Financial Independence Retire Early 1000 USD month Kampot Cambodia

–>Kampot Cambodia Cost of Living
–>Kampot Cambodia Livability Factors
–>Kampot Cambodia Best Area to Stay, Cheapest Flights
–>Kampot Cambodia Walking Tour
–>Things to Do Near Kampot Cambodia
–>Kampot Cambodia Nightlife
–>Kampot Cambodia Life and Food
–>Kampot Facts and History
Best Retire Cheap in Paradise Locations in the World

Can you achieve Financial Independence Retire Early 1000 USD Month Kampot Cambodia? It is possible for some, but you would need a savings buffer in case of emergencies. We just completed our visit to Kampot Cambodia and I agree with what many others are saying about Cambodia online.

I met a European who is living here for $800 USD per month. We met another Expat that is living on less than that, which I discuss further below. But most people would require more. However, this is not a place for the average western-style consumer. The simplicity of life here would be unbearable.

There is a new movement of people around the world pursuing a different kind of life, a life of freedom. The movement is called FIRE. FIRE is an abbreviation for “financial independence retire early.”

The main idea is that you learn the secrets of living frugally and you save a large portion of your income. Living frugally opens doors that most will never consider, understand or attain.  It has a Zen peacefulness to it.

Frugality teaches you that living with less clutter is a better life. You are not so burdened by spending time working to pay for things and maintaining them. You will learn the power of experience over the clutter of things. This alone would be enough for me.

But frugality will also reward you handsomely with time. Once you teach yourself how to live cheaply, you begin to see how you can afford to retire early. That will encourage your perfection of frugality. You will be able to retire much earlier than most people. Once retired, or semi-retired, you will have even more time to spend on experiences instead of things.

Travel is one of the experiences people seem to love when they are no longer attached to things.

Today, I want to add another tool to your FIRE knowledge. Did you know there are places in the world where you may need even less than you thought to achieve financial independence and retire early?

I travel around the world and report on the best retire cheap in paradise locations. I have been to 65 countries. I left the United States 12 years ago. I know all the best places in the world to live the FIRE life sooner!

I have created 50+ retire cheap reports worldwide. I agree that Cambodia is one of the cheapest. Now let me explain why many people have already decided to retire early for cheap in Kampot Cambodia.

Kampot Cost of Living

One guy we met was paying $100 USD per month in rent for a room with its own bathroom. His utilities were another $50 per month. He said that he eats every meal in restaurants. He averages $2 USD per meal in Kampot. At three meals per day, that is $6 USD per day in food, or $180 month. He said he uses about $20 USD in gas for the used scooter he bought for $300 USD. He said he drinks way too much beer. The draft beers in the bars along the river cost $0.50 USD. He drinks up to 5 per day, which is $2.50 per day, or $85 USD per month. If you do the math, you’ll see why he is able to live on less than $500 per month.

Now, I am not suggesting that you live this way. I am just giving you an example of someone on the ridiculously low end of expenses.

Personally, I would want a 1 bedroom apartment with a living room and kitchen. Those start at around $250 USD per month with utilities around $80 USD. I wouldn’t need all that beer but I would like to go to nicer dinners a few times per month. I would probably buy a used car instead of a scooter so that would cost a little more. Plus, I would want to travel at least 6-9 months per year to other places around the world.  I write about how to travel the world for 80% less.

Expense	Cost	Low	Medium	High
Airbnb/per month rate	$20.00	0	14	30
Cheap Hotel	$10.00	0	12	0
Hostel/per day	$5.00	30	3	0
High-End Restaurant	$8.00	1	4	8
Neighborhood Restaurant	$2.5	30	44	48
Food Cart	$1.50	30	12	4
Subway/Train/Metro	$0.00	20	26	8
Bus	$0.00	20	10	0
Grab	$1.00	6	10	20
Total	Per Month	$284.00	$585.00	$810.00
Total	Per Day	$9.47	$19.50	$27.00

This estimated cost of living for one month, for one person as a temporary visitor. It only includes rent, 2 meals per day, and local transportation. I usually have oatmeal for breakfast in my room, so I don’t count that.

I am not guaranteeing these prices. These are just my notes and estimates from the time of my visit and this post. Your costs will likely be drastically different depending on lifestyle and the time since this post. Here is a free report explaining, “How The Cost of Living Table Works.”

You would need to decide what your life would look like and add any additional expenses you would require. We all have different needs and wants. You would also need to do an exploratory visit and see if you would be happy here.  For a full understanding of what it would cost you to live here, visit Numbeo.com Kampot and add any items you spend money on.

