The Frugal Vlog - E75 -How Cheap Is It To Live In Siem Reap?? 🇰🇭 Siem Reap

[@TwoMadExplorers]

Cost of living for us in Ireland in 2021 was €4,000-4,500 per month, if we ate out a few times it would go up to at least €5,000. Now in South East Asia we range between €600-1200 per month! Plus quality of life has improved 10x ❤

[@FrugalWanderer]

Wow. I knew that Ireland was expensive but I didn't think it was that bad. No wonder you guys are so happy over here and in your vlogs. Not spending that much just to live must feel amazing. It's nice to know that you can live a decent lifestyle here for way less than back home. I do not want to return. If I can find a way to stay over here, I will.

[@wumao_gang1020]

No way better it’s that expensive

[@user-StewMurp]

Well done Nice keeping within your budget. Surprising

[@FrugalWanderer]

I am doing my best to maintain my budget. It's surprisingly easy here. Especially with the cost of food at the market.

[@ruthp448]

Thanks for sharing your video.

[@FrugalWanderer]

Thank you for watching it.

[@mikk1332]

Thanks for sharing

[@FrugalWanderer]

No worries. I appreciate you checking out the video. Thanks for being here.

[@franclyspeaking]

Great vlog Sean! It’s even cheaper than I thought. So great you can enjoy yourself and so cheaply! Super happy for you!

[@FrugalWanderer]

It's cheaper, or I'm cheaper? haha. The cost of things are not expensive at all here. I'm sure that I can budget in a meal at a restaurant once a week and it will still be reasonable. I am thinking of doing that to be honest. Just to see what the restaurants are like.

[@gmm5550]

Interesting, its alot more expensive here in Philippines rent water electricity is almost double and internet /sim too. we pay almost same in electricy but i dont use ac much but have a electric oven and we have brownouts pretty often to as a bonus. Food is really similar prices or almost alittle cheaper in phillipines and transport seems to be cheaper in Philippines too. the sweet spot for many expats here in Philippines incl me seems to be around 1200-1550$ if u dont are a bar and lady man of course , but its highly personal and depending where u live and what u do and life u live Longer u stay in a country cheaper it gets.

[@FrugalWanderer]

Thanks for the insights into the costs in the Phillipines. May I ask if you are in a big city or more rural. I assume that rural living is cheaper. I've heard that it is much cheaper outside the city but the electricity problems with brown outs seems to happen more often. It's happened here a few time but only for a few minutes at a time. Thanks again

[@gmm5550]

@@FrugalWanderer live in a pretty big city, iloilo city think its about 400000 ppl in the city and its one of the cleanest citys in se-asia .. In rural areas i MOST se-asian countrys u can sure survive like a a local on almost nothing... but is that a life? ..and Philippines electrical net are often wobbly and sensitive to weather..its 7000 islands u know same with the internet.

[@FrugalWanderer]

@@gmm5550 I am looking forward to visiting the Phillipines one day. I have many friends back in Canada that are from there and they all speak very highly of it.

[@TheBuddyShowWorldwide]

@@FrugalWanderer Filipino food sucks. I lived in Cebu City for 6 weeks. I had to get back to Thailand and soon, SR.

[@FrugalWanderer]

@@TheBuddyShowWorldwide I've only had Jollibee back in Canada and some pasta sauce that was very sweet. I'm curious about what else they offer there, but I'll reserve judgement until I get there. I have a while to prepare myself. Haha

[@chrisbarry7836]

Hi .I just found your channel,loving it .Keep up the good work .Stay safe and enjoy your adventure

[@FrugalWanderer]

Welcome to the channel and thank you so much for the kind words.

[@ruthp448]

Wow very budgets

[@FrugalWanderer]

I try to stick to a fairly strict budget. I do it mostly to see how far I can stretch my money.

[@mimibigdy1917]

How much do healthy and happy cost? Happy and healthy life is priceless.

[@FrugalWanderer]

I agree. I have lived a sad and miserable life int he past and I know how much that cost me. haha

[@smythe62]

Well done. That’s works way below what I guessing. Medical insurance? Thanks for posting !

