A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Pingyao vs. Sihanoukville for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Pingyao or Sihanoukville?

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 Pingyao and Sihanoukville. 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: Pingyao or Sihanoukville?

Pingyao

Pingyao is a small city in the Shanxi Province of China, dating back over 2700 years. The city is most famous for their old town, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The old town is one of the best preserved ancient walled cities in the world dating back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

The climate in Pingyao is influenced by monsoons, and therefore gets hot and humid summers and chillier springs. Autumn is a great time to visit as temperatures are fairly mild-in the 50-60's Fahrenheit- and you can avoid the heavy rains of summer. Winter is also a pleasant time to visit, especially since temperatures tend not to dip below 30 and there is not much snow or bad weather.

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 Historical Tours in China, The Best 10-Day Tours in China, The Best Bicycle Tours in Cambodia, and The Best Adventure Tours to Cambodia.


Which place is cheaper, Sihanoukville or Pingyao?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

  • Pingyao Prices
    China Prices
    Sihanoukville Prices
    Cambodia Prices
  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    Pingyao $72
    Sihanoukville $65

The average daily cost (per person) in Pingyao is $72, while the average daily cost in Sihanoukville is $65. 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 Pingyao and Sihanoukville in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Pingyao $24
    Sihanoukville $23
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Pingyao $48
    Sihanoukville $46
Compare Hotels in Pingyao and Sihanoukville

Looking for a hotel in Pingyao 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.

Hotels in Pingyao


Hotels in Sihanoukville


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: Sihanoukville Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Pingyao $14
    Sihanoukville $14
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Pingyao

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Pingyao:


  • Taxi to Train Station
    $1.47

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Pingyao

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Pingyao:

  • Private Round-Trip Transfer Service to Wutaishan from Pingyao: $190
  • Private Transfer Servcie to Mianshan (Mian Mountain) from Pingyao: $60

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sihanoukville

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Sihanoukville:

  • Transfer: Between Airport and Shihanouk ville: $20
  • Sihanoukville International Airport Transfers: $23
  • Sihanoukville Airport Transfers: $25
  • Private Transfer From Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh: $35
  • Convenient Taxi Transfers from Sihanoukville to Kampot: $36
  • Private Taxi Transfer From Kampot - Phnom Penh City: $46
  • Sihanoukville To Phnom Penh Private Transfer Mini-Van-Car: $65
  • Private Shuttle Transfer From Sihanoukville - Phnom Penh: $70
  • Private Transfer : Phnom Penh ↔ Sihanouk Ville: $105
  • Private Taxi Transfer Sihanoukville - Battambang Car - Mini-Van: $107
  • Private Transfer to/from Battambang - Sihanoukville: $115
  • Private Transfer in Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh by VIP Alphard: $180

Is it cheaper to fly into Pingyao or Sihanoukville?

Prices for flights to both Sihanoukville and Pingyao 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
    Pingyao $36
    Sihanoukville $32
Typical Food Prices in Pingyao

Some typical examples of dining costs in Pingyao are as follows:


  • Casual Lunch (for 2)
    $5.30
  • Mango Juice
    $0.74

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
  • Sihanoukville - Khmer Traditional Cooking Class: $110

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Pingyao $20
    Sihanoukville $5.39
Typical Entertainment Prices in Pingyao

Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Pingyao are as follows:


  • All Day Bike Rental (for 2)
    $2.94
  • Temple Entrance Fee (for 2)
    $7.35
  • Bike Parking Fee (for 2)
    $0.59

Tours and Activities in Pingyao

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Pingyao are as follows:

  • Shuanglin Temple Tour or Entry Ticket Only Option: $18
  • 3-Hour Private Walking Tour of Pingyao Ancient City: $76
  • All Inclusive Pingyao Private Tour to Qiao Family Compound and Shuanglin Temple: $142
  • Pingyao Ancient City Full-Day Walking Tour: $145
  • Private Day Tour in Pingyao Including Zhenguo and Shuanglin Temple: $164
  • 1-Day Pingyao Ancient Town Sightseeing Walking Tour: $170
  • Pingyao Private Tour: Wang's Family Compound and Shuanglin Temple: $175
  • One Day Tour Exploration of Pingyao Old Town and Wang Family Mansion: $183
  • Pingyao in One Day: Including City Highlights and Shuanglin Temple Private Tour: $204
  • Private Day Tour: Pingyao Highlights of Old Town and City Wall: $205
  • 1-Day Pingyao tour to Wang Family's Compound and Zhangbi Ancient Fortress: $206
  • Day tour to Wang Family Compound shuanglin temple &zhangbi castle: $210

Tours and Activities in Sihanoukville

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

  • Kampot Pepper Tour, Salt Field, Cave Temple, Secret Lake: $20
  • Kampot Countryside Tour - Pepper Farm, Salt Lake, Caves, and more: $25
  • La Plantation tour (discovering Kampot Pepper) + Lunch: $27
  • Kampot Day Tour "Bokor National Park": $29
  • Bokor Mountain Adventure - History, Sights and Waterfalls: $29
  • Full Day Bokor National Park Tour with Lunch & Water Included: $43
  • Discovery Tour: Caving, Climbing, Via Ferrata and Abseiling in Kampot: $53
  • Private Bokor Mountain Discovery Tour: $55
  • Exploring the Best of Kampot and Kep in a Full-Day Tour: $55
  • Private Kampot Countryside Tour & Pepper farm, Kep/Crab Market: $55
  • Exploring Shore Excursions from Cruise Ports: $59
  • Sihanoukville Small-Group City Tour for Cruise Passengers: $59

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Pingyao $14
    Sihanoukville $4.43


When comparing the travel costs between Pingyao and Sihanoukville, we can see that Pingyao is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Asia, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Pingyao Expensive? and Is Sihanoukville Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Pingyao or Sihanoukville?

Sihanoukville has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Pingyao. When comparing the sizes of Pingyao 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.