Which place is cheaper, Cairns or Kampong Cham?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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 Kampong Cham and Cairns can help you decide which place is right for you.
Kampong Cham is the sixth largest city in the country, located in the east of Cambodia. Just two and a half hours away from Phnom Penh is a surprisingly large province by the same name. Kampong Cham is the capital of this province, a quiet town on the west side of the Mekong River. While the town does not cater to tourists like other large cities such as Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, the charm of Kampong Cham lies in the beauty and simplicity of local life. Visitors will also get a glimpse into agricultural life on the plantations of rubber trees, tobacco and cashews.
Most travelers go to Cairns specifically to visit Great Barrier Reef. The city itself is surprisingly large and cosmopolitan with a population of approximately 140,000. The city's economy is almost exclusively based on tourism, although you will find some jobs centered around agriculture, or more specifically sugar cane, bananas, coffee, tea, wine, and some tropical fruits. The city itself is surrounded by rainforest and makes a great base for exploring Kuranda, with the Barron Gorge National Park and the Daintree offering a quieter tropical getaway than Cairns.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Cambodia, The Best 2-Week Tours in Cambodia, The Best Contiki Tours to Australia, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Australia.
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Kampong Cham is $31, while the average daily cost in Cairns is $94. 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 Kampong Cham and Cairns in more detail.
Looking for a hotel in Kampong Cham or Cairns? 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.
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Also for Cairns, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
Prices for flights to both Cairns and Kampong Cham 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.
For Cairns, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Cairns's activities, tours, and tickets:
For Cairns, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Cairns:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Kampong Cham and Cairns, we can see that Cairns is more expensive. And not only is Kampong Cham much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Kampong Cham is in Asia and Cairns is in Pacific, 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 Kampong Cham would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Kampong Cham 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 Cairns would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cairns than you might in Kampong Cham.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Kampong Cham Expensive? and Is Cairns Expensive?.
Cairns has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Kampong Cham. When comparing the sizes of Kampong Cham and Cairns, 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.