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

Should you visit Sihanoukville or Kingston?

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

Should I visit Sihanoukville or Kingston? 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 Kingston?

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.

Kingston

Kingston is Jamaica's capital city with a population of about 579,000. For being located on an island, Kingston is a very large city with several different zip codes. Not only is Kingston the cultural capital of the country, but also the commercial one as well.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Bicycle Tours in Cambodia, and The Best Adventure Tours to Cambodia.


Which place is cheaper, Kingston or Sihanoukville?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Sihanoukville is $65, while the average daily cost in Kingston is $125. 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 Kingston in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Sihanoukville $23
    Kingston $63
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Sihanoukville $46
    Kingston $126
Compare Hotels in Sihanoukville and Kingston

Looking for a hotel in Sihanoukville or Kingston? 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 Kingston


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 and Kingston Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Sihanoukville $14
    Kingston $29

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sihanoukville

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Sihanoukville:

  • Convenient Taxi Transfers from Sihanoukville to Kampot: $36
  • Kampot Kep To Phnom Penh Private Transfer Mini Van Car: $49
  • Private Shuttle Transfer From Sihanoukville - Phnom Penh: $70
  • Private Taxi Transfer From Kampot - Phnom Penh City: $46
  • 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

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kingston

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kingston:

  • Airport Group Transfers-Kingston: $180
  • Airport MBJ Round Trip Transfer to Ocho Rios Airbnb Home, Resorts: $133
  • From Kingston Airport: One Way Private Transfer to Ocho Rios: $319
  • From One Way Shared Transfer to Kingston Airport: $19
  • From One Way Shared Transfer to Montego Bay: $69
  • From One Way Shared Transfer to Negril: $79
  • From One Way Shared Transfer to Port Antonio: $47
  • Group Private Kingston Airport Transfers (10 - 15 Persons): $251
  • Group Private Kingston Airport Transfers (4 - 9 Persons): $159
  • Airport transfers One Way to all hotels - private: $79
  • Kingston Airport Private Transfer to Riu Ocho Rios: $200
  • Kingston Airport Transfers to Runaway Bay: $167

Is it cheaper to fly into Sihanoukville or Kingston?

Prices for flights to both Kingston 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 $32
    Kingston $45

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

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Sihanoukville $5.37
    Kingston $12

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
  • Discovery Tour: Caving, Climbing, Via Ferrata and Abseiling in Kampot: $53
  • Private Kampot Countryside Tour & Pepper farm, Kep/Crab Market: $55
  • Private Bokor Mountain Discovery Tour: $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
  • Sihanoukville Shore Excursion for cruise ship: $59

Tours and Activities in Kingston

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

  • Walking Tour with Mural Exploration: $26
  • Bob Marley Museum Entry Ticket: $30
  • Bunny Lee Museum and Recording Studio Admission Ticket: $30
  • Kingston Creative: Mural Art Walking Tour: $31
  • Club Kingston VIP Departure Lounge Experience: $38
  • Rhythmic Walking Music Tour: $40
  • Guided Bar Hopping Tour with VIP Speakeasy Entry: $40
  • Judgement Yard Tour: $50
  • Sugar Minott's Youth Promotion Studio Tour: $50
  • Kingston Night Market Experience from Kingston: $55
  • Devon House Heritage Tour with Ice Cream from Kingston: $63
  • Devon House Tour with Ice Cream from Kingston: $64

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Sihanoukville $4.42
    Kingston $11

Sample the Local Flavors in Kingston

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Kingston:

  • Worthy Park Estate Rum Distillery Tour with Tasting: $144


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sihanoukville and Kingston, we can see that Kingston 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 Kingston is in Caribbean Islands, 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 Kingston would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Kingston 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 Kingston Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Sihanoukville or Kingston?

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