Humphrey, 74: came home after a decade, now heading back

How it came about

Humphrey was a carpenter in Perth. At 53, under pressure from commercial building deadlines, he flew to Phnom Penh in 2005 with a small nest egg, looking for a change. He put his skills to use there, helping rebuild a primary school after floods. In the evenings he and his Khmer language teacher tutored children. He says he found it much easier to mix with people there.

After about ten years he moved back to Australia, this time to Cairns. It did not suit him. He found life here colder and more rigid than in Cambodia. Now 74, and facing the question of aged care, he plans to go back.

What it costs them

In his early years in Phnom Penh, a rented villa cost him $100 a month.

For Kampot he has budgeted about $2,000 a month. It is a riverside town where, he says, a lot of retirees are going, and the money covers rent on a comfortable house plus a carer to cook, clean and help him each day.

The article compares this with residential aged care in Australia, where it reports refundable accommodation deposits of $470,000 to $758,000. Our guide to aged care overseas or at home explains how those costs work. For how a month overseas adds up elsewhere, see what retiring overseas really costs.

What went well

He found community and adventure there. There was a crew he liked working with, friendly sports matches and trips to explore nearby towns. He says he has lots of good friends in Kampot, and there is a good hospital nearby.

What was hard

The hard part was coming back. After a decade away, Australia felt like the harder place for him to grow old. In his words: “I like adventure and I’m so bored here.”

What has changed since

• Pension rules. The article does not say what income Humphrey lives on. For anyone moving overseas for good on the Age Pension, Services Australia says the Energy Supplement and Pensioner Concession Card stop from the day you leave, and since 20 September 2026 the Pension Supplement stops too. Our guide to moving overseas for good on the Age Pension covers the detail. Cambodia has no social security agreement with Australia, and Services Australia says that, unless you claim under an agreement, you must be living in Australia and physically in Australia on the day you claim the Age Pension.
• Visas. Smartraveller (page updated 22 September 2026) says Australians need a visa for Cambodia. An e-visa or a tourist visa on arrival is valid for 30 days, and a tourist visa can only be renewed once. Longer stays need a visa arranged through a Cambodian embassy or consulate. It also says that anyone retiring there will need to renew their visa regularly.
• Health care. Smartraveller says public hospitals in Cambodia are often poor in quality and below international standards. Outside Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, it says, there are almost no facilities that can deal with medical emergencies, and hospitals generally want cash up front before they treat you. Evacuation to better care can be very expensive.
• Medicare and coming back. Medicare never pays for treatment overseas. Smartraveller (page updated 18 August 2026) says an Australian citizen can use Medicare for treatment in Australia for up to 5 years after moving overseas. Services Australia’s staff guidance says those 5 years run from when you first left and do not restart on visits home. After that, you re-enrol when you move back to live. Our guide to coming home: your pension and Medicare explains the steps.

What to take from it

• Coming home is a real option, and so is leaving again. Humphrey has done both.
• A paid carer at home overseas is a different thing from residential aged care in Australia. Care here comes with Australian rules around it, while overseas you set up and manage the arrangement yourself.
• Smartraveller notes that some people find living in Cambodia affordable, then face serious money problems in a health or other emergency. Where the nearest hospital that handles emergencies is, and how you would pay, are worth knowing. Our guide to international health insurance by age covers what to ask.
• Cost is only part of it. What Humphrey missed most in Australia was people and adventure.