Which place is cheaper, Airlie Beach or Siem Reap?
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 Siem Reap or Airlie Beach?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Siem Reap or Airlie Beach, 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: Siem Reap or Airlie Beach?
Siem Reap
Located in northern Cambodia, Siem Reap is the closest town to Cambodia's famous Angkor Wat. It is a comfortable and laid back town and most visitors use it as a base to explore the country's most visited destination. Although Siem Reap was once a quaint village, it has continued to grow and change to meet the needs of the many tourists who visit every year. Siem Reap has become a very touristy town with easy access to restaurants, hotels, and shops. It also has a large expatriate community and the western influences are unavoidable. Although prices remain quite low, they are higher than you might find elsewhere in Cambodia.
Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach, in Queensland, offers the closest port to the Whitsunday Islands on the Great Barrier Reef. It's a small town of only 25,000 and has grown out of the area's popularity as a tourist destination. It's main industry remains tourism and, as such, there are many venues set up to accommodate travelers hoping to make trips to the Whitsunday Islands and the Outer Great Barrier Reef. The town has the feel of a vacation destination. While in the past Airlie Beach appealed specifically to the backpacker crowd, it's popularity has spread and now there are facilities catering to all travel types. The area has become more commercialized and there are plenty of large resorts to choose from. Even so, you'll still find no shortage of affordable accommodation around town.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Phnom Penh, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Siem Reap, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Australia, and The Best Honeymoon Tours in Australia.
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Siem Reap Prices
Cambodia PricesAirlie Beach Prices
Australia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySiem Reap $94Airlie Beach $165
The average daily cost (per person) in Siem Reap is $94, while the average daily cost in Airlie Beach is $165. 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 Siem Reap and Airlie Beach in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSiem Reap $51Airlie Beach $59
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSiem Reap $102Airlie Beach $118
Compare Hotels in Siem Reap and Airlie Beach
Looking for a hotel in Siem Reap or Airlie Beach? 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: Siem Reap Hotel Prices and Airlie Beach Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Siem Reap $8.79Airlie Beach $19
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Siem Reap
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Siem Reap:
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Tuk Tuk Ride$13
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Bike Rentals$1.93
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Airlie Beach
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Airlie Beach:
- Transfer from Whitsunday Coast Airport: $17
- Airport Transfer to Shute Harbour / Renta Yacht / Freedom Shores: $32
- Established Return Airport Transfer Proserpine to Airlie Beach: $28
- One Way Airport Transfer: Proserpine-Airlie Beach (or vice versa): $17
- Private Transfer to/from Shute Harbour: $134
- Private Transfer to/from Whitsunday Coast Airport: $148
- Whitsundays: Airport Transfer to/from Airlie Beach: $16
Is it cheaper to fly into Siem Reap or Airlie Beach?
Prices for flights to both Airlie Beach and Siem Reap 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 daySiem Reap $28Airlie Beach $55
Typical Food Prices in Siem Reap
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Siem Reap:
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Breakfast for Two$5.59
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Airlie Beach
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Airlie Beach.
- 3-Hour Sunset Segway Tour with Dinner: $82
- Whitsundays Segway Sunset and Boardwalk Tour with Dinner: $83
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Siem Reap $30Airlie Beach $161
Typical Entertainment Prices in Siem Reap
Here are a few typical costs in Siem Reap for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Angkor Tour Guide$8.24
Tours and Activities in Siem Reap
Here are a few actual costs in Siem Reap for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Kulen National Park Ticket: $19
- Tours and Tickets to Experience Phnom Kulen National Park: $65
- Phnom Kulen National Park Tours and Tickets: $65
- Phnom Kulen Waterfall 1000 Linga National Park Tour: $95
- Private Tour Kampong Pluk village and boat cruise on Tonle Sap: $99
- Private Kulen 1000 Shiva Lingas waterfall Private Tour: $103
- 3 Days Tour(Small Circuit+Grand Circuit & Banteay Srei+Beng Mealea & Koh Ker): $296
Tours and Activities in Airlie Beach
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Airlie Beach are as follows:
- Private Airlie Beach Tuk-Tuk Tours: $20
- 2-Hour Sunset Cruise with Sparkling Wine: $45
- Roundtrip Tour to Cedar Creek.: $45
- Sundowner Sunset Cruise Airlie Beach: $46
- Whisper Cruises - One-Hour Turtle Spotting Bay Cruise: $46
- Airlie Beach Sunset Cruise : $46
- Airlie Beach Trike Tours: $50
- Whitsundays Sunset Sailing Cruise: $57
- Glass-Bottom Boat Tour: $59
- Airlie Beach Glass Bottom Boat Tour: $59
- #1 Sightseeing Explorer 3hr tour.: $62
- Half Day Turtle Tour Sea Kayaking Adventure: $65
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySiem Reap $11Airlie Beach $9.06
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Siem Reap and Airlie Beach, we can see that Airlie Beach is more expensive. And not only is Siem Reap much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Siem Reap is in Asia and Airlie Beach 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 Siem Reap would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Siem Reap 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 Airlie Beach would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Airlie Beach than you might in Siem Reap.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Siem Reap Expensive? and Is Airlie Beach Expensive?.
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.