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

Should you visit Sihanoukville or Alice Springs?

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

Should I visit Sihanoukville or Alice Springs? 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: Sihanoukville or Alice Springs?

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.

Alice Springs

Alice Springs is in the middle of Central Australia and is most famous as a base for exploring the famous rock, Uluru. Alice Springs itself has grown dramatically from what was once a small outpost. The tourist boom began in the early 1980s and the population is now somewhere around 28,000. The city now has all of the necessary facilities to cater to the influx of tourists who swing through to see Uluru. The town is 1500km from Darwin, which is the closest major city. Adelaide is just as far to the south. It's remote location means that costs can be higher than they are elsewhere in Australia. Expect to pay more for anything from fruits and vegetables to clothing and souvenirs. When making a reservation for a hotel, do note that the rating scale differs from elsewhere in Australia or in most western countries. The ratings come from the amenities available and have little to do with the actual room quality.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Bicycle Tours in Cambodia, The Best Adventure Tours to Cambodia, The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Australia, and The Best Vineyard & Wine Tours in Australia.


Which place is cheaper, Alice Springs or Sihanoukville?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Sihanoukville is $51, while the average daily cost in Alice Springs is $95. 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 Sihanoukville and Alice Springs in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Sihanoukville $23
    Alice Springs $50
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Sihanoukville $46
    Alice Springs $100
Compare Hotels in Sihanoukville and Alice Springs

Looking for a hotel in Sihanoukville or Alice Springs? 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 Sihanoukville


Hotels in Alice Springs


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: Alice Springs Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Sihanoukville $14
    Alice Springs $20

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sihanoukville

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Sihanoukville:

  • Private taxi transfer from Sihanoukville to Battambang: $290
  • Private Transfer in Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh by Alphard 2010: $180
  • Private Taxi transfer from Sihanoukvile to Battambang City: $145
  • Private Taxi transfer from Sihanoukvile to Battambang City: $145
  • Private Taxi transfer from Sihanoukvile to Battambang City: $145
  • Private Taxi Transfer From Sihanoukville To Koh Kong : $73
  • Private Shuttle Transfer From Sihanoukville - Phnom Penh: $57
  • Private Transfer between Sihanoukville Airport and Hotels or Port: $25
  • Private Transfer From Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh: $24

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Alice Springs

Also for Alice Springs, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Uluru to Alice Springs or Alice to Uluru 1-Way Luxe Transfer: $127

Is it cheaper to fly into Sihanoukville or Alice Springs?

Prices for flights to both Alice Springs and Sihanoukville 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
    Sihanoukville $18
    Alice Springs $24

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
  • Cooking Class at La Plantation: $35
  • Sihanoukville - Khmer Traditional Cooking Class: $110

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Alice Springs

For Alice Springs, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • From Day Trip to Uluru with BBQ Dinner: $219
  • Ayers Rock Day Trip from Alice Springs Including BBQ Dinner: $233

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Sihanoukville $5.37
    Alice Springs $14

Tours and Activities in Sihanoukville

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

  • Afternoon tours: Pepper Farm , Secret Lake & Salt fields: $18
  • Best Sihanoukville Day Tours from Cruise Port or Hotel: $79
  • Best of Sihanoukville City Tour from Cruise Port: $79
  • Bokor Mountain Adventure - History, Sights and Waterfalls: $29
  • Bokor Mountain Hill Station Tour: $75
  • Discovery Tour: Caving, Climbing, Via Ferrata and Abseiling in Kampot: $45
  • Explore Sihanoukville Dirt Bike Tour: $140
  • Exploring Bokor National Park Full-Day Tour from Sihanoukville: $99
  • Exploring Kampot: A Memorable Tour from Sihanoukville: $63
  • Exploring the Best of Kampot and Kep in a Full-Day Tour: $55
  • Full Day Pepper Farm Adventure by Scooter: $45
  • Full-Day Kampot & Kep with a local Tuk Tuk Tours : $65

Tours and Activities in Alice Springs

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Alice Springs.

  • Skip the Line: Alice Springs School of the Air Guided Tour Ticket: $9.25
  • West MacDonnell Ranges: A Self-Guided Driving Tour: $9.99
  • Outback Adventure: A Self-Guided Driving Tour: $9.99
  • Australia’s Red Centre: A Self-Guided West Macs Driving Tour: $9.99
  • Alice Springs Desert Park General Entry Ticket: $26
  • Alice Springs Desert Park Nocturnal Tour: $28
  • Alice Springs Camel Tour: $59
  • West MacDonnell Ranges Half day Tour -Small Group: $92
  • A Town Like Alice: Half-Day Tour of Alice Springs: $95
  • From Alice Spring: West MacDonnell Ranges Half-Day Tour: $97
  • Alice Springs Highlights Tour : $109
  • Historical Alice Tour: $110

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Sihanoukville $4.42
    Alice Springs $17

Typical Alcohol Prices in Alice Springs

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Alice Springs:


  • Glass of Wine in Alice Springs
    $4.54


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


Which is Bigger, Sihanoukville or Alice Springs?

Sihanoukville has a larger population, and is about 6 times larger than the population of Alice Springs. When comparing the sizes of Sihanoukville and Alice Springs, 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.