Which place is cheaper, Surfers Paradise or Sihanoukville?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Sihanoukville or Surfers Paradise?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Sihanoukville or Surfers Paradise? 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 Surfers Paradise?
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.
Surfers Paradise
A tourist mecca, Surfers Paradise is one of the most popular travel destinations along Australia's famed Gold Coast. The beach stretches for miles and there is an endless supply of almost constant parties. You'll find high rise apartments lined up along the shore and plenty of shopping areas, restaurants, nightclubs, and bars. Travelers from around the world visit the area, and it's a right of passage for Australia's teens to vacation in or near Surfers Paradise. For many travelers, Surfers Paradise comes across as little more than a mass marketed, over commercialized, party destination, but for others it is a vacation dream. Prices are highly inflated so you have to keep your whits about you to avoid being ripped off. Surfers Paradise is a destination of extremes and it conjures up extreme emotions in many travelers, be it positive or negative.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Bicycle Tours in Cambodia, The Best Adventure Tours to Cambodia, The Best Contiki Tours to Australia, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Australia.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySihanoukville $51Surfers Paradise $104
The average daily cost (per person) in Sihanoukville is $51, while the average daily cost in Surfers Paradise is $104. 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 Surfers Paradise in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSihanoukville $23Surfers Paradise $66
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSihanoukville $46Surfers Paradise $132
Compare Hotels in Sihanoukville and Surfers Paradise
Looking for a hotel in Sihanoukville or Surfers Paradise? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Sihanoukville $14Surfers Paradise $11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sihanoukville
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Sihanoukville:
- Private taxi transfer from Sihanoukville to Battambang: $290
- Private Transfer in Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh by Alphard 2010: $180
- Private Transfer between Sihanoukville Airport and Hotels or Port: $25
- Private Transfer From Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh: $24
- Private Taxi transfer from Sihanoukvile to Battambang City: $145
- Private Taxi transfer from Sihanoukvile to Battambang City: $145
- Private Taxi transfer from Sihanoukvile to Battambang City: $145
- Private Taxi Transfer From Sihanoukville To Koh Kong : $73
- Private Shuttle Transfer From Sihanoukville - Phnom Penh: $57
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Surfers Paradise
Also for Surfers Paradise, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- All-Inclusive Dolphin & Tangalooma Wrecks Day Cruise (Gold Coast Transfer): $149
- Gold Coast Airport Transfers Corporate Chauffeurs Gold Coast: $119
- Gold Coast Hot Air Balloon + Winery Breakfast + Return Transfers: $291
- Gold Coast Theme Parks: Shared Hotel Transfers: $14
- Luxury Private Transfer between Gold Coast Airport and Gold Coast city (1-7pax) : $89
- Private Transfer from Brisbane Airports to Surfers Paradise: $106
- Private Transfer from Gold Coast Airport - Surfers Paradise: $50
- Private Transfer to Brisbane/BNE Airport from Gold Coast/OOL Airport( 1-7 pax): $229
Is it cheaper to fly into Sihanoukville or Surfers Paradise?
Prices for flights to both Surfers Paradise 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 $18Surfers Paradise $26
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
- Cooking Class at La Plantation: $35
- Sihanoukville - Khmer Traditional Cooking Class: $110
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Surfers Paradise
For Surfers Paradise, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Buffet Dinner Sightseeing Cruise: $78
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Sihanoukville $5.37Surfers Paradise $23
Tours and Activities in Sihanoukville
Here are a few actual costs in Sihanoukville for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Afternoon tours: Pepper Farm , Secret Lake & Salt fields: $18
- Best Sihanoukville Day Tours from Cruise Port or Hotel: $79
- Best of Sihanoukville City Tour from Cruise Port: $79
- Bokor Mountain Adventure - History, Sights and Waterfalls: $29
- Bokor Mountain Hill Station Tour: $75
- Discovery Tour: Caving, Climbing, Via Ferrata and Abseiling in Kampot: $45
- Explore Sihanoukville Dirt Bike Tour: $140
- Exploring Bokor National Park Full-Day Tour from Sihanoukville: $99
- Exploring Kampot: A Memorable Tour from Sihanoukville: $63
- Exploring the Best of Kampot and Kep in a Full-Day Tour: $55
- Full Day Pepper Farm Adventure by Scooter: $45
- Full-Day Kampot & Kep with a local Tuk Tuk Tours : $65
Typical Entertainment Prices in Surfers Paradise
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Surfers Paradise's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Surf Lesson$78
Tours and Activities in Surfers Paradise
For Surfers Paradise, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Skip the Line:Wax Museum Ticket-World in Wax & Guided Tour of Chamber of Horrors: $22
- Gold Coast Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Cruise Day Pass: $30
- Gold Coast 1.5-Hour Sightseeing River Cruise from Surfers Paradise: $30
- Gold Coast Afternoon River Cruise: $32
- Guided Gold Coast Amphibious Bus Tour: $33
- Gold Coast Quack'rDuck Amphibious Tour from Surfers Paradise: $33
- Gold Coast City Lights Cruise: $37
- Tropical Fruit World Farm Full Tour : $37
- Surfers Paradise Sunset Kayak Tour: $46
- Paradise SUP Tour: $47
- Half-Day Whale Watching and Canal Cruise from Surfers Paradise: $52
- Catch a Crab Tour with Optional Seafood Lunch: $53
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySihanoukville $4.42Surfers Paradise $11
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sihanoukville and Surfers Paradise, we can see that Surfers Paradise 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 Surfers Paradise is in Pacific, 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 Surfers Paradise would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Surfers Paradise 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 Surfers Paradise Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Sihanoukville or Surfers Paradise?
Sihanoukville has a larger population, and is about 8 times larger than the population of Surfers Paradise. When comparing the sizes of Sihanoukville and Surfers Paradise, 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.