Best Budget Guesthouses in Phnom Penh

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Phnom Penh’s budget scene is spread across BKK1, the Russian Market area, and the central streets around the old town, rather than clustered in one backpacker strip — which means the right pick depends heavily on what kind of budget stay you want, not just price. This list covers five well-reviewed, genuinely named guesthouses and hostels away from the riverside crowd, with ratings shown on Hostelworld’s 10-point scale rather than TripAdvisor’s 5-bubble scale, since that’s where most of these properties are most heavily reviewed.

Best Budget Guesthouses in Phnom Penh at a Glance

Property	Rating	Area	Best For
Pooltop Phnom Penh	9.2/10 (301 reviews)	Central	Rooftop pool, best overall rating
Poolside Villa	8.6/10 (230 reviews)	Off Bassac Lane (BKK1)	Pool, quieter BKK1 setting
Sacred Lotus — Vegan Café x Hostel	8.7/10 (205 reviews)	Near Russian Market	Café, rooftop garden, remote workers
The Big Easy Phnom Penh	8.3/10 (787 reviews)	Central	Largest, most established review sample
THE PLACE Hostel Phnom Penh	8.2/10 (138 reviews)	Central	Straightforward, well-located budget base

Best Overall: Pooltop Phnom Penh

Pooltop Phnom Penh earns its name from a genuine rooftop pool with city views, plus a pool table and darts for evening downtime — a real step up from a standard dorm-and-bunk setup. At 9.2/10 from 301 reviews on Hostelworld, it’s the highest-rated property on this list and a strong first pick for travelers who want a social atmosphere without sacrificing comfort.

Best for a Quieter BKK1 Base: Poolside Villa

Tucked just off Bassac Lane in BKK1, Poolside Villa trades a central old-town location for a noticeably quieter, more residential neighborhood, while still keeping its own pool and genuinely helpful staff. At 8.6/10 from 230 reviews, it’s a solid pick for travelers who want BKK1’s cafes and restaurants within easy reach without the noise of a central-strip hostel.

Best Near the Russian Market: Sacred Lotus — Vegan Café x Hostel

Sacred Lotus pairs a hostel with an on-site vegan café and a rooftop garden, near the Russian Market — a genuinely different neighborhood feel from the central or riverside options, with more local shopping and fewer tourist-strip bars nearby. At 8.7/10 from 205 reviews, it’s a strong pick for digital nomads or anyone staying longer and wanting a calmer, more local base.

Best Established Track Record: The Big Easy Phnom Penh

With 787 reviews behind its 8.3/10 score, The Big Easy Phnom Penh has by far the largest, most established review sample of any property on this list — a meaningful data point if you’d rather book somewhere with a long, consistent track record than a newer property with a thinner sample. It sits centrally, within easy reach of most of the city’s main sights.

Best Straightforward Base: THE PLACE Hostel Phnom Penh

THE PLACE Hostel Phnom Penh doesn’t try to be a party hostel or a boutique stay — it’s a straightforward, well-located budget base rating 8.2/10 from 138 reviews, a reasonable middle ground for travelers who just want a clean, central, no-fuss room without extra amenities driving up the price.

A Note on Rating Scales

Ratings above come from Hostelworld’s 10-point scale, which runs noticeably higher on average than TripAdvisor’s 5-bubble scale used elsewhere on this site — an 8.2/10 here is a genuinely solid score, not a middling one. If you’re comparing a Hostelworld-rated property against a TripAdvisor-rated hotel elsewhere in your search, don’t read the raw numbers as directly equivalent.

What Budget Actually Gets You

A dorm bed across these properties typically runs $4-10 a night, while a private room lands around $13-30 depending on the property and season. Most include free WiFi and a fan or AC, and several — Pooltop and Poolside Villa among them — add a pool, which is a genuine comfort upgrade during Phnom Penh’s hot season. For the fuller day-by-day cost picture beyond just the room, see our Phnom Penh on a Budget guide.

Choosing Your Area on a Budget

BKK1 and the Russian Market area both offer a calmer, more local feel than the central streets, while central Phnom Penh keeps everything — sights, food, transport links — within easy walking distance. Our where to stay in Phnom Penh guide breaks down each neighborhood in more depth, and our how to get around Phnom Penh guide covers how cheaply you can move between them. If you’d rather be right on the water instead, our best riverside hotels in Phnom Penh guide covers well-reviewed picks directly on Sisowath Quay.

Booking Timing

None of these properties see the dramatic sell-out risk that beach-town hostels do, but dorm beds at the highest-rated picks, Pooltop and Sacred Lotus in particular, can still fill up a few days ahead during the November-February dry season. Booking a couple of days in advance during that window is a reasonable, low-effort precaution.

What to Check Before Booking

At this price tier, always check whether AC is included or a fan-only room is cheaper, since Phnom Penh’s heat makes that a bigger comfort difference than at a mid-range hotel. It’s also worth checking recent review dates specifically rather than the overall score alone — hostels change management and atmosphere more often than established hotels do, and a strong headline rating can occasionally mask a recent dip that only shows up in the last month or two of reviews.

How Phnom Penh’s Budget Scene Compares to Siem Reap’s

Phnom Penh’s budget guesthouses and hostels run slightly cheaper on average than Siem Reap’s equivalent tier, reflecting the capital’s larger overall room supply relative to tourist demand. The trade-off is atmosphere: Siem Reap’s Pub Street area concentrates budget backpacker energy into one compact zone, while Phnom Penh’s budget scene is genuinely spread across three or four different neighborhoods, each with a noticeably different feel.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a budget guesthouse cost in Phnom Penh?

Dorm beds typically run $4-10 a night, and private rooms at these properties land around $13-30 depending on the property and season.

Is Phnom Penh safe for budget travelers staying in guesthouses?

Generally yes for the areas covered here — central, BKK1, and Russian Market are all well-trodden, commonly used neighborhoods for budget stays.

Which area has the best-value budget accommodation in Phnom Penh?

Central Phnom Penh has the widest selection and easiest walking access to sights, while BKK1 and the Russian Market area tend to be quieter for a similar price.

Is there a budget option with a pool in Phnom Penh?

Yes — both Pooltop Phnom Penh and Poolside Villa include a pool, a genuine comfort upgrade during the hot season.

How do Hostelworld ratings compare to TripAdvisor ratings used elsewhere on this site?

Hostelworld’s 10-point scale runs higher on average than TripAdvisor’s 5-bubble scale, so an 8/10 here roughly tracks with a strong TripAdvisor score, not a mediocre one.