Which place is cheaper, Berlin or Phnom Penh?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Phnom Penh or Berlin?
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 Phnom Penh and Berlin. 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: Phnom Penh or Berlin?
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.
Berlin
Berlin is the capital and largest city in Germany. As such, travelers can expect typical European prices for everything from hotels to food to sights and attractions. While it's possible to experience this city on a cheaper budget, don't expect to get much without paying a decent amount.
With a population of about 4.5 million, Berlin is a very international city that is well known for its high level of tolerance, an eclectic nightlife, an artistic vibe and many historical sights. There are museums, palaces and landmarks spread throughout the city. Despite having a significant amount of damage during the last few years of World War II, Berlin has been rebuilt with an interesting diversity of architecture styles. This is particularly true after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Architecture in the city represents many different historical periods ranging from medieval buildings through modern, glass structures.
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 Adventure Tours to Germany, and The Best Cultural Tours in Germany.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPhnom Penh $41Berlin $147
The average daily cost (per person) in Phnom Penh is $41, while the average daily cost in Berlin is $147. 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 Phnom Penh and Berlin in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPhnom Penh $12Berlin $68
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPhnom Penh $24Berlin $136
Compare Hotels in Phnom Penh and Berlin
Looking for a hotel in Phnom Penh or Berlin? 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: Phnom Penh Hotel Prices and Berlin Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Phnom Penh $7.81Berlin $19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Phnom Penh
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Phnom Penh:
- Vip Taxi Private Transfer from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap: $450
- Vip Taxi Transfer from Phnom Penh to Preah Sihanouk: $450
- Private Taxi transfer from Bangkok to Phnom Penh City: $449
- Private Taxi transfer from Pattaya to Phnom Penh (Cambodia): $435
- Private Taxi transfer from Phnom Penh to Pattaya (Thailand): $435
- Private Taxi transfer from Phnom Penh to Bangkok: $408
- Private Transfer Phnom Penh to Siem Reap Hotel or Airport: $361
- Private Taxi transfer from Phnom Penh to Koh Kong Province: $172
- Private taxi transfer Phnom Penh to Pursat or Battambang: $155
- Private Taxi transfer from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap: $145
- Private taxi transfer from Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh city: $145
- Private taxi transfer from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap: $145
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Berlin
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Berlin:
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Short Trip Metro Ticket$1.50
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Bahn Ticket$3.21
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Short Taxi Ride$21
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Berlin
Also for Berlin, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer from Berlin to Dresden with 2 Hours of Sightseeing: $245
- Arrival Private Transfer from Berlin Airport BER to Berlin City by Luxury Van: $142
- Arrival Private Transfer from Berlin Airport BER to Berlin City in Business Car: $135
- Arrival Private Transfer from Brandenburg Airport BER to Berlin in Luxury Car: $142
- Arrival Transfer from Berlin Train Station to Berlin by Sedan: $72
- Arrival Transfer: Berlin Airport BER to Berlin in Business Car: $109
- Arrival Transfer: Berlin Airport BER to Berlin in Luxury Van: $114
- Berlin Airport (BER) to Berlin - Arrival Private Transfer: $32
- Berlin Airport (SXF) to Berlin - Arrival Private Transfer : $32
- Berlin Airport Arrival Transfer to Potsdam Hotels: $174
- Berlin Airport Transfers : Berlin City to Berlin Airport SXF in Business Car: $80
- Berlin Airporttransfer, Driver, Chauffeur, Limousinenservice: $108
Is it cheaper to fly into Phnom Penh or Berlin?
Prices for flights to both Berlin and Phnom Penh 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 dayPhnom Penh $13Berlin $56
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$4.80
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Phnom Penh
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Phnom Penh.
