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

Should you visit Sihanoukville or Split?

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

Should I visit Sihanoukville or Split? 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 Split?

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.

Split

Split is a historic city in Central Dalmatia with many opportunities to glimpse its fascinating past in its historic city center. Centuries ago the city grew up around a Diocletian palace that was used as refuge by the locals.

Today, as you wander around the historic center, you can see the remains of the Roman walls, temples, and squares. Despite it's appeal to tourists, Split is much more than just a tourist destination. It is larger than you might initially realize and it spreads well beyond the historic center. There is a population of about 300,000 in the larger area and it is an economic center for the region.

Split has a beautiful climate with mild winters, countless sunny days, and a generally pleasant temperature. As such, there are many opportunities to enjoy yourself outdoors, whether by participating in sports or walking around the city's quaint streets. Winters in Split are also quite mild, but there may be one snowy day, on average, every year. This rare snowfall can cause a significant disruption in the flow of traffic.

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


Which place is cheaper, Split 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 $64, while the average daily cost in Split is $220. 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 Split in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Sihanoukville $23
    Split $95
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Sihanoukville $46
    Split $190
Compare Hotels in Sihanoukville and Split

Looking for a hotel in Sihanoukville or Split? 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 Split


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 Split Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Sihanoukville $14
    Split $26

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sihanoukville

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Sihanoukville:

  • Transfer: Between Airport and Shihanouk ville: $20
  • Private Taxi Transfer to Kampot: $224
  • Sihanoukville International Airport Transfers: $23
  • Sihanoukville Airport Transfers: $25
  • Private taxi transfer from Sihanoukville to Battambang: $290
  • Private Transfer to/from Battambang - Sihanoukville: $115
  • Private Transfer in Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh by VIP Alphard: $180
  • Private Transfer From Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh: $35
  • Private Shuttle Transfer From Sihanoukville - Phnom Penh: $70
  • Convenient Taxi Transfers from Sihanoukville to Kampot: $36

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Split

Also for Split, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • **Private Door to Door Airport Split Transfer up to 15 People**: $69
  • Airport Transfer from Split: $45
  • Airport Transfer to Split: $45
  • Airport transfers, Locco transfers, Port transfers: $90
  • CO2-Offset Arrival Transfer Split Airport to Split City: $60
  • CO2-Offset Departure Transfer Split City to Split Airport SPU: $60
  • Cetina River Rafting Tour with Transfer from Split: $76
  • Cruise Port of Split to Split Hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $40
  • Cruise Port of Split to Split hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $80
  • From Split or Trogir: Cetina River Rafting with Transfer: $93
  • From Split or Trogir: Cetina River Rafting with Transfer: $91
  • From Split to Baska Voda Private Transfer: $154

Is it cheaper to fly into Sihanoukville or Split?

Prices for flights to both Split 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
    Split $104

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 Split

For Split, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Omiš: Sunset Boat Trip to Pučišća Brač island with Dinner: $51
  • Split’s Ultimate Walking Food Tour with Full Meal & Drinks: $67
  • Small Group Food Tour with Private Option: $104
  • Split Old Town Authentic Food Tour with 9 Dishes & Local Wines: $124
  • Split Food Tour: Discover Split One Bite At A Time: $137
  • Split Food Tour: Discover Split One Bite at a Time: $140
  • Dinner In Dalmatia: A Family Affair Outside Split: $142
  • Split Cooking Class: $200
  • From farm to table : Cooking class on island Brac: $297

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Sihanoukville $5.35
    Split $13

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
  • Bokor Mountain: Historic & Scenic Tour with Rickshaw/SUV: $55
  • 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

Tours and Activities in Split

For Split, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Split self guided walking tour through history: $5.71
  • Split's Old Town and Marjan Hill: A Self Guided Audio Tour: $8.99
  • Discover Split Guided Walking Tour: $12
  • Entry Ticket to Selfie Experience Museum: $13
  • Klis Fortress Sunset Tour & Game of Thrones Views: $13
  • Walking Tour of UNESCO Diocletian Palace & Old Town: $14
  • Hajduk Poljud Stadium Tour with Trophy Room Entry: $14
  • Klis Fortress & Olive Museum Tour with GOT Sites: $14
  • Museum of Illusions Entrance Ticket: $14
  • Split History Walking Tour with Local Guide and Tips: $15
  • Amazing Audio tour : Adriatic Blues and Roman Clues Split: $15
  • Diocletian's Palace Virtual Reality Experience: $15

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Sihanoukville $4.40
    Split $20

Sample the Local Flavors in Split

Also in Split, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Split Pub Crawl: Nightlife, Shots & Club Entry: $14
  • Split Nightlife Pub Crawl with Shots and Club Entry: $17
  • From Krka Waterfalls, Food & Wine Tasting Tour: $44
  • From Krka Waterfalls, Food & Wine Tasting Tour: $53
  • From Krka Waterfalls day tour & wine tasting: $55
  • Split/Trogir: Krka National Park Day Trip with Wine Tasting: $55
  • Olive Oil and Wine Tasting with Snacks: $57
  • Educational wine tasting in Split: $63
  • Split&Sip: Educational wine tasting: $64
  • Split/Trogir: Mostar and Medjugorje Tour with Wine Tasting: $99
  • Split Mediterranean Food & Wine tasting with Meal & Local Guide: $106
  • Vineyard Wine Tasting Experience with a Sea view from Split: $137


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


Which is Bigger, Sihanoukville or Split?

Split has a larger population, and is about 13% larger than the population of Sihanoukville. When comparing the sizes of Sihanoukville and Split, 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.