Which place is cheaper, Sihanoukville or Phuket?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Phuket or Sihanoukville?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Phuket or Sihanoukville, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Phuket or Sihanoukville?
Phuket
Phuket Island is the tourist mecca of southern Thailand. Known for its beaches and resorts, the island brings in a massive amount of travelers from all over the world, year round. Although the beaches are beautiful, Phuket has also become more westernized and tourist-oriented in recent decades, leaving many travelers to venture elsewhere to find that amazing beach with a more authentic Thai vibe. However, Phuket Island is quite large, and hidden gems can still be found.
Sihanoukville
Sihanoukville, also known by locals as Kompong Som, was named after King Sihanouk. Also Cambodia's youngest city, construction started in 1955 to build Cambodia's first and only deep water port so that ships would no longer have to go through the Mekong Delta in order to trade with Cambodia. Today, many visit Sihanoukville as a hub to visit Cambodia's islands.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Thailand, The Best 2-Week Tours in Thailand, The Best Bicycle Tours in Cambodia, and The Best Adventure Tours to Cambodia.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPhuket $105Sihanoukville $51
The average daily cost (per person) in Phuket is $105, while the average daily cost in Sihanoukville is $51. 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 Phuket and Sihanoukville in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPhuket $56Sihanoukville $23
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPhuket $112Sihanoukville $46
Compare Hotels in Phuket and Sihanoukville
Looking for a hotel in Phuket or Sihanoukville? 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: Phuket Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Phuket $11Sihanoukville $14
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Phuket
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Phuket:
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Longtail Taxi (for Two)$8.18
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Taxi from Airport to Phuket Town$6.82
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Phuket
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Phuket:
- Phuket’s Top Tours DISCOUNTED with Private Airport Transfer : $211
- Ziplines 28 platforms with Free Transfer RoundTrips: $70
- ATV Bike 1 hr + ziplines 30 platforms with Roundtrip Transfer : $141
- ATV Bike 1 hr+ Skyline Adventure 28 platforms with free Transfer: $118
- Airport Private Arrival Transfers to Phuket: $45
- Airport Private Departure Transfers from Phuket: $45
- Airport transfer from Phuket to Krabi: $110
- Andamanda Phuket Water Park Ticket Include Transfers: $62
- Arrival Phuket Airport Private Transfer : Hotel in Phuket: $38
- Arrival Private Transfers from Phuket Airport HKT to Phuket City: $92
- Arrival Transfer Phuket Airport HKT to Talang, Kathu or Muang: $21
- Best Ziplines Adventure 30 platforms with free transfer : $113
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sihanoukville
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Sihanoukville:
- Private Shuttle Transfer From Sihanoukville - Phnom Penh: $57
- Private Taxi Transfer From Kampot - Phnom Penh City: $46
- Private Taxi Transfer From Sihanoukville To Koh Kong : $73
- Private Taxi transfer from Sihanoukvile to Battambang City: $145
- Private Taxi transfer from Sihanoukvile to Battambang City: $145
- Private Taxi transfer from Sihanoukvile to Battambang City: $145
- Private Transfer From Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh: $24
- Private Transfer between Sihanoukville Airport and Hotels or Port: $25
- Private Transfer in Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh by Alphard 2010: $180
- Private taxi transfer from Sihanoukville to Battambang: $290
Is it cheaper to fly into Phuket or Sihanoukville?
Prices for flights to both Sihanoukville and Phuket 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 dayPhuket $22Sihanoukville $18
Typical Food Prices in Phuket
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Phuket:
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Casual Dinner (for Two)$7.88
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$4.64
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Sit Down Dinner (for Two)$12
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Thai Noodles$2.45
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Bananas$0.68
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Pizza (for Two)$8.18
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Phuket
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Phuket.
