How Much Does It Cost to Run Air Conditioning in Cambodia?
Hourly, monthly and yearly cooling costs at Cambodia's current electricity prices, by unit size and efficiency and city, in local currency and U.S. dollars.
By Mark Curant·Updated
Quick answer
At ៛730 per kWh (tariff set in 2021, confirmed unchanged for 2024; no later change found), a typical 1.5 hp (12,000 BTU, 3.5 kW) inverter air conditioner, which uses about 0.70 kWh of electricity an hour, costs about ៛511 an hour to run, or ៛122,640 for a month at 8 hours a day. Over a year it comes to about ៛1,277,500 in Phnom Penh (about $314), the hottest city we list, and ៛1,226,400 in Siem Reap. In U.S. terms the price is about 17.93¢/kWh, about the same as the U.S. average.
Per hour
៛511
1.5 hp (3.5 kW) inverter, uses 0.70 kWh
Per month
៛122,640
8 hrs/day × 30 days
Per year, Phnom Penh
៛1,277,500
2,500 cooling hours (our estimate)
Your numbers in Cambodia
Your AC now (efficiency 3.0)
៛2,129,167/yr
៛852/hr
New unit (efficiency 5.0)
៛1,277,500/yr
៛511/hr
You would save
៛851,667/yr
៛10,220,000 over 12 years
Efficiency = kW of cooling per kW of electricity over a season (our assumption for a typical new inverter split is 5.0; an old non-inverter or window unit is closer to 3). Hours start at our estimate for Phnom Penh and the price at ៛730; change them for your home and your bill.
Yearly cost by city
This table is for one 1.5 hp (12,000 BTU, 3.5 kW) inverter split, which uses about 0.70 kWh of electricity for each hour it runs. Hours per year is our estimate of how long it runs at full power in each city's climate. Cost per year is those hours × 0.70 kWh × ៛730.
| City | Hours the AC runs per year | Cost per year, 1.5 hp inverter split | Same in U.S. dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phnom Penh | 2,500 | ៛1,277,500 | $314 |
| Siem Reap | 2,400 | ៛1,226,400 | $301 |
Cooling hours are our estimate of full-load hours for each city's climate, for one unit. A home cooling several rooms uses more.
The price used here
What this table shows
- Price per kWh: the price for homes using more than 200 kWh a month on EDC's low-voltage grid, set by the Electricity Authority of Cambodia; the band is based on the home's total monthly use, so every kWh costs 730 riel once a home passes 200 kWh.
- Cost per hour: one 1.5 hp (12,000 BTU, 3.5 kW) inverter split running for an hour at full power (0.70 kWh × the price).
| Utility | Area covered | Price per kWh | Same in U.S. cents | Cost per hour of ACone 1.5 hp inverter split |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDC (Électricité du Cambodge) | Phnom Penh and 16 provinces on the EDC grid | ៛730 | 17.93¢ | ៛511 |
Cost by unit size
In Cambodia, air conditioners are sold by horsepower or BTU: a 1.5 hp (12,000 BTU) unit is about 3.5 kW of cooling. The size is how much cooling the unit puts out, not the electricity it uses.
All at a seasonal efficiency of 5.0 (our assumption for a typical new inverter split) and ៛730 per kWh:
| Unit size (cooling output) | Typical use | Cost per hour of running | Cost per month (8 hours a day) | Cost per year in Phnom Penh (2,500 hours) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hp · 2.5 kW (9,000 BTU) | bedroom | ៛365 | ៛87,600 | ៛912,500 |
| 1.5 hp · 3.5 kW (12,000 BTU) | large bedroom or living room | ៛511 | ៛122,640 | ៛1,277,500 |
| 2 hp · 5 kW (18,000 BTU) | large living room | ៛730 | ៛175,200 | ៛1,825,000 |
| 2.5 hp · 7 kW (24,000 BTU) | open-plan living area | ៛1,022 | ៛245,280 | ៛2,555,000 |
| Portable | one room, no installation | ៛730 | ៛175,200 | ៛1,825,000 |
What a more efficient unit saves
Seasonal efficiency is how much cooling a unit delivers for each kW of electricity over a whole season. The higher it is, the less electricity it needs for the same cooling. Yearly cost of one 1.5 hp (3.5 kW) unit in Phnom Penh (2,500 hours a year):
| Seasonal efficiency | What it's like | Electricity per hour | Cost per year | Saved per year vs an old 3.0 unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0 | old non-inverter or window unit | 1.17 kWh | ៛2,129,167 | — |
| 4.0 | older or basic inverter unit | 0.88 kWh | ៛1,596,875 | ៛532,292 |
| 5.0 | typical new inverter split | 0.70 kWh | ៛1,277,500 | ៛851,667 |
| 6.0 | efficient model | 0.58 kWh | ៛1,064,583 | ៛1,064,583 |
| 7.0 | top models | 0.50 kWh | ៛912,500 | ៛1,216,667 |
What to know about electricity prices in Cambodia
The Electricity Authority of Cambodia sets four household prices, based on how much a home uses in the month: 380 riel a kWh up to 10 kWh, 480 riel up to 50, 610 riel up to 200 and 730 riel above 200. An air-conditioned home is almost always above 200 kWh, so its whole bill is charged at 730 riel a kWh.
