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Not Luxe ☼ Travel
  • ABOUT NICK & RAYCHEL
  • WHY “NOT LUXE”
  • Cambodia
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  • Travel
  • Teaching ESL
  • Move Abroad
  • Travel Insurance

best place to live in cambodia

    'Not Luxe' Nick and Raychel lay on a blue beanbag in sunny Phnom Penh, Cambodia

    Renting an Apartment in Phnom Penh | What You Need to Know

    by Nick & Raychel February 27, 2020

    Let’s talk about renting an apartment in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

    If you’re moving to Phnom Penh to teach English, you’re going to need a place to live. Okay – so there is good news and there is bad news. Let’s start with the latter. Unlike moving to a country like China, most English teaching jobs in Cambodia will not cover your accommodation. That said, the good news is that there are many different apartment rental options in Phnom Penh, and we’re here to make the process a little easier.


    If you prefer to watch instead of read, find our YouTube video on finding an apartment to rent in Cambodia here.

    So how do you get started in looking for an apartment to rent in Cambodia? And what exactly should you look for? Let’s talk about that now.

    Book a hostel/hotel for the first week upon your arrival in Cambodia

    First things first, we always recommend booking a hostel or a hotel for the first week after your arrival so that you have time to look for your new home.  Spend a good week situating yourself, finding where you’re going to work, and exploring the different areas before committing to a lease. At the time of writing this blog, there are tons of options for apartment rentals in Phnom Penh, and there is no need to rush. 

    But what do you do once you’re ready to look for a place? Soon, you’ll have a better idea of where to look, what to look for, and what pricing looks like for renting an apartment in Phnom Penh.

    Where do you even start looking for a place?

    Here are the two main places where we recommend looking for an apartment in Phnom Penh:

    • ‘Phnom Penh Housing’ Facebook Group

      In this Facebook group, you simply post what you’re looking for, what your price range is and what area you want to live within Phnom Penh. I promise you, within an hour of posting, your direct messages will be flooded by helpful real estate agents looking to show you around the city.

      Landlords and estate agents can also post their listings this Facebook group for you to message them as well.

      In our opinion, this is the best community for finding a great apartment rental in Cambodia. People search for roommates here as well, if that’s your cup of tea.

    • Khmer24

      Khmer24 is a buy & sell platform in Cambodia, similar to Craigslist, Kijiji, or Gumtree. Here, you can find properties to rent or buy in Phnom Penh, or really anywhere in Cambodia. Khmer24 is a really good platform to get familiar with if you are planning on moving to Cambodia to teach English, or for any other reason as well. 

    Are real estate agents in Cambodia free?

    Yep, they sure are. Real estate agents will make a commission from the owner off of the place that you rent, so you don’t have to pay a dime. If you are an expat moving to Phnom Penh, or really anywhere in Cambodia, we recommend getting one. We recommend getting a real estate agent in Cambodia while you are renting an apartment in Phnom Penh, as they will help you translate, navigate, and negotiate in Khmer.

    Here’s what to look for when you’re renting an apartment in Cambodia

    Everything should be included in your price range.

    If your budget is $300 USD/month, for example, don’t budge. In fact, we would say the same thing if your budget is $50 USD/month. No matter what your standard and personal budget is, we are telling you now that you will be able to stick to it and there will be an accommodation that suits your needs and price point.

    When looking for an apartment in Phnom Penh, ensure that you’re asking about the water bill, electricity bill, and WiFi. Just like any country, those expenses could rack up pretty quickly -so be sure you know what those entail. 

    What area in Phnom Penh is the best to live in?

    Here are our personal favourites:

    • Russian Market: by far the least expensive AND expat-friendly area in Phnom Penh. Super accessible, cool views, great vibe, amazing food, and did we say inexpensive??
    • Tuol Kuok: A nice, safe, clean area in Phnom Penh, a bit far away from the crazy nightlife near the riverside, and close to lots of schools
    • BKK1, BKK2 & BKK3: Any time you see any of these three areas in an apartment posting, you may see the price increase. This is because the BKKs are a safe area to live for expats, lots of new housing development and fantastic accessibility.  
    • We do not recommend ‘the riverside’ to live full-time, as the party-hardy expats all tend to veer in that direction, and the scene can get a bit dodgy if you’re not careful. Take it from us.

