company in the country, as well as $500 a month on maintaining it.
This is thought much easier and cheaper than in say Vietnam or Thailand though, with the need to open one only really occurring if you are looking at doing a Cambodian-centric business, rather than being an already active nomad.
Can You Buy an Apartment as a Foreigner in Cambodia?
Another area where Cambodia scores high for being a nomad, retiree, or expat is the ease of acquiring property here. Much like other countries in the region, while foreigners cannot buy land, they can buy condos, that are not on the ground floor.
Generally speaking, a small 20 square meter unit in Phnom Penh or Sihanoukville can be picked up for as little as $40,000, or can be paid off over 4 years interest-free with as little as 10 percent down payment. The overall property market in Cambodia, unlike in say the Philippines, is also considered to be robust, making it a sound investment that can be liquidated should you decide to leave.
What is the Tax Situation for Digital Nomads in Cambodia?
Should you be lucky enough to get paid to travel, or work remotely, that does not alas mean you are also immune from death and taxes! So, the overall situation in Cambodia is that they have a sliding rate of tax that goes up to 20 percent that you pay if you are employed in Cambodia.
Should you work remotely, you are technically taxed on your global income if you spend more than 183 days a year within the Kingdom. Sadly, it is not like Georgia, for example, where you are not taxed on foreign-sourced income. With that being said though, I have not heard of foreigners bringing money into the country being hounded for tax. As with anything of this importance though, it is integral to do your own research and if necessary reach out to an accountant or lawyer should you need.
The Overall Nomad Setup
Infrastructure-wise, the overall digital nomad scene in Cambodia is also robust, particularly in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Both cities not only boast a great café (and bar) culture, but also have a ton of co-working spaces that can be used for “co-working”, as well as meetings. Examples include The Factory and The Desk.
Personally, I have never been a big fan of co-working, instead preferring to sit and work in my undercrackers! The good news here is that if you feel the same as me, internet is super cheap, with unlimited wi-fi and data barely setting you back $30. And while the nomad “scene” is not quite what it is in say Bangkok, it is not hard to meet fellow expats and nomads in Cambodia.
In Conclusion
It still fascinates me when I tell people I live in Cambodia that they still think it is some war-torn underdeveloped hell hole when in fact it could not be further from the truth. Cambodia is no North Korea and the days of the Khmer Rouge and Democratic Kampuchea are long gone! Now the country boasts a young forward thinking government and people that are extremely tech and foreigner friendly.
Yes, there are problems, but I can honestly say that for me at least, Cambodia, and Phnom Penh in particular, is the best place in South-East Asia, and perhaps Asia, to be a digital nomad, freelancer, or online entrepreneur.
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Author: Gareth Johnson
Gareth Johnson is the founder of Young Pioneer Tours and has visited over 180+ countries. His passion is opening obscure destinations to tourism and sharing his experience of street food.