Finally, you should have some savings set aside in case of an emergency or in case you decide to move to another country later. Many ex-pats live in several countries before they fall in love with a place.

Personally, I love to travel and explore. So I am not ready to settle in one place yet.

If you buy anything using our links such as flights, tours, or accommodations, you will pay nothing extra, but we will earn a small commission. Your kindness will encourage us to keep making these travel guides and videos.

The bottom line is that some people will achieve Financial Independence Retire Early 1000 USD month in Kampot Cambodia.

Kampot Livability Factors

You should consider your own personal livability factors before deciding whether you should visit Kampot. If it looks feasible for you, you should do a site visit and verify whether or not you can achieve Financial Independence Retire Early 1000 USD month in Kampot Cambodia, based upon your lifestyle and needs.

Here are my livability factors.

Walkability: High. If I lived in Kampot, I would not need a vehicle at all. I would walk everywhere. If I bought a vehicle at all, it would be a cheap car or motorcycle to get out and explore the countryside once a month or so.

Internet: Medium. We had a few issues with the Internet when we were in Kampot. But it was mostly based upon how far our room was from the router in our hotel. I recommend that you buy a 4G CellCard for $1 and add 20GB of data for $2 USD to your Android. That worked great as a hotspot for us when too many people jumped on the router or we were too far from the router. This was the key to Internet all over Cambodia when we were sharing routers and needed to control our bandwidth conditions. If you lived here you would have your own router in your apartment and there would be no issues.

Food: High. This is where Kampot excels. Since so many foreigners have called this home, there is a diverse bunch of foreign food choices especially for the size of the city. You will have to pay 30% to 80% more to have your food cooked by a foreigner, but it is nice to have the option when the mood strikes. Plus, foreign restaurants are not as expensive as in larger cities such as Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Even better, you can find local food restaurants for as little as $1.50 USD per meal. Check out the Kampot Cambodia Food video and restaurant list below.

Weather: High. Average highs (days) range seasonally from a low of 87F/31C in December to a high of 94F/35C in April. Average lows (nights) range seasonally from a low of 70F/21C in January to a high of 78F/26C in April. The rainy season is May through October when at least some rain falls in 18 or more days of the month.

Things to Do: Medium. Think small silky-breezy hippie town with a good choice of restaurants and a cheap easy life. Plus, we found at least 5 bars that had $0.50 USD draft beer in frozen mugs along the waterfront. Make sure to check out the music in Oh Neils bar on the waterfront, though the drafts are $1.00 USD. You are on a river with all that implies. It is fed by a large lake in the mountains above. Check out my Kampot Walking Tour and Things to Do Near Kampot videos for more information.

Social Considerations: Medium. Many would say “High” for a small town of this side, and that is true. But I will say “Medium” for social considerations.  I am from a small town and I prefer more happening around me than this. Check out a great little online magazine Kampot has and see for yourself. Most foreigners will call Kampot the best place to live in Cambodia.

Expats: High. The communications between ex-pats online are relatively high for a city of this size. On the day I searched, there was a Facebook page for both English and German speakers. These are great places to ask locals very specific questions that only a local ex-pat would know.

Medical: Medium. There is an NGO run hospital in Kampot with limited services. Depending on what treatment is required, they may just stabilize you and transfer you to one of the two major hospitals in Phnom Penh (Royal Rattanak, Sen Sok International). Both Bangkok and Ho Chi Min are a short flight away if you need to see a specialist. I would rate the international hospitals in both of those cities as High.

Visa Requirements: For your exploratory visit to Cambodia, you can obtain a visa upon arrival at the international airports in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. If you use the eVisa program, it can only be used for entry through these two airports. If you intend to arrive through one of the land border crossings (like we did from Vietnam), the eVisa will not be accepted. At the land border crossings, you will need to fill out the forms and pay again. In either case, bring the passport photo with you to immigration. There are 10 countries that must get a Visa in advance. The tourist Visa is $30 and the 30 day period can be extended for an additional 30 days for $50. If you are planning on staying longer than 60 days, then get an ordinary Visa from the start. If you are 55 or older and no longer working, I suggest getting a retirement Visa (ER Visa) for 6 or 12 months. The 6 or 12 month ER Visa is multi-entry. I haven’t obtained the ER Visa myself yet, but I was told the requirements are minimal compared to other countries in SE Asia. There are also student Visas, Employment Visas, and Business Visas.