    How much does an apartment cost in Phnom Penh?

    Like any city, this can be a tricky question. It really depends. But hey, here’s our breakdown.

    • $300 USD/month can find you a great little apartment with Western amenities, furniture, and security in a great area of Phnom Penh
    • $500 USD /month is a big budget that will find you a modern apartment with Western amenities, a pool, gym, security, and probably a view
    • $100-$200 USD/month will afford you a great big room in a shared home with flatmates, or a private Khmer-Style apartment, potentially without a stovetop, but if you’re cool with cooking on a hot plate and living on a budget – you can make this budget work

    Remember:
    – When you see an apartment listed at a certain price, it is always negotiable
    – Don’t be afraid to ask your real estate agent to help you negotiate, that’s what they’re there for!


    Still looking for a job in Phnom Penh? Find our guide on how to get a paid teaching job in Cambodia. 

    Just moved to Phnom Penh & looking for stuff to do? Find our Phnom Penh ‘things to do’ guide here!

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Nick & Raychel
Nick & Raychel

In 2018, we sold everything we owned and moved to Cambodia to teach English.

Let’s make this clear: this journey didn’t start with money. This journey started with a desire to see the world and to do something different for a change.

We’re not going to fool you with photos of floating breakfasts and private jets. We know what it’s like to be on a budget. Although we like to take pretty pictures, we aren’t going to wake up at an ungodly hour to give you unachievable travel jealousy. We aren’t going to censor ourselves or lie to you.

What we are going to do is stay in cheap hostels, find ways to make money, give the advice that we would want to hear, and share our experiences with you honestly.

Are you in?

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ABOUT NICK & RAYCHEL

About Us Hi! We’re Nick & Raychel, the Canadian travel couple behind the brand ‘Not Luxe’. Far before we were married (and on a mission to see the world), we were working…

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Instagram

  • Working to TRAVEL✈️🚐

If you’ve been following along with our vlogs and stories, it will come as no surprise to you when I say that our days are long right now. When we chose to start travelling, we signed up for a work-save-travel-repeat cycle and have been living in for the past 4.5 years. 

We chose this life.
But we still get tired. 

And between fixing up the van, preparing for our next adventure and working full time in that Southern Ontario heat - it’s a lot. But our minds are set on travel, on exploration, on adventure, culture, and learning. So we adapt to the seasons and understand that this point in the cycle is  just that - a season -  and we are so damn grateful to be doing it together.

📍 Traditional territories of the Erie, Neutral, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Mississaugas.
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Tags: #notluxe #worktotravel #travelcouple #vanlifecouple #traveldiaries #vanlifediaries #travelgram #livetoexplore #vanlifeculture #budgettravel #worktotravel #traveljobs #travelblogger #vanlifestyle #vanliving
  • **CLOSED** GIVEAWAY!! 🎉

We are giving away a Bluetti EB70 portable power bank. Having a power station on hand is a sweet backup for those who are already set up completely for off-grid living and/or a good start for weekend campers looking to try out van or camper van life. We are stoked to have another way to work outside, charge more appliances and get out adventuring.

The winner will win ONE Bluetti EB70 power bank & charging cables. 

Specs:
• 716Wh capacity and 800W rated wattage
• The ultra-stable LiFePO4 battery chemistry,2500+ life cycles
• 4*110V AC outlets, 2*100W PD ports, 2*5V/3A USB-A ports, 2*regulated 12V/10A DC outputs, 1*12V/10A car port,1*15W wireless charging pad.
(Note: does not come with solar panels)
-

HOW TO ENTER:

1. Like this post 
2. Must be following @nickandraychel & @bluetti_official
3. Tag a friend in the comments below (more tags = more entries)
4. Bonus entry - share this post to story for 5 extra entries! 

Open to USA & Canada residents. Giveaway closes on June 22, 2022. 
Winner will be announced on 06/25/22. 