[@FrugalWanderer]

I have insurance from back home that I maintain. It's just my insurance and I had it before getting here so it's a cost I have regardless of where I live.

[@Anomalyy666]

​@FrugalWanderer how much?

[@w.m.p-w8989]

Good and healthy life on the cheap...

[@FrugalWanderer]

I agree. I live a much healthier lifestyle here. I've lost a ton of weight between the better diet, the constant exercise and to be honest my mental state is better here so being happy makes me not binge on garbage. I am so happy that I moved here.

[@freakyfred543]

I hope to be there soon. Thanks for the videos.

[@FrugalWanderer]

You are very welcome. Thank you for watching and safe travels. It's quite the spot. When are you planning on getting here

[@carldseekingpeace]

Thank goodness we all are different, so, when you think about we all are odd. Isn't that great!?!

[@FrugalWanderer]

Everyone is definitely unique and odd in their own right. How anyone can consider themselves normal just baffles me. Haha

[@stur6641]

nice break down

[@FrugalWanderer]

Thanks. I tried to break it down as simply as possible.

[@michaelirish1445]

Really good break down of pricing. Great blog

[@FrugalWanderer]

Thank you. I was not happy with my breakdown I did when I made a similar video in Thailand. So I learned from my mistakes and tried to be more clear here. Thank you for the positive feedback. It's greatly appreciated when our hard work is recognized. I appreciate it.

[@michaelirish1445]

Yeh I work online in construction industry, totally thankless industry, so I try to give other encouragement. Hey not sure if you have already done this, but when I got here, I stuffed around looking for place after place and spent too much on hotels when I could have found a popular expat guesthouse with a month to month price. If I knew where to stay for a month from the start it would have been a totally different experience.

[@FrugalWanderer]

@@michaelirish1445 well the encouragement is appreciated. I've been pretty lucky so far with places to live. I got a very inexpensive hotel for a few days and I went to a realtor here locally that took me to see a bunch of apartments. I got a nice one on a 3 month lease that I can extend if I want to. Because of that I've been able to keep my housing costs down to a reasonable level.

[@michaelirish1445]

@@FrugalWanderer yes I went to one agent that was recommended by For Riel, KZbin bloggers but they wouldn’t show me anything under 300. Can you recommend an agent or long stay hotel?

[@FrugalWanderer]

@@michaelirish1445 I went to IPS realty here and worked with Soney. He showed me a bunch of places between $200 and $250. He was able to because they were available. I know that the rental market has a quick turnaround here.

[@alainbelanger9852]

I walked that along that river in 2023, it’s a nice town. I’m curious as to what 200$ rent gets you. A visit to Angkor Wat will set you back a 1/3 of a month’s rent. I remember meals in restaurants costing about 10-15$ per person.

[@FrugalWanderer]

I made an apartment tour video here if you are interested in seeing what I get for $200. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmK7maSFjtCUedUsi=feoJNuRmgYKVIzu4 You can definitely spend more if you eat out at the fancier or more western restaurants. I try to eat local as much as I can. I have had enough western food back home in Canada, so I want to see how great the local cuisine is, and I have not been disappointed. It's a lot different than the foods I'm used to but they are all delicious and I'm happy with it.

[@welshxrp906]

Great way of living. Do you have health insurance?

[@FrugalWanderer]

I do have it, but I don't include the costs because that is not something I purchased here, but back home before I left. I had it in Canada too, so it's just an expense I have no matter where I am.

[@dakotagearhart]

Nice video thank you

[@FrugalWanderer]

Thank you for watching.

