Should you visit Sihanoukville or Porto?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Sihanoukville or Porto? 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 Porto?
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.
Porto
Porto is the second largest city in Portugal. It is also the capital of the Northern Region and a hub for commercial and industrial activity. The city is not as large as you might expect, with a population of only about 300,000 residents, but the metropolitan area has a population of about 2.5 million. This includes nearby cities such as Gaia, Matosinhos, Maia and Gondomar.
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 Portugal, and The Best 10-Day Tours in Portugal.
Which place is cheaper, Porto 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 Porto is $182. 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 Porto in more detail.
Accommodation
Looking for a hotel in Sihanoukville or Porto? 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 and
Porto Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sihanoukville
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Sihanoukville:
-
Private taxi transfer from Sihanoukville to Battambang:
$290
-
Private Taxi Transfer to Kampot:
$224
-
Private Transfer in Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh by VIP Alphard:
$180
-
Private Transfer to/from Battambang - Sihanoukville:
$115
-
Private Transfer : Phnom Penh ↔ Sihanouk Ville:
$105
-
Private Shuttle Transfer From Sihanoukville - Phnom Penh:
$70
-
Sihanoukville To Phnom Penh Private Transfer Mini-Van-Car:
$65
-
Kampot Kep To Phnom Penh Private Transfer Mini Van Car:
$49
-
Private Taxi Transfer From Kampot - Phnom Penh City:
$46
-
Convenient Taxi Transfers from Sihanoukville to Kampot:
$36
-
Private Transfer From Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh:
$35
-
Sihanoukville Airport Transfers:
$25
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Porto
Also for Porto, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
-
Airport Private Transfer to/from Porto:
$44
-
Airport Transfer: Porto Airport OPO to Porto by Luxury Van:
$106
-
Airport Transfer: Porto to Porto Airport OPO by Luxury Van:
$105
-
Arrival Transfer: Porto Airport OPO to Porto in Business Car:
$86
-
Arrival Transfer: Porto Airport OPO to Porto in Luxury Car:
$147
-
Arrival Transfer: Porto Airport OPO to Porto in Luxury Van:
$105
-
Aveiro Private Transfer to Porto:
$85
-
Departure Transfer from Porto to Porto Airport OPO in Private Car/Van:
$105
-
From Transfer to Lisbon with up to 3 City Stops:
$265
-
Ofir Private Transfer to Porto:
$44
-
Oporto Airport Private Arrival Transfer:
$18
-
Oporto Airport Private Departure Transfer:
$18
Is it cheaper to fly into Sihanoukville or Porto?
Prices for flights to both Porto 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
Porto $72
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 Porto
For Porto, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
-
Pastel de Nata Cooking Class with Porto Wine (Sé do Porto):
$41
-
Vegan Pastel de Nata Cooking Class with Port Wine:
$41
-
Dinner with Fado and Portuguese Traditional Music:
$71
-
Authentic Porto Small Group Food Tour with Local Tastings:
$87
-
Shopping, cooking and eating together at my home in Porto:
$88
-
Authentic Porto Food Tour + Traditional Restaurant Stop:
$88
-
Porto Food Tour with Craft Beer by Taste Porto (since 2013):
$88
-
4 Hour Traditional Aveiro Portuguese Food Tour:
$88
-
Private Walking Food Tour with Tastings:
$94
-
Porto Heritage Night Tour With Fado Show And Dinner Included:
$100
-
Authentic Porto Food Tour & Market Experience:
$101
-
Porto After Dark Small Group Dinner and Wine Walking Tour:
$105
Entertainment
Tours and Activities in Sihanoukville
Here are a few actual costs in Sihanoukville for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
-
Best Sihanoukville Day Tours from Cruise Port:
$79
-
Best of Kep, Kampot from Sihanoukville Cruise Port:
$259
-
Best of Sihanoukville City Tour from Cruise Port:
$75
-
Bokor Mountain Adventure - History, Sights and Waterfalls:
$29
-
Day Trip from Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh for Cruise Passengers:
$189
-
Discovery Tour: Caving, Climbing, Via Ferrata and Abseiling in Kampot:
$53
-
Exploring Bokor National Park Full-Day Tour from Sihanoukville:
$99
-
Exploring Kampot: A Memorable Tour from Sihanoukville:
$63
-
Exploring Shore Excursions from Cruise Ports:
$59
-
Exploring the Best of Kampot and Kep in a Full-Day Tour:
$55
-
From Phnom Penh Day Trip for Cruise Ship Guests:
$189
-
Full Day City Tour with A Boat Trip to 2 Islands:
$110
Tours and Activities in Porto
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Porto.
-
Porto Gaia Self-Guided City Walking Tour & Scavenger Hunt:
$1.41
-
Porto Scavenger Hunt & Highlights Self-Guided Walking Tour:
$2.46
-
Self-Guided Tapas Tour of Porto:
$3.52
-
Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt and Tour in Porto:
$3.52
-
Self-Guided Tours in Porto with 100 Captivating Audio Stories:
$3.52
-
Porto's Old Town Tour & Ribeira:
$3.53
-
Porto Old Town Hidden Gems and Douro Views Walking Tour:
$3.53
-
Porto's #1 Walking Tour:
$3.53
-
Tour of Vila Nova de Gaia:
$3.53
-
Porto Self-Guided City Walking Tour & Scavenger Hunt:
$3.53
-
Porto Highlights the Original Walking Tour:
$4.71
-
TOP Aveiro : Private Guided Tour with your mobile:
$5.88
Alcohol
Sample the Local Flavors in Porto
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Porto:
-
Crazy Pub Crawl with 9 Drinks, Free Shots, Wild Games +VIP:
$15
-
Pub Crawl Porto:
$25
-
Classic Wine Tasting with GUIDED TOUR:
$29
-
Fado Concert with Port Wine Tasting at Quinta da Boeira:
$29
-
Wine tasting of 5 Port Wines with a Sommelier:
$29
-
Porto Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour with Wine tasting & Night tour:
$32
-
Cálem Cellar Tour, Live Fado Show and Wine Tasting:
$33
-
Douro Valley Wine Tasting Tour at Quinta da Levandeira:
$38
-
Authentic Oporto Walking Tour with Wine Tasting:
$41
-
Portuguese Tile Painting Workshop with Port Wine Tasting:
$41
-
Porto : Douro River Cruise with Local Wine Tasting:
$51
-
Wine Tasting with Tapas Walking Tour in Porto:
$53
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sihanoukville and Porto, we can see that Porto 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 Porto is in Europe, 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 Porto would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Porto 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 Porto Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Sihanoukville or Porto?
Porto has a larger population, and is about 59% larger than the population of Sihanoukville. When comparing the sizes of Sihanoukville and Porto, 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.
Related Articles for Sihanoukville
Related Articles for Porto