When people hear of Cambodia, they expect things to be 'cheap'. When we were relocating back in 2011, we asked people how much is cost of goods and basic services and everyone said "it's cheap." My biggest mistake was.....I asked the expats, Europeans to be specific! And you know, for them a dollar is like one peso equivalent to PHL currency. If you compare how much things are in their countries, definitely it's way much cheaper here in Cambodia. But if I compare Cambodia to PHL, it is more expensive here. Like riding a tuktuk, the shortest distance can be $1-$2 one way. In the PHL if I have Php80 I can ride a tricycle (which equals the tuktuk) then Metro Rail and be able to pass 2 cities. Ergo, it's a matter of perspective.
I started wondering why my budget for food/groceries is higher here and my opinion is this -- for basic goods its because most of them are imported (shampoo, soap, lotions, canned goods etc). Following the law of supply and demand, since Phnom Penh is where the expats are and they are willing to pay for these basic goods so it's easy for supermarkets to charge more. At the end of the day, people will buy especially for products that only have limited stocks. Same law applies with the cost for riding a tuktuk. There is no other alternative if you are traveling as a group (3-4 pax). If you want a cab, you have to phone them. Of course if you are in a hurry, you don't have the time to do that and wait for the cab to arrive.
Now i learned my lesson and next time we relocate, I will have to brush up on my MacroEco....LOL
I had the same thoughts on this. I was advised not to convert and compare the tuk-tuk fare with the transportation costs in the Philippines. Tuk-tuk drivers trying to rip us off with $4-5 starting fare annoy me a lot. So whenever we go to Phnom Penh, we always rent a motorbike which I find cheaper than riding tuk-tuks do to our errands.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I wanted to reply to your comment on my blog (hindiakosikat) but I just moved to wordpress. To answer your question, the sand quality in Sokha and Serendipity beach is powdery but not as fine and as white as in Boracay. :)
Hi Kat! sorry i've been delinquent lately in checking my blog. thanks for the info. Maybe one of those long weekends here, we'll try Holiday Plaza. And In relation to my post, i agree. really need to think of alternatives :-)
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