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

Should you visit Sihanoukville or Napier?

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

Should I visit Sihanoukville or Napier? 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 Napier?

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.

Napier

Napier is city on the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Hawke's Bay Region, a famous area for wine vineyards. Napier has a population of 61,000 people and is known for its Art Deco architecture and of course, wine.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Bicycle Tours in Cambodia, The Best Adventure Tours to Cambodia, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in New Zealand, and The Best Luxury Tours to New Zealand.


Which place is cheaper, Napier 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 Napier is $167. 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 Napier in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Sihanoukville $23
    Napier $101
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Sihanoukville $46
    Napier $202
Compare Hotels in Sihanoukville and Napier

Looking for a hotel in Sihanoukville or Napier? 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 Napier


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: Napier Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Sihanoukville $14
    Napier $30

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 Transfer between Sihanoukville Airport and Hotels or Port: $25
  • Private Transfer From Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh: $24
  • 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

Is it cheaper to fly into Sihanoukville or Napier?

Prices for flights to both Napier 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
    Napier $36

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

Typical Food Prices in Napier

For Napier, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Casural Lunch
    $8.32

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Sihanoukville $5.37
    Napier $27

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 Napier

For Napier, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Self-Guided Earthquake Audio Tour: $14
  • Art Deco Self-Guided Audio Walking Tour: $14
  • Napier Art Deco Self-Guided Audio Tour: $15
  • Napier Earthquake Self-Guided Audio Tour: $15
  • Hastings Earthquake Self-Guided Audio Tour: $15
  • Hawkes Bay Wineries Self-Guided Bike Tour: $35
  • National Aquarium of New Zealand in Napier Native Icons Tour: $36
  • Hawke's Bay: Self Guided Coastal Winery Cycle Tour: $48
  • Cape Coast Wineries Self-Guided Scenic Bike Tour from Napier: $48
  • Cape Kidnappers Gannet, Nature & Sightseeing Tour: $57
  • Small Group 2.5-Hour Napier History and Art Deco Tour : $57
  • 2.5-Hour Napier Art Deco Tour: $58

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Sihanoukville $4.42
    Napier $16

Typical Alcohol Prices in Napier

Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Napier are as follows:


  • Wine
    $12

Sample the Local Flavors in Napier

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Napier:

  • Half Day Small-Group Hawkes Bay Wine Tour: $94
  • Wine Tour and Tastings in Hawkes Bay: $167
  • Private Sightseeing Tour + Wine Tasting: $627


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


Which is Bigger, Sihanoukville or Napier?

Sihanoukville has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Napier. When comparing the sizes of Sihanoukville and Napier, 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.