[@cookietulis6252]

Can I offer a few suggestions.....that brand of water you are paying $3 for should only be around 3 - 3,500 riel each jug. And it is crappy anyhow - check the nozzle of the jug - it is absolutely filthy....dirt, dead bugs etc. Funnily enough there is an Italian guy who works for an NGO in SR and manages the public water safety, so regularly testing. He said the tap water (assuming it is from the city, rather than a well) is consistently cleaner than many cities in Europe. I also tested it with a TDS reader over on the Wat Bo side, and it is surprisingly good quality. Boil to be safe, buy a Brita style water filter at Makro for $20 on National road 6 to be absolutely certain. And fans, fans, fans.....they use 1% the kw/h electricity of the AC and only cost $10 each. Buy 3 and they have paid for themselves within 10 days.....just need to put the AC on for 10 or 15 mins or so when it gets too steamy to get the temps down, and the let the fans do the rest of the work. At this time of the year, around $100 for electricity is not *too* hideous - the base rate is pretty pricey in Cambodia - but might be worth making sure the filters on the AC are clean. Easy enough to take them out and hose them down with the shower, or even get a repair guy to come in and clean everything out....possibly will knock $20 a month off the electric bill. Good vid though....seems on par with my expenses in SR. We were on $750-ish per month, but that was for 2 people.

[@gmm5550]

yeah..burn ac for a short time and go with the fan is standard and keep all doors and windows shut all time ..se-asian houses/condos is built for keeping the heat out. a fan is cheap and draws nothing electric Did see a youtube film about how they cheat with the big blue water bottles..tapwater and simple heat plastic sleve.

[@FrugalWanderer]

Thanks for the tips. I understood that the water is cheaper if I get it myself but I don't mind the premium for not having to carry it upstairs by myself. Haha. I had no idea about the quality. I was honestly thinking of getting a Brita to use in the fridge and use that with the blue bottle water. I may look into using it on the tap water and see how it goes. I have also heard that the water.here is supposed to be pretty good. During the day I don't turn on the AC much. Usually only for a short amount of time to cool the room down and.i do keep the windows closed with the curtain drawn to keep it cool. The past week I have turned it on more often because I've been out filming videos and when I get back I just need some cool air. Not going to lie., I have been relaxing sometimes and fallen asleep for a nap because it's so comfortable. Haha. I normally just use the fan and that works the majority of the time .I do like to have it on when I go to sleep and I keep it on a timer for 2 hours so it shuts off while I'm sleeping. There has been a few times the timer didn't work and I woke up to the AC still going. I'm not going to complain. The bill wasn't too bad for the electricity and it's good to know that it seems reasonable this time of year. I'm still very happy to be here. Siem Reap is a wonderful city and i can't wait for it to cool down a little.

[@NancyGarland-qw3tz]

Could we get a tour of your apartment Ty 😊

[@FrugalWanderer]

I will do one when I leave. After what happened to me in Siem Reap, I am a little leary on sahring anything about my current home while I am there. It will happen though. Thank you

[@johnnysukhumvit9242]

How many times have you been to Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples this month? Do you buy your groceries at Makro? Do you know where that it?

[@FrugalWanderer]

I haven't gone to Angkor wat yet. I have been holding off until the rainy season. I've always wanted to see it that way, so since I'm in no rush here I'm going to wait until later in the year. I have not done any shopping at the Makro. I know where it is and I've been to one in Bangkok. It's a fair distance from my place and I walk everywhere. Or I should say that I did. I just bought a bicycle the other day. I may drive down and check it out one of these days. It felt like a Costco back home.

[@johnnysukhumvit9242]

@@FrugalWanderer Funny you said that, because I bicycled down to Makro from my place in SR. It is quite a ride. But you can same half of what you'll pay at Pencil Market.

[@FrugalWanderer]

@@johnnysukhumvit9242 I haven't been to the Pencil Market either. Where is that located so I can steer clear of it. Haha

[@johnnysukhumvit9242]

@@FrugalWanderer Hwy 5, i think. It has cheap Beer Lao. Best beer in the world.

[@FrugalWanderer]

I don't drink at all, but I have some friends coming to visit that do, so I'll keep that in my back pocket for them. Haha. Thanks.

[@andrewrobinson2565]

Just caught up again. Herbalife (pyramid/multilevel marketing trap) should sponsor you as you walk past that bench in most videos 😊. Fab frugal update. 👍+1

[@FrugalWanderer]

Haha. I never even see the bench when I'm walking. I guess years of adverts like that on benches back home has made me numb to it. I've never tried their product and have no intention on it thanks to your description. I don't think I would take a sponsorship from that kind of company either. I will be pretty choosy if I ever do start doing sponsored spots.

