Which place is cheaper, Newcastle 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 Newcastle?
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 Newcastle. 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 Newcastle?
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.
Newcastle
Newcastle is 150 kilometers north of Sydney in New South Wales. It is also the second largest city in the state, and serves as a central point to explore the area's beaches, wineries, and beautiful natural landscape. North of the city is Stockton beach, which has many miles of isolated, beautiful beaches, stretching all the way up to Nelson Bay. The wineries are inland to the west and have some of Australia's finest wine which you can taste. If you want to see rainforests, you can head northwest to Barrington Tops National Park, which has great rainforests and freshwater streams. You may even get to see a platypus. The city also has the country's oldest sea port. In the past the city's economy was centered around the steel industry, but today the University of Newcastle is one of the area's most important employers.
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 PricesNewcastle Prices
Australia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPhnom Penh $50Newcastle $117
The average daily cost (per person) in Phnom Penh is $50, while the average daily cost in Newcastle is $117. 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 Newcastle in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPhnom Penh $12Newcastle $45
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPhnom Penh $24Newcastle $90
Compare Hotels in Phnom Penh and Newcastle
Looking for a hotel in Phnom Penh or Newcastle? 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 Newcastle Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Phnom Penh $7.87Newcastle $8.41
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Phnom Penh
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Phnom Penh:
- PNH Airport to City Centre Private Transfer: $7.00
- Techo Airport (KTI) Pickup/Transfer Private Car: $16
- Private Phnom Penh Airport Transfers to your hotel in town: $20
- Private Taxi transfer from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh: $20
- Phnom Penh Airport Private Taxi Transfer - Hotels: $21
- Private Taxi transfer from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap: $21
- Private Airport ↔ City Center Transfer: $24
- Private Airport Transfer From/To Hotels: $24
- Techo International Airport Private Transfer: $25
- PrivateTransfer: PhnomPenh Airport(PNH/KTI) to Hotel in PhnomPenh: $27
- Private Transfer: PhnomPenh's Hotel to PhnomPenh Airport(PNH/KTI): $27
- Techo International Airport Transfer to Hotel or vice versa: $30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Newcastle
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Newcastle:
- Newcastle Airport (NTL) to Newcastle - Arrival Private Transfer: $74
- Newcastle Airport to Newcastle - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $148
- Newcastle to Newcastle Airport (NTL) - Departure Private Transfer: $74
- Private Transfer from Newcastle City Hotels to Newcastle Port: $80
- Private Transfer from Newcastle Port to Newcastle Airport (NTL): $82
Is it cheaper to fly into Phnom Penh or Newcastle?
Prices for flights to both Newcastle 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 $23Newcastle $61
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.
- Mekong Sunset Dinner Cruise with Live Music: $9.90
- Sunset Dinner Cruise with English Speaking Guide: $10
- Buffet Dinner Cruise Experience with Live Music: $12
- Nightlife three hours food tours: $27
- Evening City Tour by Tuk Tuk with 1 Dinner: $29
- Cooking Class in Phnom Penh: $31
- Phnom Penh’s Hands-On Khmer Cooking Class in the Countryside: $35
- Street Art & Food Tour by Tuk-Tuk: $35
- Street Art and Food Tour with Pickup and Beer: $39
- Phnom Penh Morning Market & Food Tour by Tuktuk - Includes All Food & Drinks!: $45
- Half Day - Phnom Penh Food Tour: $45
- Evening Food Tour with Drinks & Tuk Tuk Included: $49
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Newcastle
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Newcastle.
- Harbour Dinner Cruise with Live Music: $69
- Earp Distilling Co: Date Night with Blending Class & Dinner: $73
- Cooking Classes at the Yellow Door Kitchen: $96
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Phnom Penh $7.65Newcastle $15
Tours and Activities in Phnom Penh
Here are a few actual costs in Phnom Penh for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Riverside Walking Tour with Snack, Drinks & Local Ferry Ride: $7.20
- Phnom Penh Private Tour with Luggage Storage: $7.92
- Sunset Cruise on Kanika Boat: $8.60
- Sunset Cruise-Freeflow Beers,Soft Drinks & BBQ Buffet: $9.00
- NEW Sunset Cruise! "Your cruise U Choose "-Unlimited BBQ & Drinks: $9.00
- Sunset Cruise with Unlimited Beers & BBQ Buffet: $9.16
- Sunset Cruise: Your Cruise You Choose, 3 wonderful options: $9.16
- Sunset Cruise with freeflow beers & BBQ buffet: $9.16
- Sunset Cruise with Unlimited Beer &Fruit platter: $9.35
- Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Ticket Free Mekong Cruise: $12
- Audio Guide Tour by Tuk-Tuk to Killing Field and Genocide Museum : $12
- Killing Fields and Prison S21 Bus Tour: $15
Tours and Activities in Newcastle
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Newcastle are as follows:
- Wine & Cheese Tasting Experience in Hunter Valley: $14
- Mead and Honey Tasting Experience: $19
- True Crime Guided Walking Tour: $22
- Newcastle Dark Stories True Crime Tour: $23
- Wine, Cheese & Chocolate Tasting Experience in Hunter Valley: $23
- Port Stephens: Dolphin Discovery Cruise: $28
- Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard - Sweet Indulgence Experience: $40
- Shared Newcastle Harbor Cruise: $43
- Tree Ropes Course Adventure: $46
- Lake Macquarie Cruise with Lunch: $46
- Newcastle Harbour Luncheon Cruise: $47
- Port Stephens: Whale Watching Cruise: $53
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPhnom Penh $4.33Newcastle $10
Sample the Local Flavors in Phnom Penh
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Phnom Penh:
- Phnom Penh Pub Crawl with Free Mad Monkey Singlet: $12
Sample the Local Flavors in Newcastle
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Newcastle:
- Cael’s Gate Wine Tasting in Hunter Valley: $6.66
- Ivanhoe Wines: Trip Advisor Seated Wine Tasting : $10
- Boutique Wine Tasting Experience in Pokolbin: $11
- Newcastle Bar Crawl Experience: $15
- Tulloch Wines - Wine Tasting paired with Local Handmade Chocolates: $23
- Cheese and Wine Tasting Experience in Pokolbin: $26
- Wonnarua Sparkling Wine Tasting: $30
- Ivanhoe Wines: Trip Advisor Premium Wine Tasting: $30
- Tintilla Estate: Wine Tasting with a Meat and Cheese Platter: $33
- Tulloch Wines- Mystery Wine Tasting Experience with Local Cheese and Charcuterie: $35
- Tulloch Wines Hunter Heroes Wine Tasting with Local Cheese & Charcuterie Board: $35
- Premium Wine Tasting Experience in Pokolbin: $50
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Phnom Penh and Newcastle, we can see that Newcastle 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 Newcastle 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 Newcastle would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Newcastle 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 Newcastle Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Phnom Penh or Newcastle?
Phnom Penh has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Newcastle. When comparing the sizes of Phnom Penh and Newcastle, 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.