If you want the short version: buy a Smart Axiata Traveller SIM once you're on the ground — 30GB for around $5 is some of the cheapest reliable mobile data on the planet, and Smart has the most consistent 4G across Phnom Penh and Siem Reap where most remote workers actually sit. But do not land connectionless. Put a [Saily](https://saily.com) eSIM on your phone before you fly so you have working data the second you clear immigration, then pick up the local SIM in town once you've slept. That two-step — eSIM for the landing, local SIM for the stay — is the setup that consistently works best in Cambodia, and the rest of this guide explains why.
The three carriers, honestly ranked
Cambodia has three real mobile networks, and they genuinely differ — this isn't a case where any SIM will do.
Smart Axiata is the one to default to. Independent network testing (Opensignal's Cambodia reports through 2025) repeatedly puts Smart at the top for consistency — the metric that matters when you're on a video call and can't afford the connection to drop between neighborhoods. It claims coverage of roughly 98% of the country on 4G and it's the network most Phnom Penh cafes and coworking spaces quietly run on. For a remote worker whose day is calls, uploads, and hotspotting a laptop, Smart is the safe pick.
Metfone, owned by Vietnam's military-telecom giant Viettel, wins on reach. It covers 95%+ of the country including rural provinces, the Cardamoms, and the smaller islands — if your Cambodia involves Koh Rong, Mondulkiri, or motorbiking backroads, Metfone is the network that still has bars when the others don't. Its raw speeds in cities are the slowest of the three (mid-teens Mbps in testing), but out in the countryside it's often the only usable option.
Cellcard is the wildcard. It's posted the fastest raw download speeds of the three in recent testing (low-20s Mbps versus high-teens for Smart), and it's strong in central Phnom Penh. But its coverage thins out faster than Smart's once you leave the cities, and its headline tourist pack is poor value (see the table). Cellcard makes sense if you're staying put in the capital and want peak speed, less so if you move around.
All three switched on 5G on January 1, 2026, but it's concentrated in Phnom Penh with early rollout in Siem Reap and larger provincial towns. Treat 5G as a nice-to-have in the capital, not something to plan a SIM choice around yet — 4G is what you'll live on nationwide.
The comparison table
| Option | Typical tourist deal (2026) | Data / validity | Coverage strength | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smart Axiata | Traveller SIM ~$5 | 30GB / 15 days (+local & intl minutes) | Best consistency, strong in cities | Airport kiosks (PNH, Siem Reap), Smart shops, minimarts |
| Metfone | From ~$6 | 60GB / 30 days (up to 100GB for ~$10) | Widest rural & island reach | Airport kiosks, Metfone shops |
| Cellcard | Tourist pack ~$6 | 5GB / 7 days (larger 100GB/~$10 packs exist) | Fastest urban speed, weaker rural | Airport kiosks, Cellcard shops |
| Saily eSIM | From ~$5.99 | 1–10GB tiers, 7–30 days | Rides local networks; active before landing | saily.com — install before you fly |
| Airalo eSIM | From ~$4.50 | Small tiers up to larger packs | Same piggyback coverage | Airalo app |
A note on reading that table: the local SIMs and the travel eSIMs aren't really competing on price — they're solving different problems. Nothing beats a $5 Smart SIM on cost per gigabyte. Nothing beats an eSIM for having data the moment your plane's wheels touch down. You want both, in sequence.
Arrival connectivity: why the eSIM earns its place
Here's the specific Cambodia reason an arrival eSIM is worth it. Siem Reap's flights now land at the new Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport, which sits roughly 40+ minutes and a serious drive from the old town and temples. Phnom Penh's airport is closer in but still needs a ride. In both cases the first thing you'll want after immigration is a Grab or PassApp to your hotel — and that needs working data before you've bought anything.
The carrier kiosks in arrivals do exist (Smart, Cellcard, and Metfone all run counters at both airports), and buying there is legitimate. The catch is timing and friction: Siem Reap's booths in particular can wind down in the evening, so a late arrival can find them shuttered. You're also jet-lagged, in a queue, handing over your passport for registration, and paying a small airport markup — not the state in which anyone negotiates a good data deal.
An eSIM sidesteps all of that. Install Saily on your phone at home, pick a small Cambodia plan (its tiers run from about $5.99 for a few gigabytes up through 10GB, valid 7 to 30 days), and it activates automatically when you land. You order the Grab, you check into the hotel, you message home — all before you've spoken to a single kiosk. Saily runs on Cambodia's local networks under the hood, so coverage in the cities is effectively what you'd get from the physical SIM. Airalo does the same job at similar prices if you already use it; either works, but Saily is the one I'd hand a first-timer because the app and activation are clean.
The honest limit on eSIMs: they cost roughly two to three times the local SIM per gigabyte, and their data-only nature means no local phone number. For a few days of arrival data that's a fine trade. For three weeks of heavy remote work, it stops making sense — which is where the local SIM takes over.
The local SIM for a longer stay
Once you're settled, walk into any Smart shop or an official carrier counter — not a random street stall — and buy the Traveller SIM. For around $5 you get about 30GB valid 15 days, plus a bundle of local and international minutes and an actual Cambodian number, which is handy for Grab drivers, guesthouse bookings, and delivery apps that want to call you. If you're staying a month, you can top up or buy a bigger monthly bundle; Metfone and Cellcard both sell 60–100GB packs in the $6–$10 range if you're a heavy user.
Registration is mandatory by law. Bring your passport — the staff scan it, snap a photo, and register the SIM to you. It takes five to ten minutes and it's completely routine; there's no way around it and no reason to worry about it. Buy only from official carrier shops or their airport kiosks so registration is done properly and you're not sold a recycled number. Convenience-store SIMs (the 7-Eleven-style minimarts) are fine for topping up but do your first activation at a proper counter.
Which local network? For a city-based remote worker, Smart. If your stay includes real time on the islands or in the eastern provinces, buy Metfone instead — or, honestly, carry both: a second SIM slot with a $5 Metfone pack is cheap insurance for the days you leave the city.
The verdict for a remote worker
- Landing today, sorting things out this week? Install a Saily eSIM before you fly. Data works on arrival, you skip the jet-lagged kiosk queue, and you're covered for the drive into town from either airport.
- Staying two weeks or more and working seriously? Get there on the eSIM, then buy a Smart Traveller SIM in town for the bulk of your stay. At ~$5 for 30GB it's unbeatable value, the consistency is right for calls, and the local number smooths daily life.
- Heading rural or to the islands? Make your local SIM Metfone, or add it as a cheap second line alongside Smart.
Don't overthink it. The mistake isn't picking the "wrong" carrier — all three are cheap and workable — it's arriving with no plan and losing an evening to a closed kiosk. Bridge the landing with an eSIM, run the stay on a $5 Smart SIM, and Cambodia is one of the easiest and cheapest countries in Asia to stay connected in.
Quick checklist before you fly:
- Install Saily (or Airalo) and buy a small Cambodia plan for arrival day
- Confirm your phone is eSIM-capable and carrier-unlocked
- Download Grab and PassApp before you land
- Keep your passport handy for local SIM registration in town
- Decide Smart (cities) vs Metfone (rural/islands) for your longer-stay SIM