Phnom Penh’s costs run slightly below Siem Reap’s across most categories, thanks to its larger, more varied accommodation and dining market — here’s a realistic breakdown across three travel styles.
Budget traveler: roughly $20-30 a day
A dorm bed or basic guesthouse room runs $6-20/night, street food and local restaurant meals cost $1.50-4 per dish, and tuk-tuk or Grab rides between sights add up to just a few dollars a day. Entry to the Royal Palace ($10) is the biggest single expense most budget travelers will face here.
Mid-range traveler: roughly $55-90 a day
This tier gets you a comfortable air-conditioned hotel room ($30-60/night), a mix of local and Western restaurant meals ($5-12 per dish), regular Grab or tuk-tuk transport, and room for a boat cruise or a nicer dinner at a restaurant like Malis without much extra thought.
Luxury traveler: $150+ a day
At this level you’re looking at properties like Raffles Hotel Le Royal or Rosewood Phnom Penh ($150-350+/night), upscale dining, and private transport throughout — Phnom Penh’s luxury tier remains genuinely good value compared to equivalent five-star experiences elsewhere in the region.
How Phnom Penh compares to Siem Reap on cost
Phnom Penh’s larger, more business-oriented hotel supply keeps mid-range accommodation prices modestly below Siem Reap’s equivalent tier, while food costs are broadly similar between the two cities — the main cost difference between a Phnom Penh and Siem Reap day usually comes down to accommodation rather than food or transport.
Where the money actually goes
Accommodation remains the largest and most flexible cost category, while transport stays cheap enough (tuk-tuk and Grab rides rarely exceed a few dollars per trip) that it rarely strains a budget even for backpackers moving around the city extensively each day.
One-time costs worth planning for separately
Beyond daily spending, a handful of one-time costs are worth budgeting for up front rather than being surprised by them mid-trip. The Cambodia e-visa runs $36 total including the processing fee, and most travelers arrange it online before departure rather than at the border. Entry to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda is $10, while Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek (the Killing Fields) run $5-6 each, plus roughly $15-20 for a round-trip tuk-tuk out to Choeung Ek and back. Together, these history and culture stops typically add $35-45 to a trip regardless of daily travel style — worth setting aside separately from the day-to-day figures above.
Staying connected: SIM cards and data
A local SIM card or eSIM with a tourist data package costs roughly $5-10 for a week or two of data, available at counters inside Phnom Penh International Airport or at mobile shops around the city. Setting this up on arrival makes it much easier to book Grab rides, navigate on foot, and confirm restaurant hours without relying on hotel wifi throughout the day.
Tipping in Phnom Penh
Tipping isn’t mandatory or expected the way it is in some countries, but it’s increasingly common and appreciated in tourist-facing settings. Rounding up a tuk-tuk or Grab fare, leaving small change at a restaurant, or tipping a guide $5-10 for a half-day tour are all normal and welcomed gestures rather than obligations — nobody will chase you down for skipping it, but it’s a genuinely appreciated way to acknowledge good service on a budget that already runs low by international standards.
Cash, cards, and ATMs
Cambodia runs largely on US dollars alongside the local riel, and ATMs across Phnom Penh dispense dollars readily, though most charge a withdrawal fee of around $4-5 per transaction regardless of the amount withdrawn. Making fewer, larger withdrawals rather than many small ones keeps these fees from adding up meaningfully over a longer stay, and it’s worth carrying a mix of small bills since change for larger notes isn’t always readily available at markets or with tuk-tuk drivers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Phnom Penh cheaper than Siem Reap?
Generally yes, particularly for accommodation, though the difference is modest rather than dramatic — both cities remain very affordable by international standards.
What’s the biggest expense in Phnom Penh for budget travelers?
Accommodation is typically the largest single cost, though the $10 Royal Palace entry fee is a notable one-time expense worth budgeting for specifically.
Can I eat well in Phnom Penh on a tight budget?
Yes — market food stalls and local restaurants offer genuinely good meals for $1.50-4, making it easy to eat well without spending much.
How much should I budget for transport per day?
$5-15 comfortably covers multiple tuk-tuk or Grab rides across the city for most visitors.
Stretching a budget further
For specific budget accommodation picks, see our Best Budget Guesthouses in Phnom Penh guide, and pair it with our Phnom Penh Food Guide for where to find genuinely good, cheap local meals.
Free and low-cost activities
Walking the riverside promenade, browsing Central Market and Russian Market, and visiting Wat Phnom cost little to nothing, making it easy to fill a day of sightseeing without straining a tight budget.
Splurging selectively
Even budget travelers often find it worth splurging on one or two specific experiences — a sunset boat cruise, a meal at a named restaurant covered in our Phnom Penh Food Guide, or an evening at one of the spots in our safety guide’s recommended nightlife areas — rather than economizing on every single expense.
A final word on budgeting for Phnom Penh
Whatever your travel style, Phnom Penh remains one of the more affordable capital cities in Southeast Asia to visit comfortably, and a bit of planning around accommodation and food goes a long way toward stretching any budget further.
How costs shift with length of stay
Longer stays often bring per-night accommodation costs down, since many guesthouses and even some mid-range hotels offer discounts for weekly or extended bookings — worth asking directly if you’re planning more than 4-5 nights in the city.
Group travel and shared costs
Traveling with others and splitting a private tuk-tuk driver or a larger hotel room can bring effective daily costs down meaningfully compared to solo budgets at the same comfort tier, similar to the dynamic in Siem Reap.
Whatever your travel style, tracking your spending loosely over the first day or two of a Phnom Penh visit gives a realistic sense of your own actual daily rate faster than relying purely on generic estimates like these.
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