Network Cambodia
Qualitative market research agency in Cambodia
MindMarket is a market research agency that runs qualitative studies in Cambodia, from in-depth interviews and focus groups to shop-alongs and home visits, with moderators who live in the country and one project manager for your whole study. Cambodia has a population of 17.9 million and a median age of 26.2, and 67.3 per cent of residents are online (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Only 26.6 per cent live in urban areas, so Phnom Penh is one part of the market and the provinces are the larger part. Prices are quoted in riel and in US dollars, often on the same label, and a study in Cambodia records which currency each participant thinks in.
AT A GLANCE
Cambodia at a glance for researchers
- Population. 17.9 million people, median age 26.2, 26.6 per cent in urban areas (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Phnom Penh, the capital, is by far the largest city. Siem Reap lives from visitors to Angkor, Battambang leads the north-west, Sihanoukville is the port, and three people in four live in rural provinces. Phnom Penh stands where the Mekong and the Tonlé Sap rivers meet.
- Languages. Khmer, written in its own script, in every session. English is used in tourism and by many younger people in Phnom Penh, and Chinese in parts of business. Our moderators live in Cambodia, and your team follows through simultaneous interpretation.
- Internet and mobile. 67.3 per cent of the population is online, 12.0 million people, and mobile connections total 21.7 million (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Median download speeds are 53.58 Mbps on mobile and 49.32 Mbps on fixed lines (same source), and mobile connections stand at 121 per cent of the population. TikTok counts 11.3 million adult users, and most online time is spent on a phone.
- Where fieldwork happens. Phnom Penh first, then Siem Reap and Battambang. Kampong Cham or Sihanoukville are added when the decision is national, and villages are reached by road from the provincial town. Outside Phnom Penh, sessions take place in hotel or office meeting rooms.
- Data protection. Cambodia had not enacted a comprehensive personal data protection law by February 2026 (DLA Piper). We apply the same practice as elsewhere: participants are told what is recorded and why, and consent is collected before each session.
- Timing. Khmer New Year, in mid-April, and Pchum Ben, in September or October, send people back to their home provinces for several days. The Water Festival falls in November. The rainy season runs from May to October and slows travel on rural roads.
IN THE FIELD
How does an interview run in Cambodia?
In Cambodia, a price has two currencies and a phone has a wallet. Shops quote riel and dollars side by side, change is given in riel, and many purchases in Phnom Penh are paid by scanning a code with a bank app. A study in Cambodia tests the price and the payment as people meet them. Outside the capital, cash and the open market still carry most purchases.
- Riel, dollars and the code. Price research shows the label as it appears in the shop, in both currencies. Interviews ask which one the participant uses for that category, and usability tests include payment by scanned code. Change given in riel for a dollar price is part of what the participant pays, and is noted.
- Phnom Penh and the provinces. The capital is younger, better paid and more connected. Provincial towns and villages are recruited by people who live there, and reported apart. Siem Reap is fielded with residents and visitors screened apart.
- In person beyond the city. A third of the population is not online. Home visits and interviews in the provinces are held in person, with an introduction from someone the family knows. Stimulus is read aloud when reading is slow, and pictures carry as much as text.
- Workers on their day off. Garment and footwear factories employ a large workforce around Phnom Penh. Workers are recruited near where they live and interviewed on Sunday, their day off. Sessions are short, held in the afternoon, and the incentive is paid on the day.
RECRUITMENT
How do you recruit participants in Cambodia?
- We recruit through local partners in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Battambang, by province, age, income and category use. Each appointment is checked by phone twenty-four hours ahead, and the quota grid is approved by you before the first call. In the provinces, introductions come from someone the village trusts.
- Business audiences are approached directly, and their role is checked before the interview is booked. Regular study participants are left out of consumer groups. Shop owners and market traders are met at their place of work.
- MindMarket pays every participant's incentive itself. You never handle it.
METHODS
Which methods work in Cambodia?
Most studies in Cambodia run as in-depth interviews and focus groups, with shop-alongs, ethnographic home visits or UX research when the question needs them.
| Method | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| In-depth interviews | Finance, telecoms, health and B2B audiences in Phnom Penh, by video or in person | A video call planned for people who rarely go online |
| Focus groups | Food, drink, advertising and concept tests in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap | A Phnom Penh group read as the whole country |
| Shop-alongs | Wet markets, neighbourhood shops, minimarts and malls | Festival weeks, when baskets are not typical |
| Home visits | Cooking, shopping for the day and what the household watches | Turning up without anyone the household knows |
| UX research | Banking, payment and delivery apps on the participant's own phone | English-only screens for a Khmer-speaking audience |
QUESTIONS
Questions buyers ask about research in Cambodia
How much does market research cost in Cambodia?
A full-service qualitative study with MindMarket starts at $40,000 for the first market, and Cambodia added to a multi-country study starts from $8,000. Travel to the provinces moves the price more than extra sessions in Phnom Penh. Every quote is itemised and follows within 48 hours of a first call. Estimate your study.
How do I choose a market research agency in Cambodia?
Choose by what the study has to decide. A Cambodian survey company fits a household survey with enumerators. A qualitative specialist such as MindMarket fits a brand from outside Cambodia that needs local people heard in their own language, by moderators who live there, with one team across every country. Read how to choose a global qualitative research agency.
Is Phnom Penh enough for research in Cambodia?
Phnom Penh gives a sound first read of connected city buyers. For a national decision in Cambodia, add Battambang or Siem Reap and some rural households, because three people in four live outside towns and buy from markets and small shops. Each is recruited by people who live there.
Should prices be shown in riel or in dollars in a study in Cambodia?
Prices in a study in Cambodia are shown as they appear in the shop, usually in both. Small daily purchases are counted in riel and larger ones in dollars by many people. We ask each participant which currency they use for the category before discussing price.
Can research in Cambodia be run online?
Online research in Cambodia reaches the connected part of the market: 67.3 per cent of people use the internet, mostly on phones. Sessions are designed for a phone screen. Rural and older participants are met in person, in their province. Video interviews suit professionals and younger people in Phnom Penh.
Can you help us decide, not only run the interviews?
Yes. Beyond the fieldwork, our Customer-Led Strategy work turns what people in Cambodia told us into a recommendation: what to do, what not to do, and why. We form the hypotheses, test them with your customers and recommend from their words. If you already work with strategy consultants, we work alongside them.
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