Which place is cheaper, Seoul 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 Seoul?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Sihanoukville or Seoul? 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 Seoul?
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.
Seoul
With a population of more than 11 million, Seoul is easily the largest city in South Korea. It is also the financial, political, and cultural capital of the country and has much to offer open minded travelers. It is often overlooked by travelers who instead head to Tokyo or Shanghai, but Seoul has a wide range of cultural experiences, food options, and historical sights. Seoul is a city of contrasts with ancient traditions, flashy technology, religious temples and a modern youth culture. It is also more affordable than many of the other Asian metropolis' to which it is often compared. If you're looking for an interesting and different experience that is a little off the tourist trail, Seoul can definitely offer that opportunity.
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 South Korea, and The Best Adventure Tours to South Korea.
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Sihanoukville Prices
Cambodia PricesSeoul Prices
South Korea Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySihanoukville $65Seoul $124
The average daily cost (per person) in Sihanoukville is $65, while the average daily cost in Seoul is $124. 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 Seoul in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSihanoukville $23Seoul $52
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSihanoukville $46Seoul $104
Compare Hotels in Sihanoukville and Seoul
Looking for a hotel in Sihanoukville or Seoul? 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 Seoul Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Sihanoukville $14Seoul $15
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
- Kampot Kep To Phnom Penh Private Transfer Mini Van Car: $49
- Sihanoukville To Phnom Penh Private Transfer Mini-Van-Car: $65
- 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
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Seoul
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Seoul:
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Subway Card$3.47
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Short Taxi Ride$4.85
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Metro Ride$0.94
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Seoul City Pass Plus$6.93
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Seoul
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Seoul:
- From Round-Trip Transfer to Dae Jang Geum Park: $50
- Gimpo Airport GMP Private Transfer To From Seoul Hotels: $108
- Incheon Airport transfer directly to Seoul city: $113
- Incheon International Airport (ICN): Private Seoul Transfer: $95
- Lotte World 1Day Pass+Obesrvatoy+Private round transfer(Seoul): $115
- Premium Seoul Airport Transfer: Affordable & Convenience: $105
- Private Airport Transfer * Incheon Airport Seoul (1-5 people): $98
- Private Airport Transfer - Incheon Airport ⇔ Seoul (Up to 7 or 11 people): $130
- Private Airport Transfer : Gimpo airport to/from Seoul (1~7pax): $89
- Private Airport Transfer : Incheon to/from Seoul (up to 7 pax): $98
- Private Airport Transfer From Incheon Airport To Seoul(up to 12): $190
- Private Airport Transfer: Gimpo Airport → Hotel in the City: $125
Is it cheaper to fly into Sihanoukville or Seoul?
Prices for flights to both Seoul 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 $32Seoul $49
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
Typical Food Prices in Seoul
Some typical examples of dining costs in Seoul are as follows:
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Rice with Kimchi & Bacon$4.16
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Waffle$0.69
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Dippin' Dots$1.39
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Chicken Fried Rice$3.81
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Chicken Stick$1.39
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Drinking Yoghurt & Mi Chew$1.32
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Lunch Buffet$4.16
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Donut$0.69
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Mushroom Burger$3.60
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Green Tea Ice Cream$2.29
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Udon & Sushi$4.85
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Fresh Burger$3.33
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Soba Noodles Lunch$3.12
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Bibimbap Lunch$3.47
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Fried Rice$3.81
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Vietnamese Dinner$6.58
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Breakfast and Coffee for 2$6.58
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Donut$1.73
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Seoul
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Seoul.
- Guided Street Food Tour at Namdaemun Market: $45
- Seoul Night Run for Local-Favorite Korean BBQ Dinner: $50
- [Wine & K-BBQ] A Perfect Pairing Dinner in Sinchon: $51
- Korean Grandma Cooking Class l Gimbap & Kimchi Pancake l Seoul: $52
- Mangwon Market Food tour By Locals;Cheap Eats to Fancy Feast: $57
- Kimchi Dishes Cooking Class with Wine Pairing: $61
- Korean Home Style Cooking Class in Gangnam Seoul: $62
- Explore Seoul's Flavors on Group Cooking Class Adventure: $63
- Wine & K-BBQ: A Perfect Pairing Dinner: $63
- Gwangjang Market Netflix Food Tour: $64
- Street Food Tour in Jongno, Heart of Seoul: $65
- Guided City Wall Sunset Hike with Korean Dinner: $67
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Sihanoukville $5.37Seoul $25
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
- Kampot Day Tour "Bokor National Park": $29
- Bokor Mountain Adventure - History, Sights and Waterfalls: $29
- Discovery Tour: Caving, Climbing, Via Ferrata and Abseiling in Kampot: $53
- Exploring the Best of Kampot and Kep in a Full-Day Tour: $55
- Private Bokor Mountain Discovery Tour: $55
- Private Kampot Countryside Tour & Pepper farm, Kep/Crab Market: $55
- Small Group Sihanoukville City Tour: $59
- Sihanoukville Small-Group City Tour for Cruise Passengers: $59
- Sihanoukville Shore Excursion for cruise ship: $59
Typical Entertainment Prices in Seoul
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Seoul are as follows:
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Palace Tickets$5.54
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Movie Ticket$5.54
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Kimchi Museum$2.08
Tours and Activities in Seoul
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Seoul are as follows:
- Seoul Ghost Tour: Self-Guided Haunted Walk: $5.87
- Seoul Self-Guided Audio Tour: $6.00
- Gyeongbokgung Palace Hanbok Rental Experience Hanboknam (내국인불가): $7.00
- Gyeongbokgung Palace Hanbok Rental Experience in Seoul: $7.00
- Seoul Changdeokgung Palace Hanbok Experience Hanboknam (내국인불가): $7.10
- Gyeongbokgung Palace Web Guide and Room Escape Tour Ticket: $7.30
- Bukchon Hanok Village Seoul Walking Tour with Audioguide: $7.63
- Alternative A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $7.99
- Youngjaegugakhoe The Concert of Korean Music Prodigies Ticket: $8.70
- Gwanghwamun Tour l 120 Minutes to Understand South Korea: $10
- Skip the Line: Figure Museum W Ticket (내국인 불가): $11
- Insadong Running Man Themed Activity Experience Center: $13
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySihanoukville $4.42Seoul $12
Sample the Local Flavors in Seoul
Also in Seoul, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- The Seoul Pub Crawl Official: $22
- Pub Crawl: $25
- The Seoul Pub Crawl [official]: $26
- LGBTQ+ Pub Crawl and Drag Show with Local Drag Queen: $28
- Soju Tasting at Distillery - story of 3 pigs: $45
- Rice Wine Tasting with Sommelier - Finest Makgeolli (& Soju): $46
- Soju Tasting at Distillery: $51
- Premium Pub Crawl with Open Bottles: $57
- Craft Makgeolli Brewery Tour & Tasting Experience: $67
- Learn and Craft Makgeolli in a Traditional Brewery: $78
- Chunpoong Makgeolli Brewery Tour: $80
- Korean Craft Makgeolli Brewery Tour & Tasting Experience: $80
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sihanoukville and Seoul, we can see that Seoul is more expensive. And not only is Sihanoukville much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 Seoul would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Seoul 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 Seoul Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Sihanoukville or Seoul?
Seoul has a larger population, and is about 70 times larger than the population of Sihanoukville. When comparing the sizes of Sihanoukville and Seoul, 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.