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

moving to cambodia

    the independence monument in phnom penh cambodia

    Cost of Living in Cambodia [2021]

    by Nick & Raychel January 4, 2021

    How much does it cost to live in Cambodia? Well, the simple answer is anywhere from $300-$2000 depending on how you expect to live while you’re there. We’ll give you the quick n’ dirty breakdown that covers everything you need to know about what the cost of living in Cambodia is from a couple of expat experts. We lived in Phnom Penh, which is the capital of the Cambodia, so naturally, one of the more expensive places. These costs can easily be compared to living and teaching English in Siem Reap, as well. 

    If videos are more your thing you can check out our YouTube channel here. We’ve made tons of Cambodia content to help you along your journey.

    All costs will be in USD. Cambodia’s currency is Riel. Find our article on Cambodia’s currency here.

    Touching down in the Kingdom

    Once you’ve arrived in Cambodia, you may already have a job and potentially even a place lined up. Regardless, the first thing you want to do is make sure you have enough money saved to keep you afloat once you arrive. 

    We recommend having at least $3000 USD in your bank account, as that should be enough to cover the cost of your entry visa ($30 USD), your Tuk Tuk to your hostel/hotel ($6-$12 USD depending on where you’re going and how well you can barter) and to keep you secure for at least a couple of weeks while you’re looking for a job.  Finding a job in Cambodia is typically easy for most expats, but it’s always in your best interest to have a solid safety net before flying anywhere over seas.

    You can find more tips about how to prepare for your move here.

    Securing an apartment in the city

    This was an absolute trip for us. We posted in a realty group on Facebook from our hostel around 7pm, went out for a few beers and by 8am the next morning Raychel was squished between our real estate agent and I on a motorbike trying to keep the beers down from the night before while our agent sped through the morning rush hour traffic.

    Like every country around the world, the rent prices in each city are going to fluctuate. Even within the city of Phnom Penh, certain areas and hotspots are going to cost you a prettier penny than others.

    For example, we lived in BKK1 (a popular tourist district) in a small-mid sized one bedroom apartment and we paid $350 a month plus utilities. For the area, this was a bit of a bargain.

    A standard price for most apartments in Phnom Penh is anywhere between $200-$600 USD. On the lower end, you may be a little ways out of town or not have too many western amenities. On the higher end, you can have multiple A/C/ unites, a place to park your moto, and it’s common for apartments to have indoor gyms and pools! It all depends on your preference, money situation and living standards. 

    The cost of food and eating out in Cambodia

    Some people may argue that it’s cheaper to eat out at restaurants in Cambodia than it is to cook at home. Do we agree with this sentiment? We actually never really figured that out – but it is, without a doubt, inexpensive to eat in Cambodia.

    Most meals that you get in restaurants and bars cost between $2.50-$5.00 USD which is a great price for a tasty meal. Drinks aren’t too bad either, a bottle of water is about $1.50, and a cold beer should cost you no more than $1 USD. 

    We found the best way to keep our cost of living in Cambodia down was to try to shop at the local markets where we could find a weeks worth of groceries for no more than $10! Plus, it’s a wonderful experience to be able to go to the markets and immerse yourself in the culture.

    If your arrival date in Phnom Penh is coming up, don’t miss out on our Guide to Local Markets here. 

    All other costs of living in Cambodia

    We’ve covered where most of your money will end up while enjoying your time in the city but there are a few other miscellaneous things that we should mention.

    Markets

    Markets have no set prices as they work on the barter system so something like a t shirt can be purchased for about $2-$5 USD if you’re good at negotiating. That said, the vendor can start upwards of $20, this is really a game of patience and a practice you will master in South East Asia.

    Tuk Tuks, taxis and GRAB app

    We mentioned transportation in our article 8 things we wish we knew before moving to Cambodia and we would highly recommend reading it before your big move.

    Hailing a Tuk Tuk is relatively easy and price will depend on where you are going. Approximately $5 is enough to get you just about anywhere within the heart of the city and by far one of the coolest and most fun ways to travel!

    You can even hail a tuk tuk in the city to take longer day trips to places like The Killing Fields or Phnom Chisor. 


    All in all, moving to Cambodia to teach English was one of the best things we’ve ever done. We have tons of articles and videos about our experience, both here on our blog & over on our YouTube channel.

    Below is our five-part series, Move to Cambodia Bootcamp that you can find on YouTube at any time. 

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  • The VEGETARIAN Guide to Cambodia

    by Nick & Raychel March 15, 2019

    How vegetarian-friendly is Cambodia? As a (mostly) vegetarian couple living in Phnom Penh, this is a question we get all the time. Today, we are happy to come to you with the good news: yes, it is possible to be vegetarian or vegan in Cambodia. If you’re anything like us, you will be pleasantly surprised by how accessible and delicious vegetarian food is throughout the city and country as a whole.

  • 8 Things to Know Before MOVING to Cambodia

    by Nick & Raychel March 10, 2019

    Flights? Real estate? Jobs? Transport? Friends? Here’s our quick guide that will make your move to Cambodia a lot easier.

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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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GUIDE TO MARKETS | PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA (2018)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8v49HKtlIk

IS CAMBODIA SAFE? LIVING IN PHNOM PENH

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NShIg00dj8Q

KAMPOT & KEP | PEPPER PLANTATIONS, KAYAKING, BOAT TOURS & TAPAS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3DgTbP4SKQ

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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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  • 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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  • 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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