๐Ÿ’ฐ My Cambodia Trip Cost: Budget Breakdown (2025)

A woman with an ancient building with three beaks in the background.
๐Ÿ’ฐ Trip CostVery Affordable
๐Ÿ’ต Typical Budget$40-$90/day
๐Ÿ€ My Budget$123/day
โœˆ๏ธ Trip Total$367
๐Ÿ—“๏ธ Trip Length3 days
*Excluding flights

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Is Cambodia Affordable To Travel To?

Cambodia is aย very affordable destinationย worldwide and ranks asย one of the cheapestย destinations in Asia.

  • Cambodia has a low cost of living, so things like accommodations and food are relatively affordable.
  • Bargaining is also a common practice, lending to cheaper prices for attractions and souvenirs.

For comparison, here’s my daily budget for destinations in Asia:

DestinationMy Budget
๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต Japan$145
๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ญ Cambodia$123*
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฌ Singapore$122
๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ผ Taiwan$102
๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ณ Vietnam$89
๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ญ Thailand$77
Budgets are per day (i.e., daily)

*My Cambodia daily budget is high because I splurged on accommodation.

See all my daily budgets.

About My Trip

To give context to the expenses below, hereโ€™s what you need to know about my trip:

  • I spent 3 days in Siem Reap, which gave me enough time to see Angkor Wat and bike through the countryside.
  • My trip was in November, during the low season, when things are less expensive.
  • I traveled with another person, which allowed us to split costs like housing.
  • Iโ€™m a mid-range budget traveler. I donโ€™t aim to travel on a budget, but Iโ€™m intentional about my spending.
  • I finance my trips and donโ€™t receive sponsorship.
  • All expenses are per person and in US dollars, converted from the Cambodian riel.

Theย exchange rateย wasย $1 USD = 4,105 KHRย at the time of writing.

A couple smiling with a sacred, ornate building with three peaks in the background.
I split travel cost with my partner

Total Cost

  • $602
  • $367
  • $123

Aย mid-range budget travelerย can expect to spend aboutย $90 per dayย in Cambodia. This budget generally means:

  • Staying at accommodations that cost about $35 per night
  • Eating at $ and $$ restaurants that average about $30 per day
  • Getting around by private tuk-tuks and domestic flights
  • Paying for group tours to Angkor Wat

Budget Breakdown

Hereโ€™s a breakdown of my expenses by travel category:

CategoryCost% of TotalDaily Budget
โœˆ๏ธ Flights$23539%
๐Ÿ›ƒ Visa$305%$10
๐Ÿ  Accommodation$16327%$54
๐ŸŸ Food$498%$16
๐Ÿš— Transportation$81%$3
โญ Entertainment$11920%$40
Total$602100%$123

Flight Cost

  • $136 (I usually take round-trip flights from the United States, but I flew into Cambodia from Thailand)
  • $99 (from Cambodia to Malaysia)

A round-trip flight between the US and Cambodia costing under $800 is considered cheap, as international flights typically cost over $950.

An open airport with unique orange roofs.
Siem Reap’s airport

A 30-day tourist visa for Cambodia costs $30 for US citizens. You can get it upon arrival at the airport,ย and itโ€™sย cash-only.

Accommodation Cost

  • $163
  • $54

I usually book basic accommodations, but I stayed at aย villa while in Siem Reapย to celebrate my anniversary.ย My villa included a private swimming pool, a full kitchen, a modern bathroom with a rain shower head, and a private washing machine and dryer.

A building with tall glass windows with a nice swimming pool.
My Siem Reap Airbnb

My accommodation budgeting tips:

  • The cheapest options start at $7 a nightย โ€“ย For the cheapest option, stay at aย dorm-style hostel for as low as $7 a nightย in cities like Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. Booking private rooms in a hostel increases the price to roughly $12 a night. A budget hotel room is not much more expensive than a hostel at around $15 a night.
  • Luxury accommodations can still be affordable โ€“ย I paid less than $60 a night for an entire “villa” for myself. If you want to splurge on nice accommodations while maintaining a relatively low budget, Cambodia is a great country to do it.

