Which place is cheaper, Siem Reap or Bagan?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Bagan or Siem Reap?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Bagan and Siem Reap can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Bagan or Siem Reap?
Bagan
Located in central Myanmar (formerly Burma), Bagan is an ancient city best known as the home to the largest and densest concentration of Buddhist temples, pagodas, stupas, and ruins in the world with many dating from the 11th and 12th centuries.
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 One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Phnom Penh, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Siem Reap.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayBagan $19Siem Reap $80
The average daily cost (per person) in Bagan is $19, while the average daily cost in Siem Reap is $80. 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 Bagan and Siem Reap in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personBagan $4.76Siem Reap $51
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomBagan $9.52Siem Reap $102
Compare Hotels in Bagan and Siem Reap
Looking for a hotel in Bagan 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: Siem Reap Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Bagan $2.31Siem Reap $8.68
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bagan
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bagan:
- From Bagan City To Mandalay Private Transfer: $150
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Bagan Nyaung-U Airport (NYU): $14
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$13
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Bike Rentals$1.91
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Siem Reap
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Siem Reap:
- Airport Arrival and Departure Transfer ( Coupons ): $50
- Angkor Wildlife & Aquarium with Private Transfer: $45
- Border Transfer (Siem Reap to Laos / Laos to Siem Reap ): $250
- Intercity Transfer(Siem Reap-Sihanouk/Sihanouk-Siem Reap): $300
- Kulen Elephant Forest & Tonlesap Lake Include boat /Transfer: $115
- New Airport Transfer Include Angkor Wildlife & Aquarium: $65
- Phnom Penh Transfer to/from Shihanouk Ville by Private Car: $65
- Phnom Penh: Private Taxi Transfer to Siem Reap: $121
- Private Airport Transfer: $25
- Private Angkor Wat Tour with Free Airport Pickup or Transfer: $53
- Private One-Way Arrival/Departure Transfer: $30
- Private Siem Reap Angkor Airport Transfers: $37
Is it cheaper to fly into Bagan or Siem Reap?
Prices for flights to both Siem Reap and Bagan 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 dayBagan $3.85Siem Reap $15
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$5.52
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Siem Reap
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Siem Reap.
- Apsara Dinner Show with Hotel Transfer: $17
- Dinner Show Apsara Dance, Pickup round trip included: $17
- Apsara show Including Buffet Dinner/Hotel Pick up: $18
- Apsara Show and Dinner with Free Shared Round Trip Transfer: $19
- Dinner Show Apsara Dance Round Pick-up included: $19
- Creative Insect-Based Dinner: $25
- Apsara Dance Show & Dinner with Tuk-Tuk Transfers: $26
- Cooking Class and Market Shopping: $29
- Khmer Cooking Class at a Local's Home: $29
- Evening Food Tour with 10 Local Tastings: $32
- Cambodian Cooking Class from Siem Reap: $32
- Experience Cambodian Cooking Class in Siem Reap: $35
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Bagan $37Siem Reap $30
Tours and Activities in Bagan
Here are a few actual costs in Bagan for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Day Cruise Bagan to Mandalay: $31
- Mount Popa Tour: $42
- Old Bagan Sightseeing Tour: $43
- Private Bagan Cultural Tour : $46
- Best Bagan One Day Tour With Tour Guide: $48
- Visiting Mount Popa from Bagan - Private Tour: $48
- Private Day Tour to Mt Popa: $48
- Full Day tour In Bagan UNESCO World Heritage: $50
- Half Day Local Color Tour In Bagan: $57
- BAGAN TEMPLES FULL DAY GUIDED BY ELECTRIC BIKE ( Private Tour ): $64
- Full day Adventure Trip to Mt. Popa & Salay: $65
- Tuk Tuk tour to Mt. Popa : $67
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$8.14
Tours and Activities in Siem Reap
Here are a few actual costs in Siem Reap for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Angkor Wat Imaginary Experience: $3.33
- App self-guided: Tour Angkor Thom - Cambodia: $4.43
- City Walking Tour: $6.00
- Satcha: Tour Satcha with Local Guide incl. Free Soft Drink: $6.50
- Angkor Wat Tour by Tuk-Tuk with English Speaking Driver: $9.00
- Angkor Wat: Angkor Wat Highlights Tour with Sunrise: $12
- Siem Reap Motorbike Rental - Temple and City Tours own drive: $12
- Sunrise at Angkor Wat and Small Tour with Tours Guide: $12
- Satcha: Local Guided Tour w/Hotel Pickup and Dropoff: $13
- Angkor Sunrise Temple Tour with Angkor Wat, Bayon & Ta Prohm: $13
- Small Tour Group + Sun Rise 12$ / 1pax: $13
- Angkor Wat Private Tour by Tuk-Tuk: $14
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayBagan -Siem Reap $11
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: $10
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bagan and Siem Reap, we can see that Siem Reap is more expensive. And not only is Bagan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Bagan would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Bagan 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 Siem Reap would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Siem Reap than you might in Bagan.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Bagan Expensive? and Is Siem Reap Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Bagan or Siem Reap?
Siem Reap has a larger population, and is about 280 times larger than the population of Bagan. When comparing the sizes of Bagan 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.