Which place is cheaper, Puerto Vallarta or Sihanoukville?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Sihanoukville or Puerto Vallarta?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Sihanoukville or Puerto Vallarta? 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 Puerto Vallarta?
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.
Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta remains a popular tourist destination with Americans, particularly during spring break when students flock to the area. The area is quite beautiful and has many gorgeous beaches, interesting jungles and waterfalls nearby, and no shortage of luxury resorts and four star restaurants. Many of the locals speak English and are friendly and open to helping tourists with directions or general information. Puerto Vallarta's popularity means that its prices are some of the highest in Mexico, particularly during holidays when the area can get quite crowded.
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 Mexico, and The Best Luxury Tours to Mexico.
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Sihanoukville Prices
Cambodia PricesPuerto Vallarta Prices
Mexico Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySihanoukville $64Puerto Vallarta $130
The average daily cost (per person) in Sihanoukville is $64, while the average daily cost in Puerto Vallarta is $130. 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 Puerto Vallarta in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSihanoukville $23Puerto Vallarta $58
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSihanoukville $46Puerto Vallarta $116
Compare Hotels in Sihanoukville and Puerto Vallarta
Looking for a hotel in Sihanoukville or Puerto Vallarta? 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 Puerto Vallarta Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Sihanoukville $14Puerto Vallarta $18
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sihanoukville
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Sihanoukville:
- Transfer: Between Airport and Shihanouk ville: $20
- Sihanoukville International Airport Transfers: $23
- Sihanoukville Airport Transfers: $25
- Private Transfer From Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh: $35
- Convenient Taxi Transfers from Sihanoukville to Kampot: $36
- Private Shuttle Transfer From Sihanoukville - Phnom Penh: $70
- Private Transfer to/from Battambang - Sihanoukville: $115
- Private Transfer in Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh by VIP Alphard: $180
- Private Taxi Transfer to Kampot: $224
- Private taxi transfer from Sihanoukville to Battambang: $290
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Vallarta
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Puerto Vallarta:
- Airport Transfer Puerto Vallarta: $135
- Airport-Hotel Transfers: $108
- Mexico Private Transfer from Marina Vallarta to Puerto Vallarta (PVR) Airport: $70
- NAYARIT VIP Roundtrip Transfers Airport - Nuevo Nayarit - Airport: $79
- PVR VIP Round Trip Transfer Airport - Boca de Tomatlan - Airport: $109
- PVR VIP Round Trip Transfers Airport - Mismaloya Area - Airport: $94
- PVR VIP Round trip transfers - Airport - Zona Hotelera - Airport: $64
- PVR VIP Round trip transfers Airport - Downtown - Airport: $74
- PVR VIP Round trip transfers Airport - Old part of Town - Airport: $54
- PVR VIP Round trip transfers Airport - Zona Romantica - Airport: $79
- PVR VIP Round trip transfers Airport from South PV to Airport: $84
- Privat Transfer from Puerto Vallarta Airport PVR to Punta de Mita: $176
Is it cheaper to fly into Sihanoukville or Puerto Vallarta?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Vallarta 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
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Food Meals for one daySihanoukville $32Puerto Vallarta $59
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 Puerto Vallarta
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Puerto Vallarta.
- Old Town Taco Tour with Vallarta Food Tours: $49
- 3-Hour Guided Food Tour in Puerto Vallarta: $51
- Ultimate Taco Tour in Puerto Vallarta with Vallarta Food Tours: $55
- Bucerias Taco Tour with Vallarta Food Tours: $59
- Taste of Pitillal Food Tour by Vallarta Food Tours: $59
- Winner 2026 Downtown Vallarta Food Tour with Vallarta Food Tours: $59
- Taco102 - dinner taco walk - all inclusive: $63
- Puerto Vallarta Guided Food Tour with 8 Locals Favorites Tastings: $65
- Seafood Lover's Tour with Vallarta Food Tours: $65
- Vallarta Flavours Food Tour with 14+ Tastings: $69
- 6 Course Tasting Dinner in Puerto Vallarta Layla Restaurante: $77
- Puerto Vallarta Evening Cooking Class: Tacos, Margaritas &Churros: $79
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Sihanoukville $5.35Puerto Vallarta $17
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
- Bokor Mountain Adventure - History, Sights and Waterfalls: $29
- Kampot Day Tour "Bokor National Park": $29
- Kampot Waterfall Adventure with Nature Hiking Jungle and Swimming: $30
- Discovery Tour: Caving, Climbing, Via Ferrata and Abseiling in Kampot: $53
- Bokor Mountain: Historic & Scenic Tour with Rickshaw/SUV: $55
- Private Kampot Countryside Tour & Pepper farm, Kep/Crab Market: $55
- Exploring the Best of Kampot and Kep in a Full-Day Tour: $55
- Exploring Shore Excursions from Cruise Ports: $59
- Sihanoukville Shore Excursion for cruise ship: $59
Tours and Activities in Puerto Vallarta
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Puerto Vallarta are as follows:
- Tequila Tasting Tour in Nuevo Vallarta: $8.00
- Puerto Vallarta Historical El Centro: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $12
- Self-Guided Walking Audio Tour of Puerto Vallarta: $15
- Puerto Vallarta Self-Guided Walking Tour with Audio Guide: $15
- Puerto Vallarta City Tour: $20
- Butterfly Experience Nature Park Admission: $22
- City tour express, Butterfly, tequila, river and beach (free kids): $22
- Private Bike City Tour with Photo Session in Puerto Vallarta: $23
- Butterfly Sanctuary & Museum Guided Tour in Puerto Vallarta: $28
- Day of the Dead Cemetery Walking Tour in Puerto Vallarta: $28
- Puerto Vallarta Historic Downtown Ghost and Cultural Walking Tour: $28
- Full-Day Puerto Vallarta City Highlights Tour: $29
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySihanoukville $4.40Puerto Vallarta $22
Sample the Local Flavors in Puerto Vallarta
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Puerto Vallarta:
- Puerto Vallarta Pub Crawl: $22
- Premium Tequila Tasting Puerto Vallarta Distillery: $28
- Mexican Wine Tasting Experience: $50
- Mexican Wine Tasting & Aroma Sensory Experience: $60
- Brewery Bus Tour from Mexico: $85
- Cachasol Tequila Tasting & Raicilla Distillery Tour: $91
- Secret Agave Bar Crawl in Vallarta: $98
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sihanoukville and Puerto Vallarta, we can see that Puerto Vallarta 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 Puerto Vallarta 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 Puerto Vallarta would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Puerto Vallarta 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 Puerto Vallarta Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Sihanoukville or Puerto Vallarta?
Puerto Vallarta has a larger population, and is about 19% larger than the population of Sihanoukville. When comparing the sizes of Sihanoukville and Puerto Vallarta, 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.