A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Guilin vs. Sihanoukville for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Guilin or Sihanoukville?

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 Guilin and Sihanoukville can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Guilin or Sihanoukville?

Guilin

Guilin is a city in Southern China situated on the west bank of the Li River with Hunan to the north. Its name means, "Forest of Sweet Osmanthus," owing to the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees located in the city. Products like tea, sugar, and wine, can be made from the tree and are found in many shops throughout Guilin. A popular tourist destination, the city is renowned for its scenery of karst topography with unique mountains jutting out of the urban landscape.

Sihanoukville

Sihanoukville, also known by locals as Kompong Som, was named after King Sihanouk. Also Cambodia's youngest city, construction started in 1955 to build Cambodia's first and only deep water port so that ships would no longer have to go through the Mekong Delta in order to trade with Cambodia. Today, many visit Sihanoukville as a hub to visit Cambodia's islands.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in China, The Best Historical Tours in China, The Best Bicycle Tours in Cambodia, and The Best Adventure Tours to Cambodia.


Which place is cheaper, Sihanoukville or Guilin?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Guilin is $67, while the average daily cost in Sihanoukville is $51. 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 Guilin and Sihanoukville in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Guilin $34
    Sihanoukville $23
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Guilin $68
    Sihanoukville $46
Compare Hotels in Guilin and Sihanoukville

Looking for a hotel in Guilin or Sihanoukville? 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.

Hotels in Guilin


Hotels in Sihanoukville


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.


Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Guilin $5.76
    Sihanoukville $14
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Guilin

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Guilin are as follows:


  • Taxi
    $2.76

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Guilin

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Guilin:

  • Guangzhou Baiyun Airport Chauffeur Service , to Dongguan Transfer: $71
  • Guilin Private Transfer (English-speaking) Between Guilin Hotels & Yangshuo: $93
  • Guilin Private Transfer in English-speaking Services: Airport to Hotel Roundtrip: $99
  • Guilin Transfer Services: Airport,train station & hotel: $57
  • Guilin liangjiang Airport Chauffeur Service,Guilin Airport Transfer: $57
  • Four Lakes Night Cruise with Round-trip Transfer: $57
  • Private Airport Transfer: Guilin Liangjiang International Aiport to Guilin Hotel: $35
  • Private Arrival Transfer: Guilin International Airport (KWL) to Downtown Hotel: $25
  • Private Departure Transfer from Hotel to Guilin Train Stations: $17
  • Private Departure Transfer: Downtown Guilin Hotel to Airport (KWL): $25
  • Private Guilin Airport Transfer to Yangshuo: $42
  • Private Transfer from Guilin hotel to Yangshuo hotel: $37

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sihanoukville

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Sihanoukville:

  • Private Shuttle Transfer From Sihanoukville - Phnom Penh: $57
  • Private Taxi Transfer From Sihanoukville To Koh Kong : $73
  • Private Taxi transfer from Sihanoukvile to Battambang City: $145
  • Private Taxi transfer from Sihanoukvile to Battambang City: $145
  • Private Taxi transfer from Sihanoukvile to Battambang City: $145
  • Private Transfer From Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh: $24
  • Private Transfer between Sihanoukville Airport and Hotels or Port: $25
  • Private Transfer in Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh by Alphard 2010: $180
  • Private taxi transfer from Sihanoukville to Battambang: $290

Is it cheaper to fly into Guilin or Sihanoukville?

Prices for flights to both Sihanoukville and Guilin 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Guilin $22
    Sihanoukville $18
Typical Food Prices in Guilin

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Guilin:


  • Fresh Coconut Drink
    $1.38

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Guilin

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Guilin.

  • Half day Yangshuo Cooking lesson Small Group Tour: $62

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sihanoukville

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Sihanoukville.

  • Cooking class in Kampot: $20
  • Cooking Class at La Plantation: $35
  • Sihanoukville - Khmer Traditional Cooking Class: $110

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Guilin $28
    Sihanoukville $5.37
Typical Entertainment Prices in Guilin

Here are a few typical costs in Guilin for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:


  • Entrance to the Caves
    $17

Tours and Activities in Guilin

Here are a few actual costs in Guilin for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Guilin Yangshuo & Longji Rice Terrace 4 days tour: $21
  • 1-DAY Private Longji Rice Terraces and Minority Villages Tour: $45
  • Guilin Four lakes night cruise with the English speaking driver from Guilin hotel: $47
  • Guilin City Center Walking Group Tour at Night for Three Hours: $50
  • Half-Day Self-Guided Yangshuo Xianggong Hill Sunrise Tour: $52
  • Private Full-Day City Tour with Fubo Hill: $59
  • Private Bike Tour: Yangshuo Countryside: $72
  • Kayaking Adventure with Local Guide: $72
  • Yangshuo Old Town and Li River Cruise from Guilin: $72
  • One Day Private Longshen Rice Terraces Tour Including Lunch: $73
  • Half/Full day Yangshuo Cuiping hill Sunset Private Tour: $73
  • Full/Half-Day Yangshuo Xianggong Mountain Sunrise Private Tour: $77

Tours and Activities in Sihanoukville

Here are a few actual costs in Sihanoukville for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Afternoon tours: Pepper Farm , Secret Lake & Salt fields: $18
  • La Plantation tour (discovering Kampot Pepper) + Lunch: $21
  • Kampot Countryside Tour - Pepper Farm, Salt Lake, Caves, and more: $25
  • Half-Day Adventure to the Pepper Farm by Scooter: $25
  • Koh Rong: Round-Trip Speed Ferry Tickets: $25
  • Kampot Tour Pepper Plantation, Salt Field, Cave, Secret Lake: $25
  • Koh Rong Island Speed Ferry Round-Trip Ticket: $25
  • Bokor Mountain Adventure - History, Sights and Waterfalls: $29
  • Kampot Day Tour "Bokor National Park": $29
  • Private Tour in Kampot by Tuk Tuk: $35
  • Private Bokor tours by locals including lunch : $44
  • Kampot-day tours, Countryside, Pepper farm and Kayaking : $44

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Guilin $5.72
    Sihanoukville $4.42


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Guilin and Sihanoukville, we can see that Guilin is more expensive. And not only is Sihanoukville much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Sihanoukville would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Sihanoukville 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 Guilin would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Guilin than you might in Sihanoukville.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Guilin Expensive? and Is Sihanoukville Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Guilin or Sihanoukville?

Guilin has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Sihanoukville. When comparing the sizes of Guilin and Sihanoukville, 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.