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Ipoh vs Siem Reap cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฒ๐พ Ipoh
๐ฐ๐ญ Siem Reap
At a glance
- Where Siem Reap is clearly cheaper: Beer (70%โ), Massage (51%โ), Cocktail & wine (50%โ)
- Where Ipoh is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (94%โ), Scooter rental (48%โ), Studio rent (month) (34%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Ipoh is easier to travel (2.2 vs 3.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Ipoh 2 vs Siem Reap 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Ipoh | Siem Reap | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | RM 13$3.02 | $ 3.5$3.5 | Ipoh โ14% |
| Street food1 item | RM 9$2.09 | $ 1.75$1.75 | Siem Reap โ16% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | RM 40$9.3 | $ 10$10 | Ipoh โ7% |
| Coffeeone cup | RM 12$2.79 | $ 2.5$2.5 | Siem Reap โ10% |
| Beerone bottle | RM 18$4.19 | $ 1.25$1.25 | Siem Reap โ70% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | RM 30$6.98 | $ 3.5$3.5 | Siem Reap โ50% |
| Bottled water | RM 1.6$0.37 | $ 0.5$0.5 | Ipoh โ26% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | RM 3$0.7 | $ 1$1 | Ipoh โ30% |
| Taxi5 km in town | RM 13$3.02 | $ 2.5$2.5 | Siem Reap โ17% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | RM 7$1.63 | $ 1.5$1.5 | Siem Reap โ8% |
| Transitone ride | RM 2$0.47 | $ 0.5$0.5 | Ipoh โ7% |
| Scooter rentalper day | RM 20$4.65 | $ 9$9 | Ipoh โ48% |
| Hotel night3-star | RM 150$34.9 | $ 35$35 | similar |
| Studio rent (month) | RM 1,000$233 | $ 350$350 | Ipoh โ34% |
| Laundry | RM 12$2.79 | $ 1.5$1.5 | Siem Reap โ46% |
| SIM card1 week data | RM 30$6.98 | $ 6$6 | Siem Reap โ14% |
| Haircutcut | RM 20$4.65 | $ 3$3 | Siem Reap โ36% |
| Massage1 hour | RM 70$16.3 | $ 8$8 | Siem Reap โ51% |
| Half-day tourper person | RM 120$27.9 | $ 25$25 | Siem Reap โ10% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | RM 10$2.33 | $ 37$37 | Ipoh โ94% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Ipoh or Siem Reap?
Ipoh is 15% cheaper than Siem Reap. Daily budget $67.1 vs $67.6; a month $1,073 vs $1,451.
Which is easier to travel, Ipoh or Siem Reap?
Ipoh is easier: Ipoh 2.2/5 vs Siem Reap 3.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Ipoh and Siem Reap?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Ipoh is about $1,073 and Siem Reap about $1,451 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.