These prices have been unchanged for several years; the newest published decision we found dates from 2021 and was confirmed for 2024. Homes outside the EDC grid, supplied by private licensees, can pay more.
Many bills are paid in US dollars at the official exchange rate, about 4,072 riel to the dollar in October 2026.
Cutting the cost
- Set 25–26°C rather than 20–22°C, and run a ceiling or stand fan with it.
- Close curtains on sunny windows, and keep doors closed so you only cool the room you're in.
- Clean the indoor unit's filters every two to four weeks; humid, dusty air clogs them fast.
- Have the unit serviced (coil and drain cleaning) about once a year.
- When you replace a unit, choose an inverter model with a high energy label rating.
How Cambodia compares
Japan
¥38.87/kWh
≈ 24.62¢ US
Singapore
S$0.3116/kWh
≈ 24.40¢ US
Philippines
₱15.06/kWh
≈ 23.79¢ US
Hong Kong
HK$1.699/kWh
≈ 21.65¢ US
South Korea
₩257.6/kWh
≈ 19.43¢ US
Vietnam
₫3,618/kWh
≈ 14.11¢ US
Thailand
฿4.62/kWh
≈ 13.77¢ US
Malaysia
RM0.4893/kWh
≈ 11.99¢ US
Taiwan
NT$3.80/kWh
≈ 11.73¢ US
China
CN¥0.6670/kWh
≈ 9.99¢ US
Indonesia
Rp1,444.70/kWh
≈ 8.01¢ US
Brunei
B$0.08/kWh
≈ 6.26¢ US
Cambodia: ≈ 17.93¢ US/kWh. U.S. average: 18.31¢/kWh (July 2026). See costs in every U.S. state or Australia.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run an air conditioner per hour in Cambodia?
About ៛511 an hour in Phnom Penh for a typical 1.5 hp (12,000 BTU, 3.5 kW) inverter split, which uses about 0.70 kWh of electricity an hour, at ៛730 per kWh. A 1 hp (9,000 BTU) bedroom unit costs about ៛365 an hour, an old non-inverter 1.5 hp unit about ៛852, and a portable unit about ៛730.
How much does air conditioning add to a monthly bill in Cambodia?
Running a 1.5 hp inverter split 8 hours a day for 30 days uses about 168 kWh, or about ៛122,640. Over a year in Phnom Penh, at our estimate of 2,500 cooling hours, one unit costs about ៛1,277,500 (about $314).
Is an inverter air conditioner worth it?
Where the AC runs as many hours as it does in Phnom Penh, usually yes. Replacing an old non-inverter 1.5 hp unit (efficiency about 3) with a typical inverter split (about 5.0) saves about ៛851,667 a year at 2,500 hours.
How we calculated this
Electricity used (kWh) = cooling capacity (kW) ÷ seasonal efficiency × hours. Cost = kWh × price. Price: Electricity Authority of Cambodia, Decision No. 014 on EDC consumer tariffs (residential: 380 / 480 / 610 / 730 riel a kWh), confirmed unchanged for 2024. U.S. figures use 1 KHR = $0.0002456 (October 21, 2026, European Central Bank). Cooling hours are our estimate for each city. To check your own price, divide the energy part of your bill by the kWh used.