[@andrewrobinson2565]

@@FrugalWanderer One of my "friends" took me along to a Herbalife meeting, just as I imagine an evangelical born-again religion to be. I bought a tub from him but it's not a workable business model. Lots on KZbin about people in Central America and the Philippines (?) getting into serious debt chasing these empty dreams. Keep on living your VERY REAL frugal dream built on rock-steady and solid foundations 👍.

[@FrugalWanderer]

@@andrewrobinson2565 I've seen those kinds of business models all of my life and I have always stayed far away from them. A quick buck is always an empty dream. I'll stick with doing what I do. I may not be making any money from this channel yet, I have warned a boatload of wealth from folks stopping by, leaving comments and sharing their stories with me. That is priceless to me and I would rather search out that than traditional wealth. Thanks for the comment and conversation. I appreciate you and thankful to have you here.

[@andrewrobinson2565]

@@FrugalWanderer You are in my top ten richest people 👍. All anyone needs is: peace, a financial cushion, access to shelter, food and water, to be a "good person" to sustain a stable mindset, and to spend LESS money than the amount which is coming in. In your case, all bases covered, it would seem 😀👍.

[@andrewrobinson2565]

@@FrugalWanderer In my case, VERY nearly there, if not there already 🤔👍.

[@roygoad2870]

Yes Siem Reap gets very hot at this time of year, I live right next to the sea in Jomtien/Pratamnak Thailand and I never use the aircon in 4 years, only a fan, my electric bill is around $20 a month, electric is cheaper than Cambodia. Siem Reap is a great cheap place to live for sure, but it’s inland, I love to live by the sea/beach personally. Cost of living between Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam is pretty similar imo!

[@FrugalWanderer]

I do find the cost of living to be similar to what it was for me in Thailand. Once the evenings get down to the low 20s instead of the high 20s I'll start sleeping with my windows open again and use just the fan. Last night it was 33C at midnight and I needed the AC on. Haha. I grew up in Florida and I remember the night breezes off the ocean were great. I'm assuming it is similar for you in Jomtien. I was only in Jomtien for a day to visit my friends Fran and Sarah and I thought Jomtien was lovely. You picked a nice spot to live.

[@gmm5550]

chonburi / jomtien is by the coast its alot cooler there than siem reap that is in country. Did live in central thailand in Petchabun that is like a bowl surrounded by mountains a while and it was like a owen some periods with zero wind or water and had to buy water from pretty expensive trucks electric was fixed state prices and pretty cheap as usual in Thailand.

[@baldergems627]

Great info. Let me knpw if you come by Tay Ninh in Vietnam. Close to Cambodia border.

[@FrugalWanderer]

I just looked on the map. The chances are good that I will be passing though there but I am unsure. I haven't purchased my bus tickets yet, so I do not know where I will be crossing.

[@baldergems627]

Yeah, im a bit up road opposite to Saigon direction where im sure you go. This city here has some things thats uniqe to see too.But also, I live normally in the north, 6 hours drive drive up from Hanoi, and we are debating daily when we will go back up. Lets see when we get going and leave Tay Ninh for now. We had 3 years down here while having a baby. Time to go home to the gemstone mining area and live that special aventure. Ok, im already rambling, I would gladly advise anything and Ive bene here 9 years. Almost 7 in the north and soon 3 in the south now. Cheers,. don't hesitate to ask me anything. I love such blogs as you have. (sorry about typos)@@FrugalWanderer

[@baldergems627]

Btw, I live 25-30min drive on my scooter from the border station you will pass through :)@@FrugalWanderer

[@FrugalWanderer]

@@baldergems627 that's cool. I'm pretty sure that my trip to Vietnam will be a quick stop at the border and then on to Hi Chi Minh city but when I return, I may try to stop there for a day. Not sure. It depends on how the trip goes. I'm excited to visit Vietnam.

[@FrugalWanderer]

@@baldergems627 You sound like a wealth of information and I will definitely let you know if I stop in Tay Ninh. Thank you

[@timallison8560]

so basically $600 a month, not bad at all.

