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

Should you visit Sihanoukville or Newcastle?

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

Should I visit Sihanoukville or Newcastle? 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 Newcastle?

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.

Newcastle

Newcastle is 150 kilometers north of Sydney in New South Wales. It is also the second largest city in the state, and serves as a central point to explore the area's beaches, wineries, and beautiful natural landscape. North of the city is Stockton beach, which has many miles of isolated, beautiful beaches, stretching all the way up to Nelson Bay. The wineries are inland to the west and have some of Australia's finest wine which you can taste. If you want to see rainforests, you can head northwest to Barrington Tops National Park, which has great rainforests and freshwater streams. You may even get to see a platypus. The city also has the country's oldest sea port. In the past the city's economy was centered around the steel industry, but today the University of Newcastle is one of the area's most important employers.

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


Which place is cheaper, Newcastle 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 Newcastle is $91. 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 Newcastle in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Sihanoukville $23
    Newcastle $44
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Sihanoukville $46
    Newcastle $88
Compare Hotels in Sihanoukville and Newcastle

Looking for a hotel in Sihanoukville or Newcastle? 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 Newcastle


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: Newcastle Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Sihanoukville $14
    Newcastle $8.34

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sihanoukville

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Sihanoukville:

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

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Newcastle

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Newcastle:

  • Newcastle Airport (NTL) to Newcastle - Arrival Private Transfer: $26
  • Newcastle to Newcastle Airport (NTL) - Departure Private Transfer: $26
  • Bimbadgen Lunch Tour with Helicopter Transfers: $751
  • Tandem Beach Skydive with Optional Transfers: $248
  • Private Transfer - Newcastle Cruise Port to Sydney Airport (SYD): $88
  • Private Transfer from Newcastle Airport (NTL) to Newcastle Port: $29
  • Private Transfer from Newcastle City Hotels to Newcastle Port: $28
  • Private Transfer from Newcastle Cruise Port to Sydney City Hotels: $88
  • Private Transfer from Newcastle Port to Newcastle Airport (NTL): $29
  • Private Transfer from Newcastle Port to Newcastle city hotels: $28

Is it cheaper to fly into Sihanoukville or Newcastle?

Prices for flights to both Newcastle 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
    Newcastle $35

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

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Sihanoukville $5.37
    Newcastle $15

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
  • La Plantation tour (discovering Kampot Pepper) + Lunch: $21
  • Kampot Countryside Tour - Pepper Farm, Salt Lake, Caves, and more: $25
  • Half-Day Adventure to the Pepper Farm by Scooter: $25
  • Koh Rong: Round-Trip Speed Ferry Tickets: $25
  • Kampot Tour Pepper Plantation, Salt Field, Cave, Secret Lake: $25
  • Koh Rong Island Speed Ferry Round-Trip Ticket: $25
  • Bokor Mountain Adventure - History, Sights and Waterfalls: $29
  • Kampot Day Tour "Bokor National Park": $29
  • Private Tour in Kampot by Tuk Tuk: $35
  • Private Bokor tours by locals including lunch : $44
  • Kampot-day tours, Countryside, Pepper farm and Kayaking : $44

Tours and Activities in Newcastle

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Newcastle are as follows:

  • Wine & Cheese Tasting Experience in Hunter Valley: $9.91
  • Skip the Line: Handmade Cheese, Fruit Paste & Gourmet Bread & Wafers Lunch: $17
  • True Crime Guided Walking Tour: $22
  • Newcastle Dark Stories True Crime Tour: $23
  • Port Stephens: Dolphin Discovery Cruise: $27
  • Family Pass: Fighter World Museum Admission Ticket: $30
  • Architecture, Street Art & Hidden Secrets Walking Tour of Newcastle: $33
  • Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard - Sweet Indulgence Experience: $37
  • Newscastle: Australian Tree Ropes Course Adventure: $42
  • Lake Macquarie Cruise with Lunch: $46
  • Newcastle Whale Watching Cruise: $49
  • Port Stephens: Whale Watching Cruise: $50

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Sihanoukville $4.42
    Newcastle $10

Sample the Local Flavors in Newcastle

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

  • Cael’s Gate Wine Tasting in Broke: $5.32
  • Boutique Wine Tasting Experience in Pokolbin: $6.60
  • Ivanhoe Wines: Trip Advisor Seated Wine Tasting Masterclass: $9.91
  • Tulloch Wines - Wine Tasting paired with Local Handmade Chocolates: $20
  • 30-Minute Distillery Guided Tour in Carrington : $23
  • Cheese and Wine Tasting Experience in Pokolbin: $26
  • Tintilla Estate: Wine Tasting with a Meat and Cheese Platter: $26
  • Tulloch Wines Hunter Heroes Wine Tasting with Local Cheese & Charcuterie Board: $33
  • Tulloch Wines- Mystery Wine Tasting Experience with Local Cheese and Charcuterie: $33
  • Premium Wine Tasting Experience in Pokolbin: $50
  • Snapshot Half Day Hunter Valley Wine Tour: $72
  • Hunter Valley Wine Tour from the Hunter with Wine Craft Beer Cheese Chocolate: $102


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


Which is Bigger, Sihanoukville or Newcastle?

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