Which place is cheaper, Phnom Penh or Hoi An?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Hoi An or Phnom Penh?
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 Hoi An and Phnom Penh. 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: Hoi An or Phnom Penh?
Hoi An
Located just south of the city of Da Nang, Hoi An is famous for it's beautiful old town. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Unfortunately, since its designation as a World Heritage Site in 1999, mass tourism has grown and the city has felt the growing pains. Most of the homes and shops in the old town are now used for commercial purposes. The city is still quaint, but the old town is lined with tailor shops, souvenir stores, and restaurants. Foreigners are required to purchase a ticket to enter the old town of Hoi An (120,000 VND, about $5).
Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city in the country of Cambodia. It is located at the edge of the Mekong and the Tonle Sap rivers and is the nation's center of economics and industry. The metropolitan area has a population of about 2.2 million.
Phnom Penh was once called the "Pearl of Asia." In the 1920s it was one of the most impressive French built cities in the region and was an important tourist destination. During the Vietnam War, refugees fled to the city and by 1975 the city's population was between 2 and 3 million, most of them being refugees. The city fell to the Khmer Rouge in 1975 and they cut off supplies to the population for over a year. Journalists reported torture and mutilation of the trapped civilians and the Khmer Rouge forcibly evacuated the city in what is known as the death march. The Khmer Rouge was driven from the city by the Vietnamese in 1979 and reconstruction began.
Today, tourism continues to grow in the city and those who visit are greeted by a welcoming and friendly population, a rich culture, and truly rewarding travel experience.
Phnom Penh has a tropical wet and dry climate. It is hot year around with very little temperature variation. Lows are usually in the low 70s Fahrenheit and highs are in the mid to high 90s Fahrenheit. The southwest monsoon brings rains between May and October and the northeast monsoon brings the dry season from November to March.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Vietnam, The Best Historical Tours in Vietnam, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Cambodia, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Cambodia.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayHoi An $47Phnom Penh $40
The average daily cost (per person) in Hoi An is $47, while the average daily cost in Phnom Penh is $40. 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 Hoi An and Phnom Penh in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personHoi An $21Phnom Penh $12
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomHoi An $42Phnom Penh $24
Compare Hotels in Hoi An and Phnom Penh
Looking for a hotel in Hoi An or Phnom Penh? 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: Hoi An Hotel Prices and Phnom Penh Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Hoi An $19Phnom Penh $7.78
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Hoi An
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Hoi An are as follows:
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Taxi From Danang to Hoi An$8.94
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Bus From Hoi An Bus Station to Town$0.61
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Hoi An
Also for Hoi An, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Ba Na Hills: Private Car Transfer from Hue, Hoi An & Da Nang: $29
- Bamboo Basket Boat Tour with Traditional meal and transfer: $14
- Best tour/transfer to My Son sanctuary from Da Nang/HoiAn: $30
- Best tours/ transfer to My Son sanctuary: $28
- Da Nang Airport: Private Transfer to/from Hoi An City: $19
- Da Nang City: Private Transfer to/from Hoi An City: $19
- Da Nang/Shuttle Bus Transfer to My Son Sanctuary: $16
- Da Nang: Private Car Rental with Driver for Tours & Transfer: $42
- From Da Nang/Golden Bridge Round trip Car Transfer: $27
- From Hoi An Transfer To Phong Nha by Private Car+Sightseeing: $106
- From Hoi An/Da Nang: Shuttle Bus Transfer to My Son: $9.00
- From Ba Na Hills private transfer: $35
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Phnom Penh
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Phnom Penh:
- Vip Taxi Transfer from Phnom Penh to Preah Sihanouk: $450
- Vip Taxi Private Transfer from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap: $450
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service Phnom Penh APT-HTL (PNH): $16
- Trip from Phnom Penh Transfer to Kampot: $117
- Transfer Stop Sightseeing Phnom Penh - Siem Reap, English Speaking Driver: $107
- Transfer Private Car Siemreap to Phnom Penh/PHN to Province.: $110
- Transfer Phnom Penh to Battambang - English Speaking Driver: $145
- Taxi Transfer from Phnom Penh Hotel To Siem Reap City Hotel: $50
- Siem Reap: Private Transfer From/to Siem Reap - Phnom Penh: $71
- Siem Reap and Private Taxi Transfer: $81
- Private transfer from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap: $25
- Private taxi transfer from Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh city: $145
Is it cheaper to fly into Hoi An or Phnom Penh?
