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Siem Reap 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 Siem Reap
๐ฐ๐ญ Sihanoukville
At a glance
- Where Sihanoukville is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (86%โ), Scooter rental (33%โ), Convenience store (20%โ)
- Where Siem Reap is clearly cheaper: Transit (67%โ), Haircut (25%โ), Beer (17%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Siem Reap is easier to travel (3.0 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Siem Reap 4 vs Sihanoukville 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Siem Reap | Sihanoukville | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 3.5$3.5 | $ 3.5$3.5 | similar |
| Street food1 item | $ 1.75$1.75 | $ 2$2 | Siem Reap โ12% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 10$10 | $ 10$10 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 2.5$2.5 | $ 2.5$2.5 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | $ 1.25$1.25 | $ 1.5$1.5 | Siem Reap โ17% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 3.5$3.5 | $ 4$4 | Siem Reap โ12% |
| 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 | Siem Reap โ17% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 1.5$1.5 | $ 1.5$1.5 | similar |
| Transitone ride | $ 0.5$0.5 | $ 1.5$1.5 | Siem Reap โ67% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 9$9 | $ 6$6 | Sihanoukville โ33% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 35$35 | $ 41$41 | Siem Reap โ15% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 350$350 | $ 300$300 | Sihanoukville โ14% |
| Laundry | $ 1.5$1.5 | $ 1.5$1.5 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 6$6 | $ 6$6 | similar |
| Haircutcut | $ 3$3 | $ 4$4 | Siem Reap โ25% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 8$8 | $ 8$8 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 25$25 | $ 20$20 | Sihanoukville โ20% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 37$37 | $ 5$5 | Sihanoukville โ86% |
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, Siem Reap or Sihanoukville?
Siem Reap and Sihanoukville cost about the same. Daily budget $67.6 vs $75.1; a month $1,451 vs $1,333.
Which is easier to travel, Siem Reap or Sihanoukville?
Siem Reap is easier: Siem Reap 3.0/5 vs Sihanoukville 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Siem Reap and Sihanoukville?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Siem Reap is about $1,451 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.