Many friends often ask what kind of country Cambodia is, what the real environment of the country is like, and whether it is suitable for foreigners to live in. To give everyone a more comprehensive and objective understanding of Cambodia, PASA will talk about some prominent advantages and disadvantages of living in Cambodia.
Advantages of Living in Cambodia
1. Long-term residence visas are easy to obtain
2. Most of the year has good weather
3. Regarding food, continuous exploration will bring you surprises
4. Cambodian property prices are low, making it relatively easy to buy a house
5. The locals are mostly warm and friendly
1. Long-term residence visas are easy to obtain
When considering moving to a new country, the first thing you need is to obtain long-term residency rights. Many countries have high thresholds and long approval times for long-term residence visas.
Cambodia offers lenient policies for foreign tourists and investors, allowing on-arrival visas to be processed at designated service counters where documents can be submitted and fees paid. To save time, an e-visa can also be processed in advance. Just visit the official website www.evisa.gov.kh, fill in the information step by step, and approval can be obtained in about three working days.
Foreign nationals planning to stay in Cambodia long-term can choose from business visas, retirement visas, or other types of visas depending on personal needs and circumstances, generally handled by travel agencies. As long as the basic conditions are met, the visa can be extended, thus allowing oneself to legally work and live in Cambodia.
2. Most of the year has good weather
Like other parts of Southeast Asia, Cambodia has two distinct seasons: dry and rainy. Except for the sudden and intense downpours during the rainy season, which can lead to urban flooding, most of the time the weather is sunny, making it very convenient to plan trips.
This weather is beneficial as you can enjoy the sunshine all year round, which is especially friendly for those who fear the cold winter, and also beneficial for certain groups of people, such as those with arthritis.
Of course, the quality of the weather varies from person to person. For someone who has experienced humid weather, where indoors and outdoors are filled with moisture, Cambodia's weather is particularly good, making it very convenient to dry things.
However, for those who do not like the heat, the dry season may be somewhat unbearable, and the high temperatures can lead to frequent use of air conditioning, thereby increasing electricity costs.
3. Continuous exploration of food will bring you surprises
From the experience of someone who has been there, you might initially find it hard to adapt to the local cuisine in Cambodia, which mainly features sweet and salty flavors, with sugar and fish sauce added to various dishes.
If you are a tourist wanting to try different flavors, some representative dishes like Amok, salted fish omelette, Khmer noodles, and mango salad can bring you a sense of novelty, but if you eat local food every day, it might be difficult for a Chinese stomach to adapt.
Fortunately, in recent years, with the increase in the number of Chinese people, the number of Chinese restaurants in Cambodia has also significantly increased. Here you can also enjoy authentic Chinese cuisine. At the same time, Cambodia has gathered people from various countries, so you can also taste authentic cuisines from Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Spain, among others.
If you like cooking at home, common Chinese vegetables and meats are almost all available here. In Cambodia, you can also enjoy the freedom of tropical fruits, such as mangoes, longans, bananas, mangosteens, and rambutans.
As for beverages, Cambodian street coffee is cheap and delicious, fresh sugarcane juice, orange juice, and coconut are refreshing and thirst-quenching, and it's best to choose low-sugar for milk tea drinks, as the local full-sugar is almost more than double what we perceive as full-sugar.
4. Low property prices in Cambodia, relatively easy to buy a house
Compared to many developed countries and some Asian countries, property prices in Cambodia are still at a lower level. Taking the nearest countries, Thailand and Vietnam, as examples, comparing the prices of high-end properties in the same type of areas in the capitals of the three countries, the price of apartments in Cambodia is much lower.
In major cities like Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Sihanoukville, the price per square meter of apartments ranges from $1,200 to $3,500, with total prices ranging from $50,000 to $2.5 million. The low cost of buying a home enables more people to afford to purchase property in Cambodia, whether for personal use or as an investment property.
Despite the low prices, rental yields in Cambodia are relatively high. Due to the growth of the tourism industry and foreign population, the rental market is in high demand, making property investment returns quite substantial. For those looking to earn a stable income through renting out properties, Cambodia offers an ideal market environment.
5. The locals are mostly warm and friendly
The society we see in Cambodia today is relatively young, as the country was rebuilt from the ruins of disaster, and people cherish the hard-won peaceful life of today even more.
Their past experiences have not diminished their friendly and enthusiastic nature, a positive trait that can be seen throughout Southeast Asia. The inherently kind nature of Cambodians often comes with a conservative shyness, and the Khmer smile is imprinted in everyone's heart.
In addition, deeply influenced by Buddhist culture, many Cambodians maintain a devoutness, they also value family and know how to enjoy life.
