Which place is cheaper, Siem Reap or Athens?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Athens or Siem Reap?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Athens and Siem Reap. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Athens or Siem Reap?
Athens
Athens is the capital city of Greece and is home to a population of over 3.7 million people. It's most famous as the birthplace of Classical Greece and the history in the city is incomparable to that found anywhere. It became the national capital of the modern Greek State in the 1830s, before which it was just a small village with a very impressive history. The city was redesigned by architects and city planners and incorporated large public squares, lots of green space, and wide avenues. The city has had its ups and downs both economically and politically, but it remains a beautiful and impressive place to explore.
Siem Reap
Located in northern Cambodia, Siem Reap is the closest town to Cambodia's famous Angkor Wat. It is a comfortable and laid back town and most visitors use it as a base to explore the country's most visited destination. Although Siem Reap was once a quaint village, it has continued to grow and change to meet the needs of the many tourists who visit every year. Siem Reap has become a very touristy town with easy access to restaurants, hotels, and shops. It also has a large expatriate community and the western influences are unavoidable. Although prices remain quite low, they are higher than you might find elsewhere in Cambodia.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Greece, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Greece, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Phnom Penh, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Siem Reap.
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Athens Prices
Greece PricesSiem Reap Prices
Cambodia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAthens €154Siem Reap €81
The average daily cost (per person) in Athens is €154, while the average daily cost in Siem Reap is €81. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Athens and Siem Reap in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAthens €63Siem Reap €44
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAthens €126Siem Reap €88
Compare Hotels in Athens and Siem Reap
Looking for a hotel in Athens or Siem Reap? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Athens Hotel Prices and Siem Reap Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Athens €27Siem Reap €7.58
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Athens
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Athens:
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Airport Bus for Two€6.40
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Metro€1.50
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Metro€2.00
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Metro from Airport to City Center€8.00
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Taxi from Airport€35
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Athens
Also for Athens, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- "Private Airport Transfer: Athens Airport to/from Piraeus Port": $82
- ATHENS HOTEL transfer to/from Piraeus Cruise Port (up to 14 pax): $261
- Aegean Wonders Santorini Transfers: $33
- Airport Transfer: Athens Airport ATH to Athens by Business Car: $89
- Airport Transfer: Athens Airport ATH to Athens by Luxury Van: $123
- Airport Transfer: Athens to Athens Airport ATH by Luxury Car: $138
- Airport Transfer: Athens to Athens Airport ATH by Luxury Van: $123
- Alimos Glyfada Vouliagmeni to Athens Airport Private Transfer: $40
- Arrival Transfer from Αthens Airport to Piraeus Port: $51
- Athens AirPort To Athens Hotels Luxury Private Transfer Service: $76
- Athens Airport (ATH) to Athens - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $78
- Athens Airport (ATH) to Parnassos - Arrival Private Transfer: $258
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Siem Reap
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Siem Reap:
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Tuk Tuk Ride€12
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Bike Rentals€1.67
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Siem Reap
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Siem Reap:
- From Private Transfer to Mondulkiri: $395
- Private Taxi transfer from Siem Reap to Koh Chang: $368
- Taxi Transfer Siem Reap to Kratie - English Speaking Driver: $360
- Private Taxi transfer from Siem Reap to Pattaya: $285
- Private Taxi transfer from Siem Reap to Bangkok: $258
- 3-Day Easy Angkor Tour with Airport Transfers: $249
- Siem Reap to Kampot Taxi, Private Car Transfer & Vice Versa: $235
- Transfer Siem Reap to Sihanoukville Safe Private Taxi Driver: $224
- Private Taxi Transfer to/from Battambang: $190
- Private Transfer Siem Reap to Phnom Penh: $145
- Private Transfer to/from Sihanoukville: $137
- Private Transfer Cross Boarder to/from Siem Reap - Koh Chang: $127
Is it cheaper to fly into Athens or Siem Reap?
Prices for flights to both Siem Reap and Athens change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayAthens €64Siem Reap €24
Typical Food Prices in Athens
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Athens:
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Ice cream€3.00
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Souvlaki€2.20
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Athens
For Athens, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Greek Orange Pie (Portokalopita) Cooking Workshop in Athens: $47
- Foodies’ Favorite Food tour: $50
- Authentic Athens Food Tour: $59
- Athens Small Group Food Tour with Private Lunch: $60
- Athens Food Tour (5+ Stops) - Full Meal Included by Do Eat Better: $65
- Cooking Class & Meal at a Roof Garden in Athens: $70
- Street Food Tour - Sample the Food the Locals Love: $70
- Athens Cooking Class with Central Market Visit and City Views: $73
- Athens's original vegan food tour: $77
- Traditional Greek Cooking Class and Organic Lunch on Poros: $77
- Athens Street Food Tour: Taste the best street food: $81
- Athens Walking Food Tour with Visit to Varvakios Central Market: $82
Typical Food Prices in Siem Reap
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Siem Reap:
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Breakfast for Two€4.83
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Siem Reap
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Siem Reap.
