Cambodia property prices in 2026: realistic price-per-sqm benchmarks

A national average is one of the least useful ways to price Cambodian property. A low-cost suburban launch in Phnom Penh, an older central apartment and a new BKK1 tower may all sit in the same city while belonging to completely different price markets.

That gap is unusually visible in the latest data. Knight Frank recorded an average selling price of US$676 per sq m of net saleable area for new Phnom Penh condominium launches in H2 2025. The number reflects a wave of more affordable projects; it is not a citywide resale benchmark. In live listings checked in August 2026, selected BKK1 projects start around US$1,400 per sq m, while newer and more premium central stock commonly reaches roughly US$2,200–3,200 per sq m or more.

This page therefore treats prices as reference points, not predictions or investment calls. The figures are a dated market snapshot as of 20 August 2026 and should be rechecked against the exact unit, title, area basis, payment terms and current comparable stock before a purchase.

Micro-location sets the first boundary. In BKK1, buyers may be paying for walkability, established expat demand and a familiar central address. In Sen Sok or Meanchey, the value proposition can shift toward floor area, parking, schools and everyday access rather than prestige.

Construction stage changes both price and uncertainty. An early release can come with a lower headline entry price or a longer payment schedule, but the buyer is pricing a future building. A completed unit lets you inspect the finish, lifts, common areas, actual view, occupancy and management before deciding what the premium is worth.

Legal rights are part of the asset, not an administrative detail. A unit with a clearly registrable individual title for a foreign buyer is not directly comparable with a lease-based or contract-based interest. If the ownership route changes, the pool of future buyers may change too.

The building and unit then do the rest: management quality, maintenance charges, layout efficiency, floor, orientation, furnishing and view can all move the number materially. A river view may command a premium, but it is only durable value if the view is likely to remain open and future buyers care about it.

Finally, the intended use matters. An owner-occupier may rationally pay more for quiet, storage or a larger kitchen, while a rental-focused buyer may value a simpler layout near offices. The same price per sq m can therefore make sense for one use case and look expensive for another.

Phnom Penh contains the widest spread. Current BKK1 stock checked in August 2026 includes selected projects around US$1,400 per sq m at the lower end, while many newer central options are around US$2,200–3,200 per sq m or more. Daun Penh shows why labels are dangerous: older apartments can appear far cheaper than modern condominiums, but the legal form, maintenance standard and foreign-buyer eligibility may be completely different.

There is a broad middle between prime-core pricing and low-cost outer districts. Live Toul Kork stock checked in August 2026 includes examples around US$1,800–2,000 per sq m, while selected modern Tonle Bassac buildings reach roughly US$2,700–3,700 per sq m. These are not district averages; they show how much the individual building can move the number inside an established urban location.

Outer districts are cheaper at the bottom end, but there is no single suburban rate either. Knight Frank's US$676 per sq m H2 2025 figure was the average advertised price for new launches, heavily influenced by affordable projects. Ready units checked in Sen Sok and Meanchey in August 2026 include examples around US$1,050–1,170 per sq m and well above that level, depending on the building.

Sihanoukville is highly fragmented between older stock, incomplete or weakly occupied projects, and functioning beach or city properties. IPS cited condo prices as low as about US$1,000 per sq m in 2025; a live sea-view listing checked in August 2026 was around US$1,350 per sq m. On the coast, management and real building occupancy can matter as much as the map pin, because two towers near the same beach may offer very different day-to-day products.

Siem Reap is a small condominium market, so a handful of projects can dominate visible pricing. IPS put city condo prices at roughly US$1,900–2,800 per sq m in 2025 depending on quality and location, while an actively marketed serviced residence checked in August 2026 started at about US$1,600 per sq m. With fewer close comparables, it is more useful to compare product quality and rights than to chase a citywide average.

Studios usually deliver the lowest total ticket, not necessarily the lowest price per sq m. Developers can keep the absolute purchase price accessible by shrinking the unit, which is why a small studio in a central tower may carry a higher rate per sq m than a larger unit elsewhere. The August 2026 live sample runs from roughly US$35,000 in older urban stock to US$100,000–165,000 in newer central schemes.

One-bedroom units are the broadest category. A ready unit in Sen Sok can sit around US$60,000, while central BKK1 stock can exceed US$150,000–200,000. The label alone is not enough: a 35 sq m one-bedroom and a 75 sq m one-bedroom are fundamentally different products even before building quality enters the comparison.

Two-bedroom units widen the gap further. The live market includes compact layouts under 50 sq m as well as much larger family units, so two listings with the same bedroom count can differ sharply in both total price and rate per sq m. For this category, unit efficiency and actual usable space matter more than the bedroom label on a portal filter.

Serviced apartments deserve separate treatment because the buyer may be purchasing a service package as well as real estate. Furniture, hospitality facilities, an operator brand, compulsory management or owner-use rules can all sit behind the headline price. Those features may be valuable, but only if the contract and intended use make them valuable to this buyer.

Landed homes are even less comparable with condominiums. Land is embedded in the price, and Knight Frank's H2 2025 Phnom Penh benchmark for new landed launches was US$1,547 per sq m of gross floor area, a different measurement basis from condominium net saleable area. Foreign buyers also face a different legal ownership question for land, so a house price should never be treated as a simple substitute for a condo price.

Before deciding that one unit is cheaper, check the denominator. Condo prices may be quoted on net saleable area, house reports may use gross floor area, and some listings are unclear about balconies or shared areas. Two properties both advertised at US$2,000 per sq m can therefore be priced on different physical bases.

Then compare the legal product. A unit that can be registered with a clear individual title for the buyer is not the same asset as a lease-based or contract-based interest. A discount only becomes meaningful after you know exactly what right is being sold.

Building condition is the third test. A cheaper apartment in a poorly run building with weak common areas, difficult parking or high vacancy can be worse value than a more expensive unit nearby. The reverse is also true: a glossy lobby and famous brand do not justify a premium if the services add little to the buyer's actual use and recurring fees are high.

Finally, value is partly personal. A river view may be worth paying for to an owner-occupier, while a landlord may care more about a simple layout near offices. This page is the price map; the detailed valuation process belongs in the separate property-valuation guide, where close comparables and unit-specific adjustments can be handled properly.

Construction stage can change both the number and the risk behind it. An early launch may offer a lower entry price or easier payment plan, but the buyer is paying for a future product. A completed building exposes more of the reality: finish quality, management, actual views, resident mix and recurring costs. The relevant comparison is therefore not simply off-plan versus ready, but discount versus what remains uncertain.

Budget also changes the map. Money that does not reach a newer BKK1 unit may buy a larger property in Sen Sok, Meanchey or another residential district. The same budget can translate into a very different product in Sihanoukville or Siem Reap, so choosing a use case first is more productive than searching for the cheapest square metre in the country.

A low first payment should not be confused with a low property price. Reservation fees, small deposits and extended instalments describe the payment schedule, not the asset's full cost. The dedicated budget-entry and off-plan guides cover those mechanics in detail; here they matter only because they can make two advertised prices look more comparable than they really are.