Which place is cheaper, Rome 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 Rome?
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 Rome. 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 Rome?
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.
Rome
Rome is the kind of city that refuses to stay in the past, even though history is everywhere you look. Ancient ruins rise beside buzzing cafes, scooters zip past Renaissance palaces, and quiet cobblestone lanes suddenly open onto grand piazzas filled with fountains, churches, and street performers. It is a city of layers: the Colosseum and Roman Forum, the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica, neighborhood trattorias, stylish boutiques, and late-night gelato walks all woven together into one unforgettable experience. Whether you come for the art, the food, the history, or the simple pleasure of wandering without a plan, Rome has a way of making every day feel like a discovery.
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 Italy, and The Best Budget Tours to Italy.
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Phnom Penh Prices
Cambodia PricesRome Prices
Italy Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPhnom Penh $50Rome $240
The average daily cost (per person) in Phnom Penh is $50, while the average daily cost in Rome is $240. 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 Rome in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPhnom Penh $12Rome $104
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPhnom Penh $24Rome $208
Compare Hotels in Phnom Penh and Rome
Looking for a hotel in Phnom Penh or Rome? 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 Rome Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Phnom Penh $7.84Rome $25
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Phnom Penh
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Phnom Penh:
- A Day Trip Transfer Sightseeing Phnom Penh Battambang: $99
- Battambang: Transfer From/To Sihanoukville & Hidden Gems: $50
- From Private Transfer To/From Siem Reap: $58
- From Sihanouk: Private Taxi Transfer to Phnom Penh City: $73
- Ground Transfer/ Minivan/ Phnom Penh to Siem Reap: $150
- Intercity Transfer Siem Reap-Phnom Penh/Phnom Penh-Siem Reap: $95
- Overland Taxi Transfer From Phnom Penh - Sihanoukville: $59
- PHN Airport Transfer Plus Killing Field, Toul Sleng Museum: $65
- Phnom Penh - Battambang Transfer Plus Stop Sightseeing: $118
- Phnom Penh - Siem Reap One-Way Private Transfer: $120
- Phnom Penh - Siem Reap Oudongk Sambor Prei Kuk Transfer Day Trip: $105
- Phnom Penh - Siem Reap Road Transfer Plus Sightseeing: $99
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Rome
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Rome:
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Metro Ride (for Two)$2.32
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Train to the Airport$17
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Taxi to Airport$52
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Bicycle Rental (Full Day)$12
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Rome
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Rome:
- A private Port transfer from Civitavecchia to Rome: $208
- Airport Transfer from Fiumicino to Rome City (or viceversa): $107
- Airport Transfer: Ciampino Airport CIA to Rome by Business Car: $98
- Airport Transfer: Fiumicino Airport FCO to Rome by Luxury Van: $141
- Airport Transfer: Rome to Fiumicino Airport FCO by Business Car: $118
- Airport Transfer: Rome to Fiumicino Airport FCO by Luxury Van: $137
- Airport Transfers Rome Centre to and from Fiumicino and Ciampino: $65
- Airport to Hotel in Rome Private Transfer: $249
- Airport to Rome Private Transfer: $249
- Airport transfer Ciampino to Rome: $107
- Airport transfer from (FCO) to Port or viceversa: $214
- Arrival Transfer: Fiumicino Airport FCO to Rome by Business Car: $125
Is it cheaper to fly into Phnom Penh or Rome?
Prices for flights to both Rome 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 $22Rome $97
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$4.82
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Phnom Penh
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Phnom Penh.
- Sunset & Evening Dinner Cruise With One Way Free Pick Up: $9.90
- Mekong Sunset Dinner Cruise with Live Music: $9.90
- Sunset Dinner Cruise with English Speaking Guide: $10
- 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
- Khmer Cooking Class Half Day (AM or PM): $36
- Authentic Walking Food Tour with Local Guide: $39
- Small Group Phnom Penh Food Tour and Local Market Experience: $39
- Street Art and Food Tour with Pickup and Beer: $39
Typical Food Prices in Rome
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Rome:
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$16
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4 Ice Cream Sandwiches$3.46
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Cafe e doce$4.63
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Pizza (Fast Food)$3.07
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Sitdown Lunch (for Two)$37
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Cheese and bread$12
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Espresso$2.32
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Dinner$67
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Rome
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Rome.
