Which place is cheaper, Koh Tao 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 Koh Tao?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Siem Reap or Koh Tao, 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 Koh Tao?
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.
Koh Tao
With a name that literally means, "Turtle Island," Koh Tao, Thailand is the type of vacation spot divers dream of. There is the faintest current and a buffet of dive sites and shops.
This tiny island hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year, but take not that there are no garbage disposal facilities. Everything that can't be burnt needs to be taken from the island. Avoid plastic bags, and don't dump your trash in the open landscape (then again, why would you?) because there are no departments for road clean up. Water and electricity on the island are scarce, so use them wisely.
Keep in mind that monsoon season from November to January so you may be faced with constant rain for days at a time in those months.
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 Tours for Seniors to Thailand, and The Best Contiki Tours to Thailand.
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Siem Reap Prices
Cambodia PricesKoh Tao Prices
Thailand Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySiem Reap $94Koh Tao $50
The average daily cost (per person) in Siem Reap is $94, while the average daily cost in Koh Tao is $50. 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 Koh Tao in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSiem Reap $51Koh Tao $16
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSiem Reap $102Koh Tao $32
Compare Hotels in Siem Reap and Koh Tao
Looking for a hotel in Siem Reap or Koh Tao? 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 Koh Tao Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Siem Reap $8.79Koh Tao $9.98
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:
- From Private Transfer to Mondulkiri: $395
- Private Taxi transfer from Siem Reap to Koh Chang: $368
- Taxi Transfer Siem Reap to Kratie - English Speaking Driver: $360
- Private Taxi transfer from Siem Reap to Pattaya: $285
- Private Taxi transfer from Siem Reap to Bangkok: $258
- 3-Day Easy Angkor Tour with Airport Transfers: $249
- Siem Reap to Kampot Taxi, Private Car Transfer & Vice Versa: $235
- Transfer Siem Reap to Sihanoukville Safe Private Taxi Driver: $224
- Private Taxi Transfer to/from Battambang: $190
- Private Transfer Siem Reap to Phnom Penh: $145
- Private Transfer to/from Sihanoukville: $137
- Private Transfer Cross Boarder to/from Siem Reap - Koh Chang: $127
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Koh Tao
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Koh Tao:
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Motorbike Rental$5.97
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Chumpon to Koh Tao Ferry$20
Is it cheaper to fly into Siem Reap or Koh Tao?
Prices for flights to both Koh Tao 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 $28Koh Tao $18
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.
- A Spectacular Show with Optional Dinner: $18
- Apsara Dance Show with Dinner by Tuk-Tuk Roundtrip Transfer: $19
- Apsara Performance with Dinner include Pick up & Drop off: $22
- Apsara Performance Including Buffet Dinner & Hotel Pick up: $22
- Buffet Dinner Apsara Show with hotel transfers: $22
- Apsara Dance Show and Dinner with Hotel Pickup: $22
- Apsara Show Including Dinner & Hotel Pickup: $23
- Dinner and Traditional Show with Hotel Transfer: $24
- Apsara Dance Show with Buffet Dinner & Tuk-Tuk...: $26
- A Night To Remember: Apsara Dance Show with Buffet Dinner: $27
- Dinner Show Apsara Dance, Pickup round trip included: $27
- Apsara Theatre Performance include Dinner & hotel pick up: $29
Typical Food Prices in Koh Tao
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Koh Tao:
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Sit Down Lunch (for One)$6.28
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Breakfast$4.71
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Casual Breakfast (for Two)$3.77
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Fancy Dinner (for Two)$15
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Pancake$2.20
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American Breakfast (for Two)$8.79
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Dinner at Bam Bam (for Two)$8.48
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Koh Tao
For Koh Tao, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Half Day Thai Cooking Class with Sea View from Koh Tao : $51
- Memorable Thai Cooking Class with Stunning View from Koh Tao : $55
- Private Thai Cooking Class at Rooftop Kitchen on Koh Tao: $208
- Koh Tao Private Rooftop Thai Cooking Class with Scenic View: $222
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Siem Reap $30Koh Tao $30
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:
- 03 Hours Countryside tours: $88
- 1 Day Private of Angkor Wat Tour with Tuk Tuk: $15
- 1-Day Angkor Wat Private Tour with Spanish Tour Guide.: $125
- 1-Day private Angkor Temple Tour from Siem Reap: $27
- 2 Day Angkor Wat Private Tour: $245
- 2 Day Cambodia Private Guided Tour in Angkor Temples: $119
- 2-Day Angkor Tour with Sunrise, Sunset & Banteay Srei temple: $160
- 2-Day Angkor Wat With Small, Big Circuit & Banteay Srei Tour: $123
- 2-Days Angkor & Banteay Srei & Kulen Mountian Waterfall Tour: $126
- 2-Days Angkor Sunrise & Banteay Srei Tour: $105
- 2-Days Angkor Wat with Sunrise and Sunset-Siem Reap Tour: $46
- 3 Day Siem Reap Tour Phnom Penh Shooting Experience Video: $128
Typical Entertainment Prices in Koh Tao
For Koh Tao, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Kayak Rental (One Hour)$7.85
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Snorkel Rental$3.14
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Kayak and Snorkel (2)$3.14
Tours and Activities in Koh Tao
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Koh Tao.
- Full day snorkeling adventure around Koh Tao: $24
- Amazing 5 Point Snorkeling Tour in Koh Tao and Koh Nang Yuan: $24
- Koh Nang Yuan and Koh Tao 5 Point Snorkeling Tour: $27
- Snorkelling Trip 5 Island Tour Around Koh Tao and Koh Nang yuan: $27
- Snorkel Tour to Koh Nangyuan and the hidden bays of Koh Tao onboard the Oxygen: $27
- No Rush Morning & Afternoon 5 Stop Snorkeling tour for Koh Tao: $27
- 5 Islands Full-Day Tour Around Koh Tao and Koh Nangyuan: $27
- Koh Tao Top Crystal Clear Snorkeling Day Tour by Big Boat : $27
- Koh Tao Snorkeling Tour to Hidden Bays and Koh Nang Yuan : $29
- Koh Tao's First Light Snorkel Adventure with Oxygen Tours: $32
- Premium Snorkel Tour to the Bays of Koh Tao onboard the Oxygen: $37
- CocoTipAdventures and Snorkel with Meals-BBQs-Cocktail-Sunset: $54
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySiem Reap $11Koh Tao $8.22
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: $12
Typical Alcohol Prices in Koh Tao
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Koh Tao from other travelers:
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Beer$2.04
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Bottle of Wine$12
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Siem Reap and Koh Tao, we can see that Siem Reap is more expensive. And not only is Koh Tao much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Koh Tao would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Koh Tao 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 Siem Reap would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Siem Reap than you might in Koh Tao.
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 Koh Tao Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Siem Reap or Koh Tao?
Siem Reap has a larger population, and is about 60 times larger than the population of Koh Tao. When comparing the sizes of Siem Reap and Koh Tao, 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.