- A Spectacular Show with Optional Dinner: $18
- Apsara Dance Show with Dinner by Tuk-Tuk Roundtrip Transfer: $19
- Apsara Performance with Dinner include Pick up & Drop off: $22
- Apsara Performance Including Buffet Dinner & Hotel Pick up: $22
- Buffet Dinner Apsara Show with hotel transfers: $22
- Apsara Dance Show and Dinner with Hotel Pickup: $22
- Apsara Show Including Dinner & Hotel Pickup: $23
- Dinner and Traditional Show with Hotel Transfer: $24
- Apsara Dance Show with Buffet Dinner & Tuk-Tuk...: $26
- A Night To Remember: Apsara Dance Show with Buffet Dinner: $27
- Dinner Show Apsara Dance, Pickup round trip included: $27
- Apsara Theatre Performance include Dinner & hotel pick up: $29
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Athens €36Siem Reap €26
Tours and Activities in Athens
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Athens.
- Self Guided Walking Tour in Athens Hidden Gems: $3.55
- Self-Guided Tour In Athens With 100 Captivating Audio Stories: $3.55
- Athens Walking Tour: Self-Guided City Game: $5.03
- Self Guided Cinematic Audio Tour with 25 Stories in Athens: $7.58
- The Best of Piraeus: A Self-Guided Walking Tour: $7.99
- Temple of Olympian Zeus: Self-Guided Audio Tour on your Phone (without ticket): $9.48
- Acropolis of Athens Self-Guided Tour with 3D & Audio (No Ticket): $9.48
- Piraeus City Tour: 1-Day Hop On Hop Off Mini Train Ticket: $9.50
- Self-Guided Greece Grand Tour with Audio Guide: $9.50
- Private Self-Guided Audio City-Tour in Athens: $9.50
- Athens' Podoniftis Stream: A Self-Guided Walking Tour: $9.99
- Hatha Yoga Shared Experience in Downtown Athens: $12
Typical Entertainment Prices in Siem Reap
Here are a few typical costs in Siem Reap for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Angkor Tour Guide€7.11
Tours and Activities in Siem Reap
Here are a few actual costs in Siem Reap for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 03 Hours Countryside tours: $88
- 1 Day Private of Angkor Wat Tour with Tuk Tuk: $15
- 1-Day Angkor Wat Private Tour with Spanish Tour Guide.: $125
- 1-Day private Angkor Temple Tour from Siem Reap: $27
- 2 Day Angkor Wat Private Tour: $245
- 2 Day Cambodia Private Guided Tour in Angkor Temples: $119
- 2-Day Angkor Tour with Sunrise, Sunset & Banteay Srei temple: $160
- 2-Day Angkor Wat With Small, Big Circuit & Banteay Srei Tour: $123
- 2-Days Angkor & Banteay Srei & Kulen Mountian Waterfall Tour: $126
- 2-Days Angkor Sunrise & Banteay Srei Tour: $105
- 2-Days Angkor Wat with Sunrise and Sunset-Siem Reap Tour: $46
- 3 Day Siem Reap Tour Phnom Penh Shooting Experience Video: $128
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAthens €23Siem Reap €9.53
Sample the Local Flavors in Athens
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Athens:
- The Original Athens Pub Crawl: $17
- Athens Exclusive Hellenic Wine Tasting Experience at Brettos: $37
- Athens Small Group Wine Tasting with a Sommelier: $53
- Greek Wine Tasting with Acropolis view: $58
- Best rated Acropolis Wine Tasting: $58
- Athens bar crawl: $59
- Athens Olive oil Honey and Wine Tasting with Snacks Experience: $90
- Small-Group Wine Tour in Athens with Tasting: $93
- Wine tasting tour of Athens Greece: $125
- Santorini Wine Tasting Journey: $148
- Athens Private Wine Tasting Tour - Dionysian Grapes: $164
- Private 4x4 Wine Tour from Athens to Marathon Lake and a Winery: $178
Sample the Local Flavors in Siem Reap
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Siem Reap:
- Mad Monkey Siem Reap Pub Crawl: $12
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Athens and Siem Reap, we can see that Athens is more expensive. And not only is Siem Reap much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Athens is in Europe and Siem Reap is in Asia, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Siem Reap would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Siem Reap and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Athens would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Athens than you might in Siem Reap.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Athens Expensive? and Is Siem Reap Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Athens or Siem Reap?
Athens has a larger population, and is about 9 times larger than the population of Siem Reap. When comparing the sizes of Athens and Siem Reap, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.