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Phnom Penh vs Sihanoukville cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฐ๐ญ Phnom Penh
๐ฐ๐ญ Sihanoukville
At a glance
- Where Sihanoukville is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (50%โ), Studio rent (month) (40%โ), Beer (25%โ)
- Where Phnom Penh is clearly cheaper: Transit (73%โ), Haircut (25%โ), Taxi (17%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Phnom Penh is easier to travel (3.0 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Phnom Penh 4 vs Sihanoukville 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Phnom Penh | Sihanoukville | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 3.5$3.5 | $ 3.5$3.5 | similar |
| Street food1 item | $ 2$2 | $ 2$2 | similar |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 12$12 | $ 10$10 | Sihanoukville โ17% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 2.8$2.8 | $ 2.5$2.5 | Sihanoukville โ11% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 2$2 | $ 1.5$1.5 | Sihanoukville โ25% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 5$5 | $ 4$4 | Sihanoukville โ20% |
| Bottled water | $ 0.5$0.5 | $ 0.5$0.5 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 1$1 | $ 0.8$0.8 | Sihanoukville โ20% |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 2.5$2.5 | $ 3$3 | Phnom Penh โ17% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 1.25$1.25 | $ 1.5$1.5 | Phnom Penh โ17% |
| Transitone ride | $ 0.4$0.4 | $ 1.5$1.5 | Phnom Penh โ73% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 8$8 | $ 6$6 | Sihanoukville โ25% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 45$45 | $ 41$41 | Sihanoukville โ9% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 500$500 | $ 300$300 | Sihanoukville โ40% |
| Laundry | $ 1.25$1.25 | $ 1.5$1.5 | Phnom Penh โ17% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 6$6 | $ 6$6 | similar |
| Haircutcut | $ 3$3 | $ 4$4 | Phnom Penh โ25% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 10$10 | $ 8$8 | Sihanoukville โ20% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 20$20 | $ 20$20 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 10$10 | $ 5$5 | Sihanoukville โ50% |
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, Phnom Penh or Sihanoukville?
Sihanoukville is 14% cheaper than Phnom Penh. Daily budget $80.9 vs $75.1; a month $1,689 vs $1,333.
Which is easier to travel, Phnom Penh or Sihanoukville?
Phnom Penh is easier: Phnom Penh 3.0/5 vs Sihanoukville 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Phnom Penh is about $1,689 and Sihanoukville about $1,333 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.