Real Estate: This is not professional advice. But I would not buy real estate in Cambodia. If someone recommends that you buy in Cambodia, they probably have a conflict of interest with you. Just lease month to month. The rents are cheap and you can just hand the keys back to the landlord when you leave. If you want to own real estate, buy in a more economically safe country (i.e. USA) and live off the rents in a cheap country like Cambodia. Hire a property manager to manage your real estate at home.

Banking: This is not professional advice. Leave your money in your home country bank and take money out as needed at ATMs. When you are in a foreign country, it is much easier to get into a mess than to get out of one. If you want to store money outside your home country, don’t put it in developing country banks. Put it somewhere safe, like Switzerland.

Pollution: Don’t swim in the river downstream from populated or industrial areas. The government does not monitor or control water pollution to any significant degree. Also, don’t swim in the ocean near large cities for the same reason. The air quality in Kampot is generally moderate.

Kampot Overall Desirability Score: Medium. Kampot doesn’t really excel in any one category in my mind as compared to other places in Cambodia. But it somehow just grows on you. It is not as isolating as Kep. It is not as loud, dirty, or full of prostitution as Phnom Penh. It doesn’t feel as small-town as Battambang, and it is not as touristy or expensive as Siem Reap. I could live here for 3 months, 6 months, maybe a year.  Presently, it is my first choice for retiring in Cambodia but is not my first choice in the world. Check back in about a month when I will tell you the best place in the world to retire cheap in paradise. But first, let me tell you a few more things you should know about Kampot and Cambodia.

If you are finding any value here, could you please like it, comment, share or subscribe? Your simple act of kindness will move us up in the Google and Youtube search rankings so our business grows faster.

If you would like to learn how to fire your boss and live in paradise for peanuts, grab a free copy of my EBook:

How to Fire Your Boss and Travel The World

Best Area to Stay in Kampot

Here are a few suggestions about the best area to stay in Kampot, and suggestions for a few places, plus where we stayed.

Hostel: This one has a great location and ratings.

Cheap Hotel: Fair ratings and great price. It has a private bath. Don’t assume you need AC. Check the weather on the dates you plan on going. We didn’t need AC in December.

Where we stayed: We thought we were getting a cheap room with our own bath. But we should have read more carefully. We had to share the bathroom in the hall. She was very nice and helpful but I would book another place with its own bath next time.

Step Above: Amazing place if you can afford it. We featured this place in our Kampot walking tour. We loved it.

Airbnb: If we returned for a month, we would want a kitchen. That way we could cook and verify food availability and prices. At the time of this writing, the landlord is asking a little more, but we would make offers in this neighborhood for about $20 per night. For a 30 day rental, you can usually get one to accept an offer. If you are new to Airbnb use this code http://www.airbnb.com/c/dbell50 at checkout to get an additional big discount directly from Airbnb.

You should probably stay in an Airbnb for a full month to verify whether or not you would want to achieve Financial Independence Retire Early 1000 USD month in Kampot Cambodia. You could also tour apartments to verify how much cheaper an apartment or house that fits your needs would cost if rented for one year.

Cheapest Flights to Kampot

We almost always get our cheapest flights on Skyscanner. They have a web crawler that is constantly looking for the cheapest prices all over the world.

However, we arrived in Kampot by bus from Kep, Cambodia. We paid $3 per person including luggage. We used the $3 bus company described in this article. You should consider the scenic ferry described in the article. We are traveling on the ground as much as possible as we move around SE Asia. We are on a 1-year retirement tour of SE Asia. To learn “How to Travel the World for 80% Less” visit this web page.

Kampot Cambodia Walking Tour

Watch the above video of the Kampot Cambodia Walking Tour. If it looks fun, click ==>this link<== or the below Google Map and start walking.

Kampot Art Gallery: Make sure to see all three floors while you are there.
Kampot Pond:
Kampot Governor’s Mansion Museum:
Kampot Old Market: This is tourist central and where you are likely to start your cultural exploration. Locals and foreigners alike have opened up many specialty food houses, tour sellers, souvenirs.
Night Markets: There are two night markets.  One at the Durian Circle and another on the riverfront, on the north side of the new bridge. Both have more food options than you can eat in a lifetime and more souvenirs than you can fit in your suitcase. We visit night markets to people watch and take in all the local flavors.
Old Cinema Hotel: Some Europeans bought the old cinema and turned it into a hotel and restaurant. They kept the facade on the outside and did a really nice job. The man at the desk explained that they spent a bunch of money so they secured a 30-year lease to protect their investment. If you decide to move here and start a business or remodel your (rented) home, think about this as a potential way to protect your investment.
Kampot’s Central Market: If you decide to stay in Kampot for an extended period this is the market where you will get your fruits, vegetables, and meats, for cooking at home. Mornings are better for visiting this market.