[@FrugalWanderer]

Yep. It's definitely easy to stretch a dollar here. I love it

[@flighteye6642]

It seems living life there at $550usd is much much better than what you paid to live in Freddy. That's the ultimate measure you should have mentioned.

[@FrugalWanderer]

You are correct. It is much cheaper. I think I've said it in other videos but not this one. My food costs back in Canada are roughly the same as my total expenses here. That was the most shocking part for me. From what I hear, the cost of food isn't getting any better back home either and that sucks.

[@Anomalyy666]

Im thinking about moving away from canada on my frugal disability. Better than maid. @@FrugalWanderer

[@TheVoiceofReason4ya]

What are you filming on? The 4k and the colours look great! I am thinking about Siem Reap next year myself, Canada is cooked. New sub.

[@FrugalWanderer]

I used the DJI pocket 3 for this recording. It is a great camera and I've had a blast using it. I do a little bit of colour correction but out of the camera the colour is fine. I just like tweaking it a little. I hope you get to Siem Reap. I love it here and it feels a little bit like Canada here. Hard to describe, but it's just a feeling. The people are wonderful and kind and things are a little different than in Thailand. So it feels to me like Thailand is the states and Cambodia is Canada. This is a super generalized statement, but it kind of describes how I feel here. Canada has been cooked for a while. I gave up when I went grocery shopping and I couldn't find a load of bread for under $5. There is no way that I can afford to live a decent lifestyle there any longer. I much prefer things here. It's not perfect, but I kind of like it's imperfections. Thanks for coming along. Feel free to ask any questions and if you want some tips for when you do get here, just let me know. I'll try to help out.

[@Anomalyy666]

​@FrugalWanderer how do you earn your income?

[@rsanders1569]

dammnnnn. That's incredible. Jeez. I cannot wait to make my transition to SE Asian.

[@FrugalWanderer]

I'm happy that I finally did it for myself. The cost savings is one thing but the quality of life over here is something that I cannot put a price on. It's truly amazing here.

[@upgray3d]

@@FrugalWanderer this is what i keep coming back to.. it seems amazing to live so cheap, allowing many people to semi or flat out retire... which is so insanely huge on its own.. BUT! its a better quality of life! period! its a better quality of life and healthier life at 1/10th or 1/15th the price!!!! once you see this, you cannot unsee it and it will haunt you until you leave to embrace it.

[@mbvalency]

why so much for electricity? what's the price per kWh?

[@FrugalWanderer]

The price of electricity in Cambodia is quite steep in SE Asia. It's 25 cents per kilowatt hour. I was expecting it to be a little pricey this month

[@mbvalency]

@@FrugalWandererI'm in Germany and the price for electricity is really high, because of our incapable government. Paying 31 Eurocents at the moment, 27 with the new supplier in 8 weeks. As you say, not cheap. In the neighboring Thailand it's half the price. It's quite shocking that cambodia can be more expensive than thailand with some things.

[@FrugalWanderer]

@@mbvalency wow that does seem high to me. Back in Canada, the rates were pretty reasonable but I was looking at the news back home and they just announced a huge rate increase. I feel awful for the folks back home because they were already struggling with the cost of living. The infrastructure in Cambodia is different than in Thailand and from my understanding it wasn't that long ago that many people didn't have electricity here, so I will take it as a win and hope that someday in the future the rates will come down and match the other neighboring countries.

[@mbvalency]

@@FrugalWanderer would be interesting to know why it's so expensive. I guess most of your electricity goes through the AC. I use 400 kWh in half a year, including washing and electric cooking ;)

[@FrugalWanderer]

@@mbvalency I would think it's the AC for sure.

[@Driver2724]

Transportation, health care??

[@FrugalWanderer]

I walk everywhere and I ended up buying a bicycle for $50. I did some research and I can rent a motorcycle/scooter for around $80 a month if I want. Insurance is not something I included, because it was a cost I maintained in Canada and it's not an additional cost. Plus my insurance is not something that would be readily available to others so it's not fair to include the price. Plus the cost of insurance varies greatly depending on your age and health. It's a wild variable that needs to be looked into individually.

