Which place is cheaper, Cairns or Phnom Penh?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Phnom Penh or Cairns?
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 Cairns. 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 Cairns?
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.
Cairns
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 4-Week (1-Month) Tours in Australia, and The Best Budget Tours to Australia.
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Phnom Penh Prices
Cambodia PricesCairns Prices
Australia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPhnom Penh $50Cairns $116
The average daily cost (per person) in Phnom Penh is $50, while the average daily cost in Cairns is $116. 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 Cairns in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPhnom Penh $12Cairns $43
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPhnom Penh $24Cairns $86
Compare Hotels in Phnom Penh and Cairns
Looking for a hotel in Phnom Penh 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.
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 Cairns Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Phnom Penh $7.87Cairns $12
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Phnom Penh
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Phnom Penh:
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service Phnom Penh HTL-APT (PNH): $200
- Techo International Airport Private Transfer: $25
- PrivateTransfer: PhnomPenh Airport(PNH/KTI) to Hotel in PhnomPenh: $27
- Private taxi transfer Phnom Penh to Siem Reap: $129
- Private intercity transfer ! From Phnom Penh to any cities in Cambodia (One Way): $55
- Private Van Transfer From Phnom Penh to Siem Reap: $50
- Private Transfer: PhnomPenh's Hotel to PhnomPenh Airport(PNH/KTI): $27
- Private Transfer/ Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville by VIP Alphard 2010: $180
- Private Transfer from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap by VIP Alphard 2010: $190
- Private Transfer from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap by VIP Alphard 2005: $165
- Private Transfer from Phnom Penh To Sihanoukville : $65
- Private Transfer From or to Phnom Penh <=> Sihanoukville: $56
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cairns
Also for Cairns, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- AIRPORT TRANSFER between Cairns Airport & Port Douglas (6am-5pm): $40
- Airport Transfers between Cairns Airport and Cairns City: $15
- Airport Transfers between Cairns Airport and Palm Cove: $25
- Cairns Airport (CNS) Arrival Transfer (Airport to Port Douglas Hotel or Address): $231
- Cairns Airport (CNS) to Cairns hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $52
- Cairns Airport (CNS) to Palm Cove - Round-Trip Private Transfer : $171
- Cairns Airport (CNS) to Port Douglas - Arrival Private Transfer: $189
- Cairns Airport (CNS): Transfer to Port Douglas hotels: $184
- Cairns Airport Shared Transfer to Cairns: $15
- Cairns Airport Transfers: $161
- Cairns Airport to Port Douglas Private Transfer 1-7 Pax: $175
- Cairns Airport to Port Douglas Private Transfer With Return : $269
Is it cheaper to fly into Phnom Penh or Cairns?
Prices for flights to both Cairns 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 $23Cairns $49
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$4.84
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Phnom Penh
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Phnom Penh.
- Buffet Dinner Cruise Experience with Live Music: $12
- Cooking Class in Phnom Penh: $31
- 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
- Phnom Penh Evening Food Tour - Inclusive 5 stops local Tastings: $49
- Evening Food Tour By Tuk-Tuk in Phnom Penh: $59
- Phnom Penh Food Tour By Night With Hotel Pickup: $59
- Evening Cambodian Food Tour: $60
- Phnom Penh Authentic Evening Food Tour 100% By Local: $69
- Ultimate Phnom Penh Food Tour by Tuk Tuk: 20 Tastings and Drinks: $69
- Cambodia Food Tour: $79
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cairns
For Cairns, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Ancient Egypt Sunset Tour with optional 3 Course Dinner : $66
- Ancient Egypt Night Tour with optional 2 Course Dinner: $66
- Dinner Cruise Experience: $92
- Cairns Catamaran Harbour and Dinner Cruise: $93
- Night at the Aquarium Guided Tour & 2 Course Dinner: $96
- Aquarium Guided Twilight Tour with 3-Course Dinner: $118
- Ancient Egypt Sunset Tour with 3 Course Dinner: $124
- Ancient Egypt Night Tour with 2 Course Dinner: $124
- City Sights Tour with Evening Dinner Cruise: $171
- Small-Group Afternoon Cairns City Tour with Harbour Dinner Cruise: $174
- Paronella Park Rainforest Full-Day Tour with Dinner: $65,930
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Phnom Penh $7.65Cairns $37
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: $19
- Phnom Penh Full Day Private Tours: $155
- Phnom Penh Private Tour with Luggage Storage: $7.92
- ( Free eSim) Classic Phnom Penh Full Day Tour : $45
- 2 Day SUV and Minivan Tour Phnom Penh and Siem Reap: $145
- 2 Days Phnom Penh Cyclo and Cycling Tour: $128
- 2 Days Private Guide Tour Phnom Penh Heritage: $282
- 5-Hour Biking Tour in Mekong Island: $49
- 6-8 Hours Phnom Penh Private Guided Tour : $15
- A Day Trip Sightseeing of Phnom Penh With Private Tour Guide : $65
- A Full Day Tour for Royal Palace, S21, Killing Fields & More : $35
- A day Trip Sightseeing Phnom Penh - Siem Reap - Private English Speaking Driver : $105
Typical Entertainment Prices in Cairns
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Cairns's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Scuba Diving$36
Tours and Activities in Cairns
For Cairns, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Skip the Line: Cairns Museum Admission Ticket: $10
- Skip the Line: Cairns Museum Single Admission Ticket: $10
- Koalas and Creatures Entry Ticket: $13
- Kuranda Koala Gardens General Entry Ticket: $15
- Kuranda: Riverboat Tour: $20
- Kuranda Koala Gardens and Birdworld Admission Tickets: $26
- Hipster and Street Art Walking Tour: $29
- Tomb of the Pharaohs Entry Ticket: $32
- Cairns Tomb Of The Pharaohs General Admission Ticket: $32
- Cairns Pub & Club Tour: $34
- Cairns Koalas and Creatures Entry Ticket with Koala Photo: $37
- Cairns Aquarium General Admission Ticket: $38
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPhnom Penh $4.33Cairns $13
Sample the Local Flavors in Cairns
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Cairns:
- Cairns Party Bus Pub Crawl Night Out Experience: $44
- From Atherton Tablelands Food and Wine Tasting Tour: $168
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Phnom Penh and Cairns, we can see that Cairns 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 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 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 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 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 Cairns Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Phnom Penh or Cairns?
Phnom Penh has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Cairns. When comparing the sizes of Phnom Penh 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.
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.