Buying a Condo in Phnom Penh: Comparing Price, Size and Location

Start with the home you need

Before comparing Phnom Penh condos, write down how you will use the apartment: your own home, occasional stays or a rental property. Set a total budget and identify the places you need to reach regularly. A shortlist built around those needs is more useful than one ranked only by the advertised discount.

This is a practical comparison method, not a valuation or a prediction of returns. Listing examples below illustrate how to read an offer; asking prices and availability require fresh confirmation before a viewing or reservation.

1. Compare the same price and area basis

Record the quoted price, its date and the area definition together. Gross area and net area are not interchangeable. Ask for the signed floor plan and a written explanation of whether walls, balconies or other allocations are included.

The Cambodia Deals listing for Time Square 9 Unit 20S states US$91,076, 60 m² gross and 40 m² net. Dividing that asking price by the two stated areas gives approximately US$1,518 per gross square metre or US$2,277 per net square metre. These are calculations from the same offer, not two different prices. Neither establishes market value.

Compare gross with gross or net with net. If another listing provides only a stated area, leave its measurement basis unconfirmed rather than treating it as usable internal space.

• Read the Unit 20S listing and its supplied area definitions

2. Look beyond the bedroom count

• Usable rooms: Check furniture placement, storage, kitchen work space and circulation on the plan and during the viewing.
• Light and comfort: Inspect orientation, ventilation, noise and heat at the times you expect to use the home.
• Inclusions: List the furniture, appliances, parking and balcony rights actually included in the written offer.
• Condition and timing: Separate an existing apartment you can inspect from an unfinished unit represented by a plan or rendering.

3. Test the location in daily life

Compare the exact street and building entrance, not just a neighbourhood name. Time Square listings in BKK1, BKK3 and Toul Kork offer different addresses; the right choice depends on your own destinations and routine.

Try the journey to work, school or regular appointments at a realistic time. Check pedestrian access, parking arrangements, nearby construction and noise. Visit after rain when practical and ask about access and building maintenance. A map distance cannot establish a reliable commuting time.

• Compare Phnom Penh property locations and listings

4. Ask for the full cost sheet

Request a written breakdown from the seller or authorised agent, then have an independent adviser check transaction-specific charges. Keep purchase costs separate from recurring costs so that a lower headline price does not hide a larger ongoing commitment.

• Purchase and setup: Record the agreed price, payment dates, applicable taxes and registration costs, professional fees, financing, furnishing and any repairs.
• Ongoing ownership: Confirm management charges, how the chargeable area is defined, parking, utilities, insurance and maintenance obligations.
• If renting it out: Allow for vacancy, letting costs, repairs and management. An advertised rent is not evidence of achieved income.

5. Keep a short comparison record

For each shortlisted unit, record the project, exact unit and floor, asking price and date, gross and net areas, completion status, inclusions, recurring charges and outstanding questions. Mark missing information as unconfirmed.

View the strongest candidates before deciding. For an off-plan purchase, use our separate document checklist and obtain independent legal review. A comparison table helps organise the decision; it does not replace title, contract or technical checks.

• Buying off-plan: seven document groups to check

Build your Phnom Penh shortlist

Start with current sale listings, open the homes that fit your budget and send Cambodia Deals the unit names you want to compare. Include your intended use, preferred area, bedroom needs and viewing dates. The team can request current terms and help arrange the next step.

• Browse Phnom Penh condos for sale