How much does a trip to Cambodia cost? Daily budget and prices

Cambodia is one of the cheaper countries in Southeast Asia to travel, but the spread between styles is wide. The figures below are per person per day, assuming two people share a room at mid-range and comfort level. They exclude the Angkor pass and any flights, because both are one-off costs that depend on how long you stay.

Backpackers can hold to US$25–45 a day by sleeping in dorms or fan rooms, eating at stalls and markets, and splitting tuk-tuks. Mid-range travellers spend most of the extra on a pool hotel and air-conditioning. Comfort level means a 5★ hotel, restaurant meals and a private car with a guide, which is where the total climbs fastest.

Most everyday prices are quoted in dollars, and change under a dollar comes back in riel. That makes mental arithmetic easy, but it also means small notes matter: torn, dirty or very old dollar bills are often refused, so keep a supply of clean US$1, US$5 and US$10 notes.

The Angkor pass is the single largest fixed cost on most trips. Buy it at the official ticket office rather than through a hotel or driver, and match the pass length to your actual temple days: a 3-day pass only pays off if you really use three days. A licensed guide for a full day at Angkor runs US$35–50, and a tuk-tuk driver for a full temple day US$15–25.

Accommodation is the biggest variable. Siem Reap and Phnom Penh both have a deep supply of rooms, so a clean mid-range hotel with a pool costs far less than in Thailand or Vietnam at the same standard. Kampong Cham, Kratie, Battambang and Kep are cheaper again, and a fan room with a shared bathroom can cost only a few dollars.

Transport is the second lever. Short tuk-tuk hops are cheap, but long overland legs add up: a bus between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap is a modest fixed cost, while a private car costs many times more. Sights are mostly cheap outside Angkor, so the pass is what separates a temple-heavy trip from a beach-and-city one.

Food is where you can save without trying. Street stalls and markets keep a day's eating under US$12; sit-down restaurants in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh can triple that. Alcohol is cheap by Western standards, which is why bar tabs surprise some travellers more than meals do.

Cambodia runs on US dollars for hotels, tours, restaurants and transport, with riel used for small change and street purchases. The rate sits at roughly 4,000 riel to the dollar, and vendors will usually give change in whichever currency is convenient to them.

Cards are accepted at hotels and larger restaurants in the main cities, but not at markets, small guesthouses or roadside stalls. ATMs dispense dollars and charge a withdrawal fee that varies by bank, so take out larger amounts less often. Carry a reserve of clean small notes for tuk-tuks, temple-area drinks and tips.

Trip length matters more than style for the Angkor pass. A 1-day pass at US$37 is easy to justify; a 7-day pass at US$72 only makes sense if you plan to spread temple visits across a long stay. Many travellers buy a 3-day pass and use it on non-consecutive days within the allowed window.

Season and holidays move prices too. High season around the cool, dry months fills Siem Reap hotels and pushes room rates up, while the wet months bring lower rates and fewer crowds. Khmer New Year and other major holidays tighten transport and accommodation, so book ahead if your dates overlap.

Island and coastal legs add a separate cost: boat transfers to the islands off Sihanoukville and Kep run US$20–30 each way, which is easy to forget when you budget by day. Domestic flights, such as Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, are a fast alternative to a long bus ride at a higher price.

Street-level theft is the main money risk, not violent crime. Keep a day's cash in a front pocket or zipped bag and the rest in a hotel safe, and avoid counting large amounts of money in public. Card skimming happens at some ATMs, so use machines inside banks or well-lit hotel lobbies where you can, and check the card slot for anything loose.

If a card is swallowed or a withdrawal fails, contact your bank before assuming the money is gone. Keep a second card and some emergency dollars separate from your main wallet.

Treat the daily totals as a planning band, not a quote. Build your own estimate by picking a style, multiplying by nights, then adding the Angkor pass, any domestic flight and island boat transfers. A 5-night mid-range trip with a 3-day Angkor pass lands roughly in the US$400–700 range per person before flights, which is a useful sanity check.

If you want a figure tailored to your dates and style, use the trip cost estimator and then check the country page for the practical planning steps.