Which place is cheaper, Gold Coast or Siem Reap?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Siem Reap or Gold Coast?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Siem Reap or Gold Coast, 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 Gold Coast?
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.
Gold Coast
The Gold Coast is one of Australia's premier destinations. Famous for gorgeous beaches, warm weather, watersports, and plenty of activities for all ages, millions of tourists from Australia as well as everywhere in the world flock to this region every year. With beaches, national parks, theme parks, shopping and dining, nice resorts, boating, fishing, diving, theme parks and more, the Gold Coast offers something for everyone.
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 Food and Culinary Tours in Australia, and The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Australia.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySiem Reap $81Gold Coast $98
The average daily cost (per person) in Siem Reap is $81, while the average daily cost in Gold Coast is $98. 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 Gold Coast in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSiem Reap $51Gold Coast $55
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSiem Reap $102Gold Coast $110
Compare Hotels in Siem Reap and Gold Coast
Looking for a hotel in Siem Reap or Gold Coast? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Siem Reap $8.79Gold Coast $23
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 Siem Reap
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Siem Reap:
- Border Transfer (Siem Reap to Laos or Laos to Siem Reap ): $400
- Private Vip Transfer Siem Reap to Phnom Penh: $380
- Private Taxi transfer from Siem Reap to Koh Chang: $368
- Private Taxi transfer from Koh Chang to Siem Reap: $368
- Private Taxi transfer from Pattaya to Siem Reap: $330
- Intercity Transfer(Siem Reap-Sihanouk/Sihanouk-Siem Reap): $300
- Private Taxi transfer from Bangkok to Siem Reap: $299
- Private taxi transfer from Sihanoukville to Siem Reap city.: $290
- Private Taxi transfer from Siem Reap to Pattaya: $285
- Private Taxi transfer from Siem Reap to Bangkok: $258
- Private Taxi transfer from Sihanouk vile to Siemreab City: $145
- Private Taxi transfer from Sihanouk vile to Siemreap City: $145
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Gold Coast
Also for Gold Coast, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Arrival Private Transfer: Airport OOL to Gold Coast in Business Car: $98
- Arrival Transfer: Airport OOL to Gold Coast by Luxury Van: $127
- Departure Private Transfer: Gold Coast to Airport OOL in Business Car: $98
- Departure Private Transfer: Gold Coast to Airport OOL in Luxury Van: $127
- From Tandem Skydive Byron Bay with Transfers: $240
- Gold Coast Airport Arrival Shared Transfer: $21
- Gold Coast Airport Transfer: Airport OOL to Gold Coast in Business Car: $98
- Gold Coast Airport Transfer: Airport OOL to Gold Coast in Luxury Car: $127
- Gold Coast Airport Transfer: Airport OOL to Gold Coast in Luxury Van: $126
- Gold Coast Airport Transfer: Gold Coast to Airport OOL in Luxury Car: $127
- Gold Coast Airport Transfer: Gold Coast to Airport OOL in Luxury Van: $126
- Gold Coast Airport: One-Way Private Transfer to Gold Coast: $73
Is it cheaper to fly into Siem Reap or Gold Coast?
Prices for flights to both Gold Coast 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 $16Gold Coast $27
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 Siem Reap
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Siem Reap.
- Pupulars Apsara show Including Buffet Dinner & Hotel Pick up: $15
- Apsara Dance Show with Dinner by Tuk-Tuk Roundtrip Transfer: $17
- Apsara Performance Including Buffet Dinner & Hotel Pick up: $19
- Apsara Dinner Show with Hotel Transfer: $20
- Apsara Dance Show & Dinner with Tuk-Tuk Transfers: $26
- Apsara Performance Including Buffet Dinner & Hotel Pick up: $26
- Apsara Performance Including Buffet Dinner & Hotel Pick up: $27
- Cooking Class and Market Shopping: $29
- Khmer Cooking Class at a Local's Home: $29
- Morning Cooking Class & Market Tour: $29
- Half-Day Cambodian Cooking Class: $32
- Cambodian Cooking Class from Siem Reap: $32
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Gold Coast
For Gold Coast, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Australian Outback Spectacular Dinner & Show: $72
- Gold Coast Buffet Dinner Sightseeing Cruise: $79
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Siem Reap $30Gold Coast $19
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 Mountain Entrance Ticket and Explore the Holy Mountain : $45
- 03 Hours Countryside tours: $88
- 1 Day Angkor Wat Tour from Siem Reap,Cambodia: $50
- 1 Day Angkor Wat Tour with Tour Guide: $60
- 1 Day Private Group of Angkor Wat Tour with Tuk Tuk only: $33
- 1-Day Small Circuit Tour: Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm: $65
- 1-Day private Angkor Temple Tour from Siem Reap: $27
- 2 Day Angkor Wat Private Tour: $245
- 2 Day Private Guided Tour in Angkor Temples, Cambodia: $35
- 2 Days Angkor Wat Sunrise and Sunset Private Tour: $134
- 2-Day Angkor Small-Group Tour & Banteay Srei from Siem Reap: $69
- 2-Day Angkor Temple Tour With Kbal Spean: $285
Tours and Activities in Gold Coast
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Gold Coast.
- Spring Brook National Park Self Guided Driving Tour: $15
- SkyPoint Observation Deck Ticket: $24
- Surfers Paradise: IceBar Entry Ticket and Drink: $29
- Surfer's Paradise Sightseeing Cruise: $29
- Surfers Paradise and Midday River Cruise: $32
- Surfers Paradise: Gold Coast Afternoon River Cruise 4pm: $32
- Gold Coast Morning Tea Cruise from Surfers Paradise: $32
- Surfers Paradise Sunset Cruise: $32
- City Lights Cruise: $36
- Aquaduck City Tour and River Cruise: $36
- Gold Coast Sunset River Cruise: $36
- Aquaduck Gold Coast 1 hour City and River Tour: $36
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySiem Reap $11Gold Coast $5.19
Sample the Local Flavors in Siem Reap
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Siem Reap:
- Mad Monkey Siem Reap Pub Crawl: $10
Sample the Local Flavors in Gold Coast
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Gold Coast:
- Tamborine Mountain: Wine Tasting Tour with 2-Course Lunch: $124
- Full-Day Guided Wine Tour in Mt Tamborine From Gold Coast : $132
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Siem Reap and Gold Coast, we can see that Gold Coast 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 Gold Coast 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 Gold Coast would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Gold Coast 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 Gold Coast Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Siem Reap or Gold Coast?
Gold Coast has a larger population, and is about 6 times larger than the population of Siem Reap. When comparing the sizes of Siem Reap and Gold Coast, 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.