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

Should you visit Sihanoukville or Te Anau?

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

Should I visit Sihanoukville or Te Anau? 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 Te Anau?

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.

Te Anau

Te Anau is a town on the South Island of New Zealand, best-known as a gateway to Fiordland National Park and Milford Sound. The region is a major destination for ecotourism as it is home to rare species like the endangered flightless takahe bird and natural features like caves, waterfalls, forests, lakes, glacial valleys, and mountains.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Bicycle Tours in Cambodia, The Best Adventure Tours to Cambodia, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in New Zealand, and The Best Adventure Tours to New Zealand.


Which place is cheaper, Te Anau 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 Te Anau is $118. 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 Te Anau in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Sihanoukville $23
    Te Anau $44
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Sihanoukville $46
    Te Anau $88
Compare Hotels in Sihanoukville and Te Anau

Looking for a hotel in Sihanoukville or Te Anau? 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 Te Anau


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: Te Anau Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Sihanoukville $14
    Te Anau $27

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 To Phnom Penh Private Transfer Mini-Van-Car: $65
  • 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 Alphard 2010: $180
  • Private Transfer From Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh: $35
  • Private Taxi Transfer Sihanoukville - Battambang Car - Mini-Van: $107
  • Private Taxi Transfer From Kampot - Phnom Penh City: $46
  • Private Shuttle Transfer From Sihanoukville - