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

Should you visit Sihanoukville or Roatan?

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

Should I visit Sihanoukville or Roatan? 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 Roatan?

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.

Roatan

Your next great vacation lies just thirty miles off the north coast of Honduras. Right above the world's largest coral reef is the island of Roatan. As a popular tourist attraction and standard cruise destination, it's not uncommon to see tons of Americans during your trip. In fact, the cruising industry has had huge impact on the island's culture. While ships are in port, traffic will be heavier and prices may go up. Because of the growth of tourism, most locals speak both Spanish and English.

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


Which place is cheaper, Roatan 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 Roatan is $42. 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 Roatan in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Sihanoukville $23
    Roatan $11
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Sihanoukville $46
    Roatan $22
Compare Hotels in Sihanoukville and Roatan

Looking for a hotel in Sihanoukville or Roatan? 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 Roatan


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: Roatan Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Sihanoukville $14
    Roatan $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 Taxi Transfer From Kampot - Phnom Penh City: $46
  • Private Shuttle Transfer From Sihanoukville - Phnom Penh: $57
  • Sihanoukville To Phnom Penh Private Transfer Mini-Van-Car: $65
  • Private Taxi Transfer Sihanoukville - Battambang Car - Mini-Van: $107
  • Private Transfer to/from Battambang - Sihanoukville: $115
  • Private Transfer in Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh by Alphard 2010: $180
  • Private Taxi Transfer to Kampot: $224

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Roatan

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Roatan are as follows:


  • Water Taxi
    $4.00

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Roatan

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Roatan:

  • Catch a ride to West Bay & back to Port, Hotel, or Airport (Roundtrip Transfer): $75
  • Catch a ride to West End & back to Port, Hotel or Airport (Roundtrip Transfer): $60
  • Chocolate Factory, Rum Factory, Markets, Island Tour, Private Transfer: $50
  • Discover Scuba Diving in Roatan at Upachaya with Private Transfer: $150
  • Ground transfers and ticket ferry to Utila or La Ceiba: $80
  • Honduras Roatan Airport (RTB) to Roatan -Round-Trip Transfer: $115
  • Mahogany Bay Cruise Port to Roatan - Arrival Private Transfer: $57
  • Mahogany Bay Cruise Port to Roatan Island hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $124
  • Mayan Eden Eco Wildlife Park, City Tour & Private Transfer: $67
  • Private Transfer from Honduras Roatan Airport (RTB) to Roatan Hotels: $155
  • Roatan Buggy Adventure, Monkey & Sloth Park, Beach Pass plus Private Transfer: $207
  • Roatan East End Cultural Experience, Island Lunch & Private Transfer: $99

Is it cheaper to fly into Sihanoukville or Roatan?

Prices for flights to both Roatan 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
    Roatan $15

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
  • Sihanoukville - Khmer Traditional Cooking Class: $110

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Roatan

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Roatan.

  • Authentic Roatan Cooking Class and Cultural Experience: $125

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Sihanoukville $5.37
    Roatan $26

Tours and Activities in Sihanoukville

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

  • Tuktuk Countryside tour: Pepper farm, Salt field & Secret lake: $18
  • Kampot Tour Pepper Plantation, Salt Field, Cave, Secret Lake: $21
  • La Plantation tour (discovering Kampot Pepper) + Lunch: $21
  • Half day tour with countryside include Pepper farm Kampot : $22
  • Kampot Countryside Tour - Pepper Farm, Salt Lake, Caves, and more: $25
  • Full day Tour, Countryside, Pepper farm & Kep, crab market...: $25
  • SUP Tour in Mangrove Forest of Koh Rong Sanloem: $28
  • Bokor Mountain Adventure - History, Sights and Waterfalls: $29
  • Kampot Day Tour "Bokor National Park": $29
  • Half-Day Adventure to the Pepper Farm by Scooter: $30
  • Full Day Pepper Farm Adventure by Scooter: $45
  • Kampot Countryside & Kayak Tour, Pepper Farm include lunch : $46

Tours and Activities in Roatan

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

  • Organized trips and adventures: $26
  • Half-day Shopping & Sightseeing Tour: $33
  • Roatan Fun Bus Group Sightseeing Island Private Tour: $37
  • Half Day Roatan Sightseeing and Jungle Island Tour: $41
  • Roatan Jungle Top Wildlife Guided Eco-Park Tour: $45
  • Roatan : Private Customizeble Tour with Driver & Guide: $45
  • Customizable Best Of Roatan Island Tour in Honduras: $45
  • Private Customize Best of Roatan Island Tour: $45
  • Roatan Coxen Hole Tour by Bus: $45
  • Roatan Night Snorkel Adventure: $45
  • Experience A Comprehensive Real Estate Tour: $46
  • Roatan Private Custom Tour History culture Chocolate Rum Sample: $48

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Sihanoukville $4.42
    Roatan $6.64


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sihanoukville and Roatan, we can see that Sihanoukville is more expensive. And not only is Roatan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Sihanoukville is in Asia and Roatan is in Central 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 Roatan would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Roatan 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 Sihanoukville would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Sihanoukville than you might in Roatan.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Sihanoukville Expensive? and Is Roatan Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Sihanoukville or Roatan?

Sihanoukville has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Roatan. When comparing the sizes of Sihanoukville and Roatan, 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.