-

Disclaimer: No purchase necessary. Giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Instagram.

The contest period will run from 06/15 to 06/22 2022.

— 

Tags: #vanlifecouple #vanlifeing #notluxe #vanlifediaries #vanlifegiveaway #campinggiveaway #campervan #vanconversion #camperliving #tinyliving #tinyhomeonwheels #tinyhomes #vanlifenewbie #vanlifers #livinginavan #livingoffgrid #offgridliving #vanlifedreams #travelinspo
  • Slowing down 🚐 

The whole appeal of van life and many alternative living options is the freedom to take a go at your own speed.

But sometimes it feels like you just want to see it all.
And we’ve seen SO much in the past twenty months. 

Especially in the past six.

As Canadian travellers, I find that our slow season is the opposite of others. We escape the cold weather and have been abroad for many Christmases and snowfalls. During those times, we’re cliff jumping, waterfall hopping, cruising, skatepark hunting, friendship building…

Then, when lake season rolls around we’re ready to take on a more conventional work schedule, to save up to do it all again.

But we have to tell ourselves to relax, to enjoy the downtime, to take in the peaceful moments just as much as the epic ones. To soak up the sun, to drink water, to slow down.

It’s a constant learning process.

📍Traditional Hohokam, Patayan, and Yavapai land ⁣

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Tags: #vanlife #vanlifeshot #vanlifemeetup #vanlifemoments #vanlifemovement #vanlifemagazine #vanlifestyle #vanlifeculture #vanlifecouple #vanlifeconversions #campulance #campinggirls #campinglife #rvliving #camperlife
  • But how do you SHOWER? 😅

This photo is from the most ridiculous YouTube thumbnail we’ve had to date. We took so many funny photos this day, we couldn’t NOT share. Or maybe we could. Oh well.

But let’s answer the question while we’re at it.

🚿 We primarily go to Anytime Fitness which is a little pricier than Planet Fitness. In our opinion, however, the equipment is way nicer, there are usually less people, they’re all over Canada & the US, it’s open 24/7, and the showers are private.

🚿 When we’re not near an Anytime Fitness (this has only happened one time when we were in Quartzsite), we find a truck stop shower to go to.

🚿 And that’s about it. We bought a camping shower at the beginning of van living and only used it one miserable time.

Do you think a shower is necessary in a van build?

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Tags: #vanlife #vanlifeshot #vanlifeshower #vanlifecamper #campinglife #campingtrip #vanlifebuild #vanlifediaries #vanlifegirls #vanlifetravel #vanlifetravels #vanlifestyle #vanlifeexplorers #campinggirls #outsideisfree #outsideshoot #vanlifeculture #vanlifecommunity
  • We have been doing so much stealth city camping lately that we felt like we needed a break. When we first moved into our van, we set off to Vancouver Island, where we were constantly surrounded by nature - and even though we had no idea what we were doing, it was just easy to be outside.

As you guys know, we’ve lived all sorts of van life. From brick & mortar jobs, to off-grid living, to city dwelling, to full-time travelling. Lately, we’ve seen A LOT of cities and while we’re grateful to have covered so much ground, we knew we needed nature. 

So we nestled ourselves into Starved Rock State Park and reset.
Full video is on YouTube. Link in bio.

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Tags: #vanlife #vanlifecouple #vanlifediaries #vanlifers #vanliving #ambulanceconversion #vandwelling #vandweller #camperlife #campervan #camperconversion #campingbackpack #campinglife #campingtrip #illinois #starvedrockstatepark
  • “The life you have led doesn’t need to be the only life you have” – Anna Quindlen

I can’t imagine committing to being the person I was 5 years ago for the rest of my life. I can’t imagine committing to one mindset or one way of life. 

It would be impossible to put into words how much we’ve changed through travel and meeting people. And as we start to hype ourselves up for our next big journey, we’re excited to dive head first with an open mind. 

Whether you’re building a van, starting a new job, buying a plane ticket, or even walking out of the house every morning - you have no fucking idea what’s in store.

Travel has a special way of changing you. 
And the best thing you can do is allow it. 

📍 Traditional Kumeyaay land
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