Food Cost

  • $49
  • $16

My most affordable meals:

MealLocationCost
Noodle and drinksPhare Circus$3.50
Fish amok (Khmer dish)Madam Moch$4.50

My most expensive meals:

MealLocationCost
Seafood and premium beefOx Club $65
Num banh chok (Khmer dish)POU Restaurant$13
Curry dishSambo$10
A bowl of noodle in orange sauce with flowers.
POU Restaurant

My food budgeting tips:

  • Eat Khmer food โ€“ You can expect to spend anywhere fromย $3 to $10 per meal, and you likely won’t spend more than $15 per meal unless you’re eating at high-end restaurants. A local beer is usuallyย less than $1. If you’re not familiar with local food, you can sample different dishes at anย affordable street food tour.

Transportation Cost

  • $8
  • $3

I only took private tuk-tuks around Siem Reap, which were very affordable.

A woman riding a tuk-tuk.
Tuk-tuk in Siem Reap

My transportation budgeting tips:

  • Download Grab โ€“ Siem Reap and Phnom Penh are small cities, so a very convenient andย affordable way to get around is by tuk-tuk,ย which you can call through the Grab app (iOS,ย Android). You can also negotiate tuk-tuk rides, but they are usually already very cheap.
  • Walk and bike as much as possible โ€“ Siem Reap and Phnom Penh are small cities with pedestrian-friendly areas, especially around the city center.
  • Take the bus between cities โ€“ Cambodia doesn’t have extensive public transportation, but one of the cheapest ways to travel between major destinations is by bus. You can take a bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap for less than $15.

Entertainment Cost 

  • $119
  • $40

The activities/attractions I did:

ExperienceLocationCost
๐Ÿ›• Angkor WatSiem Reap$63
๐ŸŽช PhareSiem Reap$18
๐Ÿšฒ Siem Reap Countryside CyclingSiem Reap$38
Two people riding bikes down a red dirt path surrounded by trees and bushes.
Cycling in Siem Reap

My entertainment budgeting tips:

  • Visit attractions without a guide โ€“ The famous Angkor Wat has a $37 entrance fee, but the cost jumps to $50 with a guide. The massive site is very historical, so I think a guide is worth it, but you can skip it if you’re on a tight budget.
  • Go to meaningful places with small entrance fees โ€“ One notable site I didn’t visit was The Killing Fields in Choeung Ek Genocidal Center, but I recommend it due to its educational impact. It has an affordable $6 entrance fee.

See myย ratings for Cambodia’s experiences.

Do You Need Cash?

  • Cambodia’s economy heavily relies on cash transactions, so make sure to bring cash.

My tips on using cash:

  • USD and the Cambodian riel are widely used in Cambodia, so you can withdraw cash in either currency. However, if you use USD, expect to receive change in riel and remember that you mayย not get a favorable exchange rate.
  • Carry about $30 worth of cash per day to tip guides, pay for tuk-tuks, and eat at local restaurants.ย Most of my transactions were done in cash.
  • Tipping is not customary in Cambodia, but it is one of the poorest countries in the region, so service workers always appreciate them.

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8 Comments

  1. Stuart

    Thanks for the information. I am heading to Siem Reap next month. I’ve booked the majority of trips and accommodation on line but didn’t have a clue about spending money. Great article

    1. Lukiih

      Thanks, Stuart! Enjoy Siem Reap.

  2. Ruben

    You can save money with a multiday pass to Angkor Wat. For example a day pass is $37, but a three day pass is $62 (as of January 2024).
    Great article/page, by the way.

    1. Lukiih

      Thanks, Ruben! Great callout.

  3. Paul

    Hi, Lukiih,

    Thanks for the fantastic summary review of Siem Reap. Can you recommend any tour guides for the Angkor Wat temples, that will take you round to the various sites within the complex? I am aware there is a small (short circuit route) and a large circuit route around the complex. Do you have to follow one of the circuits with the driver, or can you suggest with them what temples you want to see? Going to Cambodia for the first time in March 2024 (Phnom Penh & Siem Reap)

    1. Lukiih

      Hi Paul, glad you found my post helpful.

      I did the Angkor Wat small circuit route with this operator. My guide, Mr. Bun, was fantastic. The short circuit typically covers the must-do temples, so you don’t get to pick the temples.

      If you want more input on temple selection, you typically need to pay more for a true private tour like this one.

      I don’t have recommendations on the larger circuit since I didn’t do one!

      Enjoy your trip in March!

  4. Wendy

    Hi
    Your information are very helpful for my planning in March 2024
    Thank you ๐Ÿ˜Š

    1. Lukiih

      Hi Wendy, glad you found it helpful. Enjoy your trip in March!

Comments are closed.