Start with the market, then look outward
Phsar Krom is not a smaller version of the Old Market quarter. Its market serves the southern side of Siem Reap, on the route towards Phnom Krom and Tonle Sap, and the surrounding area is organised around daily trade, homes and roads rather than visitors looking for an evening out. That is the reason to consider it, and also the reason to be exacting about the lane you choose.
The useful contrast is simple. Old Market puts tourist-facing restaurants, souvenir stalls and central services within an easy orbit. Phsar Krom puts you closer to a market that concentrates food, clothes and household goods for the surrounding neighbourhoods. It is less curated, less English-speaking and more connected to the ordinary work of a town. For a longer stay, that can be a better fit than living beside Pub Street. For someone who wants a walkable holiday atmosphere every night, it is likely to feel peripheral.
The market is an anchor, not a promise
Phsar Krom has been described as a market for the surrounding southern neighbourhoods, with practical goods rather than the souvenir trade of the old centre. This is a useful amenity, but it is not a guarantee that every rental nearby will be convenient. Market roads pull movement towards them. A home just off the main approach can be pleasantly ordinary; a home facing it can acquire all the noise, stopping traffic and early deliveries that the market brings.
Look at the route between the property and the market rather than merely measuring it. Is there shade? Is the surface comfortable on foot? Does the street become a motorbike shortcut? Can you collect groceries without turning the return journey into an obstacle course? In a town where many daily trips are by tuk-tuk or motorbike, that modest bit of inspection is part of choosing the address.
The southern edge has two directions
One direction runs back towards central Siem Reap. The other runs south towards Phnom Krom and the Tonle Sap area. That makes Phsar Krom a useful base for a resident whose work or interests point south, while the central visitor district remains an outing rather than a neighbour.
It also means the neighbourhood is road-oriented. The better streets are not necessarily the grandest ones. A narrow lane with homes, a small shop and a clear route to the main road may work more comfortably than a frontage that looks convenient in a listing. Conversely, a house set too far into the fringe can turn a quick meal, school run or social plan into something requiring a vehicle every time.
Rent is not the headline here
There is no current rent research in the area record, and it would be irresponsible to turn scattered listings into a confident range. Treat the lack of a published figure as a reason to compare individual homes carefully, not as a bargain signal. Housing quality, road access, furnishing and the exact relationship to the market will do more to determine whether a particular offer is good value.
Ask the landlord or agent the unromantic questions. What is included? Where is the vehicle kept? Which road is used when it rains? Is the house supplied directly from the road or down a shared lane? Then return at a different hour. Phsar Krom rewards this approach because the draw is not a uniform streetscape. It is the chance to live beside an ordinary local anchor without placing your entire life inside the town’s tourist core.
A straight answer
I would consider Phsar Krom if I wanted a domestic base, cooked at home and did not mind using a tuk-tuk or scooter as part of the day. I would choose a street close enough to the market to be useful but not so close that its road becomes the soundtrack of the flat.
I would not choose it simply to save money or because a search result says “near town”. The central quarters and Phsar Krom serve different routines. This one is more convincing for a resident who wants access to daily shopping and accepts a town-edge rhythm. The best version is a quiet lane with an easy escape route. The wrong version is a cheap-looking house on a road you will resent leaving or returning to.