[@Driver2724]

@@FrugalWanderer thanks for quick response I am sharing your videos. You have lot wisdom brother. Hope one day you write ✍great book 📖

[@FrugalWanderer]

@@Driver2724 thanks for the comment. I always try to reply as quickly as possible. Especially if I'm still awake. I've been asked to write a book in the past. Maybe I'll get around to it one day when I have the time haha

[@Anomalyy666]

Can you live on 600$?

[@FrugalWanderer]

I certainly do. I also do not drink, smoke or date here. It's just me and when I do eat out, I usually get a local meal and stay away from western foods. It can be done for sure. You just have to choose how you spend your money. I also do most of my cooking. That is a lot cheaper.

[@Anomalyy666]

@FrugalWanderer sounds cool also what's the dating scene like? Is it like thailand or more conservative?

[@FrugalWanderer]

I honestly have no idea. I haven't looked into it at all. Dating is not high on my list in my life.

[@fazbell]

Thanks for another informative video. You are a good salesman for Siem Reap

[@FrugalWanderer]

Well. I have done a bunch of sales in my life, but here I'm not trying to make it seem better than it is so anyone buys it. I'm just presenting things the way they are for me. Haha. I'm just happy that I don't have to close any sales.

[@timjoygray]

Wow! Thats an awesome budget! Which cell carrier & plan do you have from the states? I havent found anything cheaper than $60 (tmobile) for international. Do you get text messages for the 2nd factor authentication codes? Do you use Magic Jack? Also, how do you find places to live for short or long term? Air bnb? Thank you soo much!

[@FrugalWanderer]

As a Canadian, there is an app called fongo. It gives me a Canadian phone number and for a couple of bucks a month I can add text to the app. For short term accommodations when I'm travelling, I use Air BNB or Agoda. They both work for me. For my apartment I used a local realtor called IPS and they assisted me in getting a place. It's fairly easy to adjust to life over here. I'm loving it so far.

[@FrugalWanderer]

Also I got a local carrier here in Cambodia. The rates are way cheaper to get a sim card over here. I pay $6 a month for 60gb of data and it has some calling and texting as well. I mostly use WhatsApp to communicate with friends and family back home, so I don't need much more than data here.

[@timjoygray]

Thank you soo much for the info! We are glad you are loving it there and we like your new beard trim, you look younger 🙂

[@FrugalWanderer]

Thanks. It's always nice when a little change can make a big difference. Haha

[@noahwightman6519]

3500 r for water delivered in kampot.

[@FrugalWanderer]

Like I mentioned. I'm sure that the water I pay for is more expensive, but it's a cost I do not mind. It's nice to know how much I would expect to pay when I come to kampot though. Thank you.

[@KB3TLE]

Not bad at all for a frugal old fart ! -- As one myself - I am impressed with that. -- Much harder to be that way in the US where I'm at however ! -- My goal is for the Philippines 1st from here and see how that goes ?!? -- Siem Reap is my 2nd choice though - it's just the extreme heat has me concerned. > At 74 I doubt I can take the heat there much of the year ? -- Found a place much cooler @ 2000 ft above sea level an hour or so S of Manila airport that is much more ''comfortable" - and - cheap too !!! --- Looking forward to it this fall - after getting living down to a suit case & back pack ? --- Tagaytay is a beautiful area with a lot going for it !!! --- May take $1000/mo 'there' but - $800 is easy nearby - for comfortably monthly recurring basic expenses. > Half of my income can be done many months of the year - which allows for savings. - - - You may want to ''wonder'' to Manila --&-- take the $2.50 bus ride (W/AC) - to check it out ?!? -- A room can be had there for as little as 847 PH PESOS ! = $8.47 USD !!! + International food can be had there.

[@FrugalWanderer]

I'll definitely be heading over to the Philippines to visit one of these fine days. For now I will enjoy Cambodia and travel around to the neighboring countries and the Philippines are definitely on that list. I have quite a few friends back home from the Philippines and they have always talked so lovingly about their home, so I am excited to visit it one of these days.

[@hemmesa1368]

🇰🇭🫶🙏

[@FrugalWanderer]

I agree 100%. I love Cambodia.

[@linasin1646]

🖤🖤

[@FrugalWanderer]

Thank you.