A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Phnom Penh vs. Cologne for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Phnom Penh or Cologne?

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 Cologne. 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 Cologne?

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.

Cologne

Spanning the Rhine River in western Germany, the city of Cologne dates back 2,000 years, once existing as the largest city of the Holy Roman Empire in medieval times. Today, it is the region's cultural hub - a center of museums, galleries, and towering Gothic cathedrals.

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 Luxury Tours to Germany, and The Best Budget Tours to Germany.


Which place is cheaper, Cologne or Phnom Penh?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Phnom Penh is $41, while the average daily cost in Cologne is $172. 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 Cologne in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Phnom Penh $12
    Cologne $97
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Phnom Penh $24
    Cologne $194
Compare Hotels in Phnom Penh and Cologne

Looking for a hotel in Phnom Penh or Cologne? 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 Phnom Penh


Hotels in Cologne


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 Cologne Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Phnom Penh $7.81
    Cologne $20

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Phnom Penh

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Phnom Penh:

  • Daily Transfer from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville: $115
  • From Private Transfer to Siem Reap: $61
  • Fully Private Phnom Penh International Airport Transfers: $30
  • Ground Transfer/SUV/ Phnom Penh to Siem Reap: $110
  • Intercity Transfer Siem Reap-Phnom Penh/Phnom Penh-Siem Reap: $110
  • Overland Taxi Transfer From Phnom Penh - Sihanoukville : $59
  • Phnom Penh Airport (PNH) Pickup/Transfer Private Car: $23
  • Phnom Penh Airport Pickup/Transfer: $25
  • Phnom Penh Airport Transfers: $19
  • Phnom Penh Airport or Hotel Private Transfer: $28
  • Phnom Penh International Airport Transfer (PNH): $23
  • Phnom Penh International Airport Transfers: $26

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cologne

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cologne:

  • Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Bonn hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $55
  • Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Bonn hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $110
  • Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) to Cologne hotels - Round-trip Private Transfer : $98
  • Cologne hotels to Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) - Departure Private Transfer: $49
  • Superior Private Transfer from Cologne City to Dortmund City: $64
  • Transfer from Cologne Airport CGN to Cologne City by Luxury Car: $83

Is it cheaper to fly into Phnom Penh or Cologne?

Prices for flights to both Cologne 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Phnom Penh $13
    Cologne $54
Typical Food Prices in Phnom Penh

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


  • Dinner for Two
    $10
  • 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 Cologne

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


  • Dinner
    $15
  • Donner Kebab
    $4.29

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cologne

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

  • Hard Rock Café with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $27
  • Hard Rock Cafe Cologne With Set Lunch or Dinner: $29
  • Köln Südstadt kulinarisch – Die Food Tour: $48
  • 3-Hour Südstadt Food Tour: $484

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Phnom Penh $7.59
    Cologne $22

Tours and Activities in Phnom Penh

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

  • Mad Monkey Phnom Penh Riverside Walking Tour: $6.00
  • One Hour City Light Cruise-Foods & Drinks available for purchase: $8.00
  • Sunset Cruise on Kanika Boat: $8.60
  • Private Phnom Penh Day Tour : Explore All Highlights Sites: $9.00
  • Sunset River Cruise with Drink and BBQ Options: $12
  • Sunset Cruise in Phnom Penh - One and a Half Hours: $12
  • Phnom Penh Killing Fields and Prison S21 Join Tour: $15
  • The killing field and Toul Sleng Genocide museum (S21) Tour: $15
  • From Killing Fields and Prison S21 Tour: $15
  • Sunset Cruise with unlimited beer & soft drinks -English speaking guide on board: $16
  • killing field and Toul Sleng genocide museum Tour: $16
  • Mekong River Sunset Cruise Tour: $17

Tours and Activities in Cologne

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

  • Cologne Walking Tour: The essential and unmissable one: $3.22
  • First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.23
  • Original funky-fun Free Tour of Cologne: $3.23
  • Germany eSIM Tourist Roaming Data Plan: $4.31
  • Smartphone Scavenger Hunt Sightseeing Tour: $5.92
  • City Exploration Game and Tour on your Phone: $6.45
  • Aachen Scavenger Hunt and Best Landmarks Self-Guided Tour: $6.55
  • Highlights Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Tour: $7.00
  • Horrors of World War II Self-Guided Audio Tour: $7.52
  • Aachen Scavenger Hunt and Self Guided Walking Tour on your Phone: $7.63
  • Cologne Self Guided Walking Tour Discovering the Horrors of WWII: $7.63
  • Walking Tour with Audio Guide on App: $8.07

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Phnom Penh $4.30
    Cologne $24

Sample the Local Flavors in Phnom Penh

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Phnom Penh:

  • Mad Monkey Phnom Penh Pub Crawl: $10

Sample the Local Flavors in Cologne

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Cologne:

  • Public brewery tour in German in Cologne: $18
  • Old Town Walking Tour with Brewery and Kölsch Beer: $18
  • Guided tour of the old town with a visit to the brewery in Cologne: $19
  • Old Town Walking Tour inkl Brewery Visit: $24
  • Entertaining Brewery Tour: Feel Good Package including local beer: $27
  • South Cologne Walking Tour with brewery visit: $27
  • Pub Crawl Cologne Including Admission Fee for Bars and Shots: $27
  • Brewery Tour with 3 Kölsch Beer Tastings: $30
  • Brewery Tour with Beer Tasting and Halven Hahn: $31
  • The Legendary Kölsch Brewery Tour: $32
  • The Legendary Kölsch Brewery Tour: $33
  • Cologne-Nippes: Gourmet wine tasting with cheese platter: $64


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Phnom Penh and Cologne, we can see that Cologne 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 Cologne 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 Cologne would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cologne 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 Cologne Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Phnom Penh or Cologne?

Phnom Penh has a larger population, and is about 63% larger than the population of Cologne. When comparing the sizes of Phnom Penh and Cologne, 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.