- Pizzas and Piazzas: A Self-Guided Walk of Rome’s Culinary Culture: $20
- Hard Rock Cafe Rome with Set Lunch or Dinner: $35
- Pizza & Tiramisu or Gelato Class with Flowing Fine Wine 5*: $37
- Rome Cooking: TRASTEVERE Pasta & Tiramisu Making, Fine Wine: $39
- Rome Food Tour for Breakfast Lovers: $42
- Milan Street Food Tour and City Guided Sightseeing: $45
- Roman Dinner after History Tour: An Epic Journey Through Time: $45
- Rome Early Morning Breakfast and Sightseeing Food Tour: $46
- Rome Pizza Making Class for Families in Trastevere: $46
- Rome Ultimate Food Tour Trastevere Tiber Island & Campo de' Fiori: $46
- Rome in the Evening Bike / E-Bike Tour with optional Dinner: $46
- The Original Fettuccine & Tiramisu Cooking Class in Rome: $50
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Phnom Penh $7.62Rome $42
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
- Sunset Cruise-"Unlimited BBQ Buffet-Beers, Sodas & Fruit Platter": $7.45
- Sunset Cruise on Kanika Boat: $8.60
- Phnom Penh Sunset Cruise with Unlimited Beer & BBQ Buffet: $9.00
- Sunset Cruise with freeflow beers & BBQ buffet: $9.16
- Sunset Cruise: Your Cruise You Choose, 3 wonderful options: $9.16
- Sunset Cruise with Unlimited Beers & BBQ Buffet: $9.16
- Sunset Cruise with Unlimited Beer &Fruit platter: $9.35
- Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Ticket Free Mekong Cruise: $12
- Phnom Penh Shooting Range Experience: $12
- Hidden Gems Walking Tour with Local Guide: $15
- Phnom Penh Killing Field Toul Sleng Prison Tour: $15
Typical Entertainment Prices in Rome
Here are a few typical costs in Rome for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Rome Museum Vaticano (for 2)$80
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Coliseum Tickets (for Two)$38
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Roma Pass$35
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Hop on Hop Off Bus (All Day)$23
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Segway Tour$87
Tours and Activities in Rome
Here are a few actual costs in Rome for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Self-Guided Tours in Rome with 100 Captivating Audio Stories: $3.55
- Rome Scavenger Hunt & Highlights Self-Guided Walking Tour: $3.55
- Ancient City Walking Tour at Twilight: $4.15
- Private Audio Guided Walking Tour in Rome: $4.74
- Ghosts Legends and Mysteries of Rome Walking Tour: $4.75
- Colosseum and Roman Forum Sightseeing Area Walking Tour: $4.75
- Tour of Rome to Visit the Most Iconic Monuments: $5.00
- Pantheon Admission Ticket with Interactive Audio Guide: $5.92
- Audio Guided Archaeological Colosseum Tour in Rome: $5.99
- St. Peter's Basilica Rome Audio Tour Experience: $5.99
- Testaccio: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of Rome's Food Traditions: $6.11
- Rome Walking Tour 2h40 and 23 audio commentary: $7.00
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPhnom Penh $4.31Rome $21
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
Typical Alcohol Prices in Rome
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Rome:
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Bottle of Wine$7.53
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Pint of Beer$7.34
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Beer$12
Sample the Local Flavors in Rome
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Rome:
- Unique Wine Tasting in Enoteca in Rome San Pietro Area: $33
- Cabaret and Burlesque Show: $36
- Discover Frascati Wine Tasting with a Sommelier and Snacks: $36
- Rome's Ultimate Party aka the Spanish Steps Pub Crawl: $40
- Winery Tour, Wine Tasting near Rome with Optional Lunch: $46
- Frascati Wine Tasting Experience with Food Pairing: $53
- Experience Rome Exclusive Wine Tasting in City Center: $57
- Guided Wine Tasting Experience in a Roman Vineyard: $58
- Dolce Vita Burlesque show: $59
- Small-Group Exclusive Winery and Wine Tasting Tour in Frascati: $65
- Rome Nightlife Party Tour Monti Bar Crawl and Local Drinks: $68
- Private Wine Tasting in Trastevere: $77
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Phnom Penh and Rome, we can see that Rome 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 Rome 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 Rome would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Rome 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 Rome Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Phnom Penh or Rome?
Rome has a larger population, and is about 63% larger than the population of Phnom Penh. When comparing the sizes of Phnom Penh and Rome, 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.