- Thai Cooking Class 1.5 Hrs ( 2 Dishes Menu): $36
- Thai Cooking Class 2 Hrs ( 3 Dishes Menu): $39
- Express Thai Cooking Class in Phuket: $43
- Thai Cooking Class 2 Hrs ( 4 Dishes Menu): $48
- Afternoon Cocktails or Dinner in the Sky: $52
- Vegetarian Organic Thai Cooking Class and Market Tour in Phuket: $52
- Flavours of the South Guided Food Tour: $52
- Phuket Coral Island Sunset with Dinner by Catamaran Yacht: $53
- Coral Island & Sunset Dinner by Sailing Catamaran: $53
- Twilight Stylish Sky Set Dinner - The SIS Kata Resort : $55
- Organic Thai Cooking Class and Market Tour in Phuket: $56
- Thai Cooking Class in Phuket: $56
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sihanoukville
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Sihanoukville.
- Cooking class in Kampot: $20
- Cooking Class at La Plantation: $35
- Sihanoukville - Khmer Traditional Cooking Class: $110
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Phuket $42Sihanoukville $5.37
Typical Entertainment Prices in Phuket
Here are a few typical costs in Phuket for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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One Day Boat Tour$25
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Scuba Diving (Two Dives)$68
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Thai Oil Massage$17
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Surfboard Rental$8.18
Tours and Activities in Phuket
Here are a few actual costs in Phuket for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Phuket Botanic Garden Admission Ticket: $3.06
- Phuket Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
- Self Guided Scavenger Hunts and Gamified Tours: $11
- Baan Teelanka Upside Down House Entry Ticket: $12
- Phuket to Phi Phi Tonsai Ferry by Royal Jet Cruiser with Pickup Service: $13
- Trick Eye Museum Admission Ticket: $14
- Phang Nga Bay Skywalk at Samet Nangshe Admission Ticket: $14
- Phuket Trickeye Museum Day Admission Ticket: $15
- Phuket to Koh Phi Phi by Phi Phi Cruiser: $17
- Travstore Original Phuket Discovery Tour: $17
- Simon Cabaret Show Phuket (Ticket Only): $20
- Simon Cabaret Show Phuket Entrance Tickets : $21
Tours and Activities in Sihanoukville
Here are a few actual costs in Sihanoukville for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 4 hours guided tour: Pepper farm, Secret Lake, Salt fields : $17
- La Plantation tour (discovering Kampot Pepper) + Lunch: $21
- Kampot Countryside Tour - Pepper Farm, Salt Lake, Caves, and more: $25
- Half-Day Adventure to the Pepper Farm by Scooter: $25
- Koh Rong: Round-Trip Speed Ferry Tickets: $25
- Kampot Tour Pepper Plantation, Salt Field, Cave, Secret Lake: $25
- Koh Rong Island Speed Ferry Round-Trip Ticket: $25
- Bokor Mountain Adventure - History, Sights and Waterfalls: $29
- Kampot Day Tour "Bokor National Park": $29
- Private Tour in Kampot by Tuk Tuk: $35
- Private Bokor tours by locals including lunch : $44
- Countryside tours by locals: Cave exploration, Salt and Pepper : $45
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPhuket $6.35Sihanoukville $4.42
Typical Alcohol Prices in Phuket
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Phuket from other travelers:
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Cocktails (for Two)$5.46
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Beer$2.32
Sample the Local Flavors in Phuket
Also in Phuket, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- All-Night Bar Crawl with Drinks & 4 Venues: $22
- Phuket Guided Pub Crawl: $25
- Pub Crawl Tour: $25
- Phuket Real City Tour with Rum Cocktail Distillery: $79
- Big Buddha & The Distillery Phuket: $98
- Phuket Sightseeing Tour with Rum Distillery : $98
- Phuket Rum Distillery Cocktail Workshop And Wat Chalong Temple : $172
- Phuket Rum Distillery Cocktail Workshop & Wat Chalong Temple: $213
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Phuket and Sihanoukville, we can see that Phuket is more expensive. And not only is Sihanoukville much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Sihanoukville would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Sihanoukville 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 Phuket would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Phuket than you might in Sihanoukville.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Phuket Expensive? and Is Sihanoukville Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Phuket or Sihanoukville?
Sihanoukville has a larger population, and is about 76% larger than the population of Phuket. When comparing the sizes of Phuket and Sihanoukville, 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.