Which place is cheaper, Wellington 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 Wellington?
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 Wellington. 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 Wellington?
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.
Wellington
Wellington is the capital and second largest city in New Zealand. It sits on the southwestern edge of the North Island between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range. It's a beautiful setting that is encircled by mountains giving it a beautiful backdrop. There are also many cultural sights and attractions around town. Wellington really is the perfect mix of New Zealand's natural beauty and a vibrant urban core. The film industry is also prevelant in the city. The city's production centers have helped create Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit trilogies, Avatar, Tin Tin, and District 9.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Cambodia, The Best 2-Week Tours in Cambodia, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in New Zealand, and The Best Adventure Tours to New Zealand.
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Phnom Penh Prices
Cambodia PricesWellington Prices
New Zealand Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPhnom Penh $51Wellington $125
The average daily cost (per person) in Phnom Penh is $51, while the average daily cost in Wellington is $125. 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 Wellington in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPhnom Penh $12Wellington $61
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPhnom Penh $24Wellington $122
Compare Hotels in Phnom Penh and Wellington
Looking for a hotel in Phnom Penh or Wellington? 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 Wellington Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Phnom Penh $7.90Wellington $12
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Phnom Penh
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Phnom Penh:
- Transfer with tour-sightseeing Phnom Penh to Battambang: $119
- Transfer Phnom Penh to Battambang, Private Taxi Driver: $125
- Techo Phnom Penh Airport KTI to Kampot Private Transfer: $75
- Techo International Airport Transfer to Hotel or vice versa: $30
- Techo International Airport Transfer by Car or Minivan: $22
- Techo International Airport (KTI) Transfer: $53
- Taxi Transfer Phnom Penh To Siem Reap, Friendly Taxi Driver: $135
- Taxi Transfer From Phnom Penh to Siem Reap: $90
- Siem Reap: Private Transfer to or from Phnom Penh: $239
- Siem Reap: Private Transfer to Phnom Penh: $115
- Siem Reap: Private Transfer From/to Siem Reap - Phnom Penh: $71
- Siem Reap or Private One-Way Transfer: $158
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Wellington
Also for Wellington, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Departure Transfer: Wellington Central City Centre Hotels to Wellington Airport: $22
- Private Airport Transfer Service Vice Versa in Wellington by SUV: $69
- Private Airport Transfer Service Vice Versa in Wellington by SUV: $75
- Private Large SUV Airport Transfers Wellington - Executive Travel: $86
- Private Transfer from Wellington Airport (WLG) to Wellington Port: $26
- Private Transfer from Wellington Cruise Port to Wellington Hotels: $104
- Private Transfer from Wellington Port to Wellington Airport (WLG): $26
- Private Transfer from Wellington hotels to Wellington Cruise Port: $104
- Wellington Airport (WLG) to Wellington - Arrival Private Transfer: $77
- Wellington Airport(WLG) to Wellington-Round-Trip Private Transfer: $154
- Wellington to Wellington Airport(WLG)-Departure Private Transfer: $77
- WLG Airport to City Private RoundTrip Transfer: $93
Is it cheaper to fly into Phnom Penh or Wellington?
Prices for flights to both Wellington 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 $23Wellington $51
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$4.86
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
- Dinner 4-course Mekong River cruise with Kanika Boat: $27
- Nightlife three hours food tours: $27
- Evening City Tour by Tuk Tuk with 1 Dinner: $29
- Cooking Class in Phnom Penh: $31
- Street Art & Food Tour by Tuk-Tuk: $35
- Phnom Penh’s Hands-On Khmer Cooking Class in the Countryside: $35
- Khmer Cooking Class Half Day (AM or PM): $36
- Phnom Penh Evening Food Tour - Inclusive 5 stops local Tastings: $39
- Street Art and Food Tour with Pickup and Beer: $39
Typical Food Prices in Wellington
For Wellington, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Dinner$8.97
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Wellington
For Wellington, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- 3 Hour Walking Food Tour: $125
- Capital Bites, A food tour of Wellington: $135
- Wine and Food Tour to Martinbough: $174
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Phnom Penh $7.68Wellington $16
Tours and Activities in Phnom Penh
Here are a few actual costs in Phnom Penh for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- ( Free eSim) Phnom Penh Historical Full Day Tour: $40
- 10 Stop Phnom Penh Tour by Tuk-Tuk, includes S21 & Killing Fields: $33
- 2 Day Mt. Aural Hiking Adventure Cambodia's Peak Challenge: $249
- 2 Day-Phnom Penh by Private Tours: $155
- 2 Days Phnom Penh Cyclo and Cycling Tour: $128
- 2 Days Phnom Penh Siem Reap Private Tour, Cambodia Road Tour: $25
- 3 Day Cambodia Private Tours: $80
- 3 Days Local Life Experience, Nature view, Waterfall: $199
- 4 Hours Private Phnom Penh National Museum and Royal Palace Tour: $155
- 5-Hour Biking Tour in Mekong Island: $49
- A Day Hiking Adventure to Chonlos Waterfalls: $189
- A Full Day Tour for Royal Palace, S21, Killing Fields & More: $35
Tours and Activities in Wellington
For Wellington, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Return Cable Car Ticket: $6.95
- Private Self-Guided Tour to Wellington: $8.27
- Wellington City Self Guided Walking Tour with App: $9.99
- Self Guided Tour of Stonehenge Aotearoa: $11
- Wellington Coastal Self Drive Tour with an APP: $15
- Wellington Zoo General Entry Tickets: $15
- Private Group Puzzle-Solving Adventure Game: Spaceship: $27
- Private Group Puzzle-Solving Adventure Game: Atlantis: $27
- Wētā Workshop Creative Classes Experience Ticket: $32
- Wētā Workshop Guided Tour Ticket: $32
- Axe Throwing Lesson and Tournament: $33
- Wētā Workshop Experiences Tour - Wellington: $35
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPhnom Penh $4.35Wellington $12
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 Wellington
Also in Wellington, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Wellington Craft Brewery Half-Day Guided Tour with Tastings: $99
- From Martinborough Wine Tasting Tour: $168
- Chefs Private Martinborough wine tour with Gourmet Lunch: $391
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Phnom Penh and Wellington, we can see that Wellington 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 Wellington 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 Wellington would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Wellington 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 Wellington Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Phnom Penh or Wellington?
Phnom Penh has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Wellington. When comparing the sizes of Phnom Penh and Wellington, 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.