Been to quiet a bit of the Middle East, as well as some very poor parts of the former Soviet Union.

I thought Phnom Penh was overall a much cleaner city than SF... Lots of people and haphazardness in PP, but mostly cleanish. I’d agree with your statement based on where I’ve been too. Also poor doesn’t always equate to "squalor".

I was last in Cambodia about 7 years ago, so a lot has probably changed. But when I was there, parts of it were basically an open air landfill.