Which place is cheaper, Cabo San Lucas or Sihanoukville?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
Jump to 
Should you visit Sihanoukville or Cabo San Lucas?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Sihanoukville or Cabo San Lucas? 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 Cabo San Lucas?
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.
Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas ("Cabo") is on the far southern end of the Baja Peninsula. It has countless resorts and activities for visitors. There are world class golf courses, fine dining options, and five star resorts. Prior to the 1980s, Cabo was a quiet fishing village but with the construction of a nearby airport in 1977, the city rapidly grew into one of Mexico's most popular resort vacation spots. Today, Cabo has one of the country's most vibrant nightlife scenes. It also has plenty of water sport activities, and a great beach scene.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Bicycle Tours in Cambodia, The Best Adventure Tours to Cambodia, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Mexico, and The Best Historical Tours in Mexico.
-
Sihanoukville Prices
Cambodia PricesCabo San Lucas Prices
Mexico Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySihanoukville $64Cabo San Lucas $161
The average daily cost (per person) in Sihanoukville is $64, while the average daily cost in Cabo San Lucas is $161. 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 Cabo San Lucas in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSihanoukville $23Cabo San Lucas $58
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSihanoukville $46Cabo San Lucas $116
Compare Hotels in Sihanoukville and Cabo San Lucas
Looking for a hotel in Sihanoukville or Cabo San Lucas? 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: Sihanoukville Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Sihanoukville $14Cabo San Lucas $26
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sihanoukville
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Sihanoukville:
- Convenient Taxi Transfers from Sihanoukville to Kampot: $36
- Private Shuttle Transfer From Sihanoukville - Phnom Penh: $70
- Private Transfer : Phnom Penh ↔ Sihanouk Ville: $105
- Private Transfer From Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh: $35
- Private Transfer in Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh by VIP Alphard: $180
- Private Transfer to/from Battambang - Sihanoukville: $115
- Private taxi transfer from Sihanoukville to Battambang: $290
- Sihanoukville Airport Transfers: $25
- Sihanoukville International Airport Transfers: $23
- Sihanoukville To Phnom Penh Private Transfer Mini-Van-Car: $65
- Private Taxi Transfer to Kampot: $224
- Transfer: Between Airport and Shihanouk ville: $20
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cabo San Lucas:
- Airport Transfer to Cabo San Lucas IDA: $125
- Airport Transfers to Cabo San Lucas Pacifico Hotels RT: $295
- Cabo Airport (CSL) to Cabo San Lucas Round-Trip Private Transfer: $188
- Cabo Airport Transportation (SJD) | Private Transfers: $125
- Cabo Migriño: Choose 2 Activities + Airport Transfers & Tequila: $170
- Cabo San Lucas Airport (CSL) to Cabo San Lucas Port - Arrival Private Transfer: $71
- Cabo San Lucas Airport (CSL) to Cabo San Lucas Port- Round-Trip Private Transfer: $142
- Cabo San Lucas Airport (CSL) to Cabo San Lucas-Roundtrip Transfer: $153
- Cabo San Lucas Airport to Hotel 1-Way Transfer Service: $300
- Cabo San Lucas Cruise Port to Cabo San Lucas hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $71
- Cabo San Lucas Cruise Port to Cabo San Lucas- Round-Trip Private Transfer: $142
- Cabo San Lucas Port to Cabo San Lucas Airport (CSL) - Departure Private Transfer: $71
Is it cheaper to fly into Sihanoukville or Cabo San Lucas?
Prices for flights to both Cabo San Lucas 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 daySihanoukville $32Cabo San Lucas $81
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cabo San Lucas
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cabo San Lucas.
- Mexican Cooking Class and Garden Tour in Cabo San Lucas: $75
- Cabo Sunset E-Bike Beach Ride with Mexican Dinner and Margaritas: $79
- Seafood Galore, Los Cabos Food Tour: $80
- Flavors of Authentic Mexican Food Tour: $80
- Cabo Sunset Tour with Dinner and Open Bar: $80
- Small-Group Food Tour in Cabo San Lucas: $82
- San Jose del Cabo Tacos and Food Tour: $85
- Sunset Fajita Dinner Cruise in Cabo San Lucas: $89
- Private Mexican Cooking Class in Your Cabo San Lucas Villa or Condo: $90
- Catch of the day dinner in your private villa/condo in Cabo or San Jose del Cabo: $90
- Sunset Mexican Dinner Cruise and Live Music in Cabo San Lucas: $95
- Parrillada dinner with a Private Chef in your villa/condo in Cabo or San Jose: $95
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Sihanoukville $5.35Cabo San Lucas $39
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 Countryside Tour - Pepper Farm, Salt Lake, Caves, and more: $25
- La Plantation tour (discovering Kampot Pepper) + Lunch: $27
- Kampot Day Tour "Bokor National Park": $29
- Bokor Mountain Adventure - History, Sights and Waterfalls: $29
- Kampot Waterfall Adventure with Nature Hiking Jungle and Swimming: $30
- Discovery Tour: Caving, Climbing, Via Ferrata and Abseiling in Kampot: $53
- Private Kampot Countryside Tour & Pepper farm, Kep/Crab Market: $55
- Bokor Mountain: Historic & Scenic Tour with Rickshaw/SUV: $55
- Exploring the Best of Kampot and Kep in a Full-Day Tour: $55
- Exploring Shore Excursions from Cruise Ports: $59
- Sihanoukville Small-Group City Tour for Cruise Passengers: $59
Tours and Activities in Cabo San Lucas
Here are a few actual costs in Cabo San Lucas for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Cabo Clear Boat Tour to the Arch: Hotel Pickup Available: $15
- Glass Bottom Boat Tour to the Arch in Cabo San Lucas: $15
- Cabo Clear Boat Tour to the Arch: Optional Hotel Pickup: $15
- ATV and Camel Experience Los Cabos: $17
- Ultimate Camel Safari Experience in Los Cabos: $17
- ATV Ride and Camel Experience A Double Adventure: $17
- Cabo San Lucas Arch and Lover's Beach Boat Tour: $19
- Cabo San Lucas Glass Bottom Boat Tour to the Arch with Beach Time: $19
- Shared Tour to the Arch of Cabo San Lucas: $19
- Cabo San Lucas Arch Tour by Glass Bottom Boat: $20
- Cabo San Lucas Arches Boat Tour with Swimming and Beach Stop: $20
- Cabo San Lucas Glass-Bottom Boat Tour to the Famous Arch: $20
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one daySihanoukville $4.40Cabo San Lucas $26
Sample the Local Flavors in Cabo San Lucas
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cabo San Lucas:
- Cabo Bar Crawl to the Best Bars and Clubs in Cabo: $60
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sihanoukville and Cabo San Lucas, we can see that Cabo San Lucas 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 Cabo San Lucas is in North America, 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 Cabo San Lucas would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cabo San Lucas 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 Cabo San Lucas Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Sihanoukville or Cabo San Lucas?
Sihanoukville has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Cabo San Lucas. When comparing the sizes of Sihanoukville and Cabo San Lucas, 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.