Prices for flights to both Phnom Penh and Hoi An 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 dayHoi An $10Phnom Penh $13
Typical Food Prices in Hoi An
For Hoi An, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Dinner at Bamboo Village (for Two)$14
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$4.06
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Casual Dinner (for Two)$8.13
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Hoi An
For Hoi An, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Hoi An Walking food tour: $2.54
- Hoi An Private Cooking Class & Coracle Tour Fishing Crabbing: $4.65
- Hoi An:Traditional Cooking Class with Cam Thanh Local Family: $21
- Hoi An/Da Nang: Vietnamese Cooking Class with Transportation: $22
- Hoi An Street Food Tour With Bao: $23
- Vietnamese Cooking Class with Local Family in Hoi An: $25
- Cooking Class with Traditional Vietnamese Meals: $25
- Vegetarian Cooking Class w Local Family and transfer: $25
- Tra Que Herb Village Cooking Class: $25
- Authentic Cooking Class with Locals in Tra Que Herbs Village: $25
- Hoi An food tour: $25
- Evening traditional cooking class with local Chef: $27
Typical Food Prices in Phnom Penh
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Phnom Penh:
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Dinner for Two$10
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Breakfast for Two$4.78
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Phnom Penh
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Phnom Penh.
- Mekong Sunset Dinner Cruise with Live Music: $9.90
- Sunset Dinner Cruises w/Live Music, 5&7pm; Free Pickup Available: $9.90
- 4-hours cooking with us in the Hinterlands of Phnom Penh: $30
- Khmer Cooking Class Half Day (AM or PM): $36
- Evening Food Tour with Drinks & Tuk Tuk Included: $36
- Phnom Penh Evening Food Tour - Inclusive over 10 Local Tastings: $44
- Phnom Penh Morning Market & Food Tour by Tuktuk - Includes All Food & Drinks!: $45
- Khmer Cooking Class Full Day: $46
- Ultimate PP Food Tour by Tuk Tuk - 20 tastings & drinks included: $69
- Phnom Penh Authentic Food Tour 100% By Local: $69
- Phnom Penh's Ultimate Street Food Tour by Tuk Tuk: $69
- Cambodia Food Tour: $79
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Hoi An $13Phnom Penh $7.56
Typical Entertainment Prices in Hoi An
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Hoi An's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Golf (for Two)$151
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Short Boat Ride$1.63
Tours and Activities in Hoi An
For Hoi An, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Hoi An Countryside Bike Tour- Tra Que Village & Basket Boat: $1.27
- Hoi An Ancient Town- Free Walking Tour with Local Guide: $2.11
- Ancient Town Guided Walking Tour: $2.11
- HoiAn Lantern Cruise Private/Sunset/Sunrise/Lighting Lantern: $3.38
- Hoi An Lantern Boat/Folk Song Games/Local Foods-Walking Tour: $4.23
- Basket Boat Tour with Coco Flower Ecotourism: $4.94
- Hoai River Boat Ride & Lantern Release Experience: $6.14
- Basket boat tour at the coconut village: $6.34
- Sights & Highlights Walking tour: $6.64
- Experience Bamboo Basket Boat on Coconut village w Locals: $7.10
- Hoian Old Town - Immersive Free Walking Tour: $8.45
- Hoi An :BamBoo Basket Boat Adventure: $8.45
Tours and Activities in Phnom Penh
Here are a few actual costs in Phnom Penh for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Half Day tour Genocide Museum and Killing Field : $130
- Killing field and Toul Sleng genocide museum Tour: $17
- Phnom Penh boating sunset Tour: $87
- 10 Stop Phnom Penh Tour by Tuk-Tuk, includes S21 & Killing Fields: $34
- 2 Day-Phnom Penh by Private Tours: $155
- 2 Days Phnom Penh Cyclo and Cycling Tour: $128
- 2 Days Private Guide Tour Phnom Penh Heritage: $282
- 2 Days of Phnom Penh City Tour: $199
- 2 days tour in Phnom Penh City Tour: $80
- 3 Hours Private Morning Market and Art Tour in Phnom Penh: $45
- 5-Hour Biking Tour in Mekong Island: $49
- 9 Days Cambodia Highlights Guided Motorcycle Tour: $2,023
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayHoi An $9.21Phnom Penh $4.28
Typical Alcohol Prices in Hoi An
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Hoi An are as follows:
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Bottle of Wine$9.75
Sample the Local Flavors in Hoi An
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Hoi An:
- Pub Crawl by Bus with Shots at Each Bar: $8.45
Sample the Local Flavors in Phnom Penh
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Phnom Penh:
- Mad Monkey Phnom Penh Pub Crawl: $10
When comparing the travel costs between Hoi An and Phnom Penh, we can see that Hoi An is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Asia, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Hoi An Expensive? and Is Phnom Penh Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Hoi An or Phnom Penh?
Phnom Penh has a larger population, and is about 50 times larger than the population of Hoi An. When comparing the sizes of Hoi An and Phnom Penh, 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.