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

Should you visit Riga or Sihanoukville?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Riga or Sihanoukville? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Where Should I go: Riga or Sihanoukville?

Riga

Riga is the vibrant capital city of Latvia. It continues to gain popularity as a tourist destination in part because it is the base for the airline Air Baltic. This affordable airline offers discount flights around Europe and most of these flights pass through Riga with a forced overnight layover. This encourages travelers to visit this fascinating city for at least a night or two.

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 Bicycle Tours in Cambodia, and The Best Adventure Tours to Cambodia.


Which place is cheaper, Sihanoukville or Riga?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Riga is €122, while the average daily cost in Sihanoukville is €57. 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 Riga and Sihanoukville in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Riga €52
    Sihanoukville €20
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Riga €104
    Sihanoukville €40
Compare Hotels in Riga and Sihanoukville

Looking for a hotel in Riga 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 Riga


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: Riga Hotel Prices and Sihanoukville Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Riga €9.63
    Sihanoukville €12

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Riga

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Riga:

  • Arrival Private Transfer from Riga Airport RIX to Riga City by Minibus: $120
  • Arrival Private Transfer from Riga Airport RIX to Riga City by Minivan: $51
  • Arrival Private Transfer from Riga Airport RIX to Riga by Sedan: $37
  • Baltic Explorer Private Riga–Tallinn/Tallinn–Riga Transfer & Tour: $205
  • Departure Private Transfer Riga City to Riga Airport RIX by Minibus: $120
  • Departure Private Transfer Riga City to Riga Airport RIX by Minivan: $51
  • Departure Transfer from Riga to Riga Airport RIX by Car or Van: $69
  • From Cesis and Sigulda Day Trip with Hotel Transfers: $161
  • From Private Transfer to Tallinn with Pärnu City Tour: $680
  • From Private Transfer to Tallinn with Sightseeing: $494
  • From Private Transfer to Vilnius with Sightseeing: $448
  • Private Transfer from Hotel to Riga Airport with English speaking driver: $56

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 Shuttle Transfer From Sihanoukville - Phnom Penh: $70
  • Private Transfer to/from Battambang - Sihanoukville: $115
  • Private Transfer in Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh by VIP Alphard: $180
  • Private Taxi Transfer to Kampot: $224
  • Private taxi transfer from Sihanoukville to Battambang: $290

Is it cheaper to fly into Riga or Sihanoukville?

Prices for flights to both Sihanoukville and Riga 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
    Riga €57
    Sihanoukville €28
Typical Food Prices in Riga

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


  • Fast Food Lunch
    €5.77

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Riga

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Riga.

  • Riga Central Market Food Tour with Guide & Tastings ENG, DE: $26
  • Central Market Latvian Food Tour with 20 taste samples: $52
  • Khinkali and Pelmeni Cooking Master Class: $69
  • Latvian Cooking Class in a Local Home: $114
  • Traditional Latvian Dinner with Private Folk Show: $248

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
  • Kampot Cooking Class by Eco Lotus Kampot: $33
  • Sihanoukville - Khmer Traditional Cooking Class: $110

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Riga €14
    Sihanoukville €4.73

Tours and Activities in Riga

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

  • Riga Scavenger Hunt & Highlights Self-Guided Walking Tour: $4.57
  • Self-Guided Podcast Tour: Riga's Century of Shadows and Light: $5.47
  • Self-Guided Podcast Tour The Hidden Monopolies of Riga: $6.84
  • Old Riga Walking History Tour: $9.13
  • Panorama Riga Observation Deck Ticket: $9.22
  • Old Riga Walking Tour: Discover Stories and Legends: $10
  • Riga Historic Boat Tour with Audio Guide and Captain Stories: $10
  • Historic Canal Boat Tour with Audio Guide: $10
  • Riga Sightseeing by Canal Boat with Audio Guide: $11
  • Old Riga E-Cart Guided Tour with Local Driver & Audio Guide: $11
  • Hidden Gems and Art Nouveau Walking Tour in Riga: $11
  • Old Riga walking tour with a local: $11

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 & Kep: Full-Day Countryside Tour of 10+ Top Attractions: $24
  • Kampot Countryside Tour - Pepper Farm, Salt Lake, Caves, and more: $25
  • La Plantation tour (discovering Kampot Pepper) + Lunch: $27
  • Kampot Waterfall Adventure with Nature Hiking Jungle and Swimming: $27
  • Kampot Day Tour "Bokor National Park": $29
  • Bokor Mountain Adventure - History, Sights and Waterfalls: $29
  • Discovery Tour: Caving, Climbing, Via Ferrata and Abseiling in Kampot: $53
  • Bokor Mountain: Historic & Scenic Tour with Rickshaw/SUV: $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

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Riga €20
    Sihanoukville €3.89

Sample the Local Flavors in Riga

Also in Riga, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Pub Crawl with Local Guide: $29
  • Old town pub & bar crawl, hidden gems, and local party: $29
  • Brewery Tour with Beer and Riga Balsam Tasting: $32
  • Brewery Tour and Beer Tasting in Riga: $33
  • Pub Crawl in Riga: $34
  • Riga Pub Crawl Nightlife Experience: $37
  • Combo Brewery Tour + Canal Boat tour: $39
  • Pub Crawl- Your best night out in Riga with our local guide!: $40
  • 2 in 1 - Old Town Walking Tour & Pub Crawl: $40
  • Private - Riga Pub Crawl: $40
  • Riga 2 in 1 Tour: Art Nouveau Tour & Pub Crawl: $45
  • Riga Evening Adventure: Pub Crawl & Games Night: $50


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Riga and Sihanoukville, we can see that Riga is more expensive. And not only is Sihanoukville much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Riga is in Europe and Sihanoukville is in Asia, 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 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 Riga would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Riga 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 Riga Expensive? and Is Sihanoukville Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Riga or Sihanoukville?

Riga has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Sihanoukville. When comparing the sizes of Riga 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.