- Sunset Dinner Cruises w/Live Music, 5&7pm; Free Pickup Avail: $9.90
- Sunset Dinner Cruises w/Live Music, 5&7pm; Free Pickup Available: $9.90
- Khmer Cooking Class Half Day (AM or PM): $36
- Phnom Penh Evening Food Tour 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
- Half Day - Phnom Penh Food Tour: $45
- Phnom Penh Local Market & Morning Food Tour Include Drinks: $49
- Evening Cambodian Food Tour: $60
- 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
Typical Food Prices in Berlin
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Berlin:
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Sandwich and Coffee To Go$5.36
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Turkish Sandwich$2.14
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Currywurst$2.14
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2 Pho Noodles$9.64
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Restaurant Dinner and Beers (for 2)$64
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Mauer Park (2)$12
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Coffees at Impala$8.36
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Berlin
For Berlin, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- English Comedy Ticket including Pizza in Berlin Mitte: $18
- English Stand-Up Comedy with Pizza and Shots: $19
- Hard Rock Cafe Berlin with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $27
- Hard Rock Cafe Berlin With Set Lunch or Dinner : $34
- Berlin Mitte kulinarisch – Die Food Tour: $48
- Kreuzberg kulinarisch – Die Food Tour: $48
- No Diet Club - Street Food Tour with many Tastings !: $59
- Evening Yacht Cruise with Aperitif & Optional Dinner: $64
- Evening Food Tour by Bike: $70
- Sicilian Cooking Workshop with unlimited drinks: $70
- Sharing plate food tour in Berlin: $76
- Dinner Cruise on the Spree with Prosecco: $80
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Phnom Penh $7.59Berlin $24
Tours and Activities in Phnom Penh
Here are a few actual costs in Phnom Penh for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Killing field and Toul Sleng genocide museum Tour: $20
- Phnom Penh Full Day Private Tours: $155
- 10 Tastings of Phnom Penh Foodie Tour: $39
- 2 Day-Phnom Penh by Private Tours: $155
- 2 Days Phnom Penh Cyclo and Cycling Tour: $128
- 2 Days of Phnom Penh City Tour: $199
- 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: $1,964
- A 10-day ethical animals tour of Cambodia: $1,699
- A Half Day Tour in Phnom Penh City: $59
- Alternative Tour to Silk Farm, SilverSmith Village and Udong: $150
Typical Entertainment Prices in Berlin
For Berlin, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Berlin Zoo (2)$21
Tours and Activities in Berlin
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Berlin.
- Selfguided Audiotour "Old Berlin": $3.22
- Selfguided Audiotour "Center of Power": $3.22
- Rude Bastards tour of Medieval Berlin: $3.23
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.23
- Rude Bastards Tour of Berlin: $3.23
- Third Reich and Holocaust Self Guided Audio Tour: $3.23
- Self Guided Tours Berlin With 100 Captivating Audio Stories: $3.26
- Berlin Alternative Street Art Tour: $3.28
- Rude Bastards tour of Medieval Berlin: $3.28
- Berlin tour - Free offer - in Italian: $3.77
- Museum Island Self Guided Audio Tour: $3.77
- Escape Game and Tour: $3.77
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPhnom Penh $4.30Berlin $18
Sample the Local Flavors in Phnom Penh
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Phnom Penh:
- Mad Monkey Phnom Penh Pub Crawl: $10
Typical Alcohol Prices in Berlin
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Berlin from other travelers:
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Drinks at a Show$15
Sample the Local Flavors in Berlin
Also in Berlin, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- VIP Pub Crawl with Drinks and Challenges: $16
- brewery tour with beer tasting: $19
- Vagabund Brauerei Beer Tasting & Guided Brewery Tour: $24
- Pub Crawl with Skip-the-Line Club Entry: $24
- Berlin Pub Crawl and Nightlife Clubbing tour: $33
- The Showgirls of Burlesque: $46
- Showgirls of Burlesque Entry Ticket: $70
- Berlin:sunset boat trip with Argentine wine tasting and food: $215
- German Wine Tasting Tour at the Best Wine Bars in Berlin: $251
- German Wine Tasting Tour at the Best Wine Bars in Berlin: $255
- Bachelor(ette) Party with Pub Crawl: $404
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Phnom Penh and Berlin, we can see that Berlin is more expensive. And not only is Phnom Penh much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Phnom Penh is in Asia and Berlin is in Europe, 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 Phnom Penh would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Phnom Penh 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 Berlin would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Berlin than you might in Phnom Penh.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Phnom Penh Expensive? and Is Berlin Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Phnom Penh or Berlin?
Berlin has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Phnom Penh. When comparing the sizes of Phnom Penh and Berlin, 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.