Gross vs. Net Size in Cambodia: What Area Are You Actually Buying?
Property Hub Cambodia
A clear, simple guide to understanding gross marketing size versus actual livable room in Phnom Penh condominiums.
Property Hub Cambodia | Insights | October 2026
A clear, simple guide to understanding gross marketing size versus actual livable room in Phnom Penh condominiums.
When you buy a condominium in Cambodia, the size printed on the marketing brochure is almost never the size of the room you actually get.
Almost every condo project in Phnom Penh is sold in Gross Size. That means when you pay your purchase price, the developer is not just charging you for your living room and bedroom. They are also charging you for your share of the shared hallway outside, the elevator lobby, the fire stairs, and the rooftop swimming pool.
So when a brochure says an apartment is 60 square meters, your actual room inside your front door might only be 48 square meters.
A few developments, particularly Japanese projects like J Tower 3, Gato Tower, Mekong View, or Anata Residence, do things differently and advertise in Net Size (the actual livable space inside your walls). But because most of the market sells in gross size, buyers get confused and end up comparing numbers that do not match.
As your independent property advisor, Property Hub Cambodia believes you should never be surprised after you sign. That is why for every single project in Phnom Penh, we always calculate and present two numbers side by side:
The Gross Size: What the developer markets on the brochure (your private room plus your allocated share of common areas).
The Actual Net Size: The real livable space inside your four walls that you actually get to live in, furnish, and rent out.
This ensures you always know the exact price for the actual space you own.
Gross Size vs. Net Size: Explained Simply
Think of buying a condo like renting an office or buying a home. There are two distinct measurements:
Gross Size (The Brochure Number): This is the total area including your private room plus a slice of the shared hallway, the elevator shaft, the public staircase, and external building walls. Most developers in Phnom Penh use this number on their price sheets.
Net Size (The Livable Room): This is the actual floor area inside your private front door where you can walk, place furniture, and sleep. This is the only number written onto your official government Certificate of Strata Title issued by the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction (MLMUPC) under Cambodia's 2010 Foreign Ownership Law (Sub-Decree No. 126 on Co-Owned Buildings).
In Cambodia, the common area loading gap typically ranges between 15% and 25%. On average, it is about 20%. That means if an apartment is marketed as 60 square meters gross, about 12 square meters of that purchase is common space outside your room.
Figure 1: Architectural Cutaway: 48 sqm Private Living Space vs. 12 sqm Shared Hallways and Facilities
Why Comparing Price per Square Meter Can Trick You
Because different developers advertise differently, looking only at price per square meter can mislead you:
Project A (Sold in Gross Size): Advertised at $1,600 per square meter for 60 sqm gross. Total price = $96,000. But the real net room is only 48 sqm. Real price per livable square meter = $2,000 per net sqm.
Project B (Sold in Net Size, e.g. Japanese Standard): Advertised at $1,900 per square meter for 50 sqm net. Total price = $95,000. The entire 50 sqm is livable space. Real price per livable square meter = $1,900 per net sqm.
On paper, Project A looks cheaper at $1,600 per square meter compared to Project B at $1,900. But in reality, Project A is actually $100 per square meter more expensive for the actual room you can live in.
Market Comparison: Gross Marketing vs. Real Livable Area
Project Category / Standard
How Developers Advertise
What You Actually Pay For
Official Strata Title Area
Most Phnom Penh Off-Plan Towers
Gross Size (includes corridors, elevators, stairs)
Brochure size includes ~15% to 25% common building areas
Registered strictly on Net Usable Area
Japanese Standard (e.g. J Tower 3)
Net Usable Area directly on price sheet
Pay strictly for interior room space inside your walls
Registered 1:1 on actual net livable room
Resale Units with Strata Title
Usually quoted in Net Usable Area from deed
Clear 1:1 match between price and actual livable floor
Deed confirms precise interior square meters
Borey / Landed Houses
Land size vs. House footprint (E0, E1, E2)
Total built floor area across all vertical floors
Hard Title on land (foreigners require trust structure)
What to Check Before You Sign a Contract
Before you pay any deposit on a condo in Cambodia, always ask these 3 essential questions:
What is the exact Net Usable Area in square meters? Make sure the developer writes the guaranteed net usable room size directly into the contract schedules, not just the gross marketing size.
Is the unit delivered bare shell or furnished? A bare shell unit with raw concrete requires an extra $10,000 to $20,000 for flooring, ceiling drywall, air conditioners, and bathroom fixtures before a tenant can move in.
What are the building management (HOA) fees? Management fees are typically charged on gross square meters at $1 to $2 per square meter each month. Always include this when calculating your net rental return.
Taxes and True Net Rental Returns
When calculating rental income, never rely on gross yield promises. In Cambodia, true net cash flow accounts for statutory obligations:
Transfer Tax: A 4% government registration fee paid when the Strata Title is issued in your name at the General Department of Taxation (GDT).
Property Tax (TOIP): A small annual tax of 0.1% on property valued above 100,000,000 KHR (~$25,000 USD).
Non-Resident Rental Tax: A 14% withholding tax deducted on gross rent paid to foreign property owners under Article 26 of the Law on Taxation.
Capital Gains Tax: A flat 20% tax on property profits, with implementation officially deferred until 1 January 2027 by the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
At Property Hub Cambodia, we stress-test all returns at a conservative 60% occupancy baseline, deducting the 14% withholding tax, HOA fees, vacancy allowance, maintenance reserves, and a 1 month tenant placement fee before projecting net returns. To see how Cambodia compares across the region, read our analysis on Why Investors Are Choosing Cambodia Over Thailand and Vietnam, or explore our complete guide to Strata Title in Cambodia: What Real Ownership Actually Means for Foreign Buyers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do most developers in Cambodia advertise in gross size?
Advertising in gross size makes the price per square meter look lower and more attractive on marketing brochures. However, government Strata Titles are registered strictly on actual net usable interior area.
Which projects in Phnom Penh sell in net size?
Projects following Japanese construction standards, such as J Tower 3, Gato Tower, Mekong View, or Anata Residence, typically advertise in net size so buyers see the exact livable space on the price sheet.
Why should I work with Property Hub Cambodia instead of buying directly from the developer?
When you walk into a developer’s showroom, their in-house sales team represents the developer's financial interests to close a unit in that specific building. When you partner with Property Hub Cambodia, we sit on your side of the table. You pay the exact same official developer price, but you receive independent representation: we audit the building's master title, calculate the true net livable space and real price per net square meter, verify remaining foreign quota, and stress-test the rental yield before you commit a single dollar.
Want to check the real net size of a condo before signing? If you are looking at a property in Phnom Penh, do not let marketing brochures confuse your numbers. Contact Property Hub Cambodia via WhatsApp (+855 11 666 952) to schedule a private acquisition audit with our senior advisory team in BKK1, or browse our current Phnom Penh properties to review verified units with audited net square meters.