Did this video and our web page help you decide to further investigate Financial Independence Retire Early 1000 USD month in Kampot Cambodia? Please let us know.

Things to Do Near Kampot Cambodia

If the above video looks fun, you can use the below map to take the tour.

We have listed these on a single interactive Google Map for your convenience, but you can break these into 2 tours. The scooter cost 120k dong, $5 USD day. We rented our scooter from our accommodations. See where we stayed above.

Day 1, visit the first stop:

Green Cathedral (Bopha Prey Kampot): They will rent you the Kayak for $5 USD/hour and point you in the right direction. There are other places that rent Kayaks, like Bamboo Bungalows, Maya Bungalows, High Tide, Hideaway, and Ganesha … that have entries into the Green Cathedral. You can rent a Kayak or a stand-up board and explore at your own pace. They said it takes 2 hours to get around, but I did in less than one hour.

Day 2: Head up to Bokor National Park. Make sure to hit each stop on the Interactive Google Map.

Yeay Mao Monument
Preah Monivong Bokor National Park
Pagoda At Casino
Pram Pagoda
Bokor Church

Kampot Cambodia Nightlife

There is a fairly diverse nightlife in Kampot Cambodia. There are a bunch of Expats living in Kampot and they all seem to be allowed to work in their business, unlike in Thailand. If this video looks fun, click the below interactive Google Map and start walking our tour. The map is interactive so you can delete the ones in the video that are not interesting to you.

Kampot Cambodia Food and Life Experiences

We only list restaurants here if we loved them.

Epic Arts Cafe: Vegan Delights from $2.50 to $4.50 USD. This NGO employs Cambodians with various challenges (disabilities). We totally loved the food and atmosphere in this place!
Simple Things: This is a western vegetarian restaurant with prices of about $3 to $6 per meal. We loved it.
Divino Italian: This was our favorite meal in Kampot.
Ecran Noodles (Chinese Noodles): Great Chinese Noodles place near the old bridge for $1.75.
Milano Pizza Cafe: Vegetable Noodle Soup $1.50 USD.

Vagabond Buddha’s Kitchen: I didn’t cook at all in Cambodia. We ate out at every meal.

Grab a free copy of my Ebook to learn how and why we live like this.

Kampot Facts and History

Here are some interesting facts about Kampot, Cambodia.

Thirty minutes inland from the Cambodian beach community of Kep is a river community called Kampot.

Like in Kep, you will feel like you have gone back in time when you arrive in Kampot. After 3 months of traveling through Vietnam from north to south, we crossed the southernmost border from Vietnam into Cambodia.

It felt like a time machine has transported us back in time. Everything is more relaxed and easy in Cambodia. It felt like our clocks had been dipped in Molasses.

We settled into the slower Cambodian pace without thought or objection, just lower stress, and easy living. That really means something, because Vietnam was already going at an easy pace as compared to many other parts of the world.

The first thing you notice is that people are not using the horn on their motorcycle faster than a teenage gamer. The next thing you notice in Kampot is the smell of Marijuana in the air around you as you walkabout. Street drugs are illegal in Cambodia, including Marijuana. If you don’t end up in jail it is because a policeman wanted a bribe. I recommend staying away from anything illegal when you travel. You just don’t know the nuances of the criminal justice system in foreign countries.

You will also notice the colonial-era architecture in Kampot city center.

Next, you notice all the Foreigners wandering about speaking French, German, Spanish, English, etc.

Kampot started as the main trade port for Cambodia in the 19th century. It remained so until trade shifted to a newer port allowing larger ships in Kompong Som in the 1950s.

Kampot now attracts tourists desiring a more authentic slower place, and it delivers heartily.

If you are considering early retirement, a gap year, or gap life, you might not be able to find a more relaxing place.

There are over one hundred relaxing hotels, hostels, restaurants, and assorted hidden gems to explore not including all the natural beauty you must explore here.

Final Thoughts

If you are interested in the subject of present moment awareness, my new videos on that subject are now being posted here.

Please subscribe to VagabondBuddha.com or our Youtube Channel to watch us move around the world. 65 countries so far.

To find out about members-only prices and benefits, watch the following video.

This is Dan of Vagabond Buddha. Thank you for your interest in our Financial Independence Retire Early 1000 USD month in Kampot Cambodia post. The world is your home. What time will you be home for dinner?