How Much I Spent in Cambodia

Cambodia is a popular country to visit in Southeast Asia, especially on a round the world trip. The people are incredibly friendly and helpful, there’s so much history to explore, and it’s cheap. I got my fill of beaches while I was in Indonesia, so I didn’t go to any in Cambodia. But I spent 10 days between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, and I enjoyed my time there so much I hope to return someday with Andy. I will show you here just how cheap my Cambodia budget was so you can plan your trip.

• $180: Lodging for 10 nights, average $18 per night
• $95: Tuk-tuks and shuttle vans (I did fly in and out of Cambodia but I’m not including flight expenses here)
• $70: Activities
• $20: Visa
• $200: Food, alcohol and other miscellaneous purchases

The total comes to $565, so $56.50 per day.

Prices are listed in US dollars. I was traveling on my own here, and lodging costs are based on having my own room. You can spend a lot less if you stay in a hostel dorm. However, if you can afford $18 a night for a single (or a few dollars more for a double) in Siem Reap, I highly  recommend Motherhome Guesthouse. Really great place.

I took a shuttle van from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. The rest of the transportation spending was on tuk-tuks. This also includes paying tuk-tuk drivers to go to Angkor Wat for three days.

Activities include visiting the Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and signing up for a $20 cooking class in Phnom Penh. It also includes a three day pass for Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples, which was the most expensive one at $40.

As was my habit throughout Southeast Asia, I didn’t really watch what I was spending on food. It’s really cheap, so even a nicer meal was still reasonably priced. It was also easy to have a few drinks and not worry about breaking my budget since there are so many places where a beer is just $1. In Siem Reap I regularly had a plate of chicken fried rice or noodles, a skewer of chicken, and a beer for a grand total of $3. But this category also includes things like laundry, a few t-shirts, postcards, contact solution, sunscreen, and shampoo.

It wouldn’t take too many changes for you to travel in Cambodia on a smaller budget than I did. There are plenty of hostels and guesthouses for under $18 a night. Be more careful with how much you spend on food and alcohol, and you can easily cut this down to about $10 a day. And you can probably walk a little more often instead of taking tuk-tuks and save yourself a few bucks. Cambodia is definitely one of the cheaper countries you can visit.

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Tags: Angkor Wat, Cambodia, Phnom Penh, round the world, Siem Reap, solo travel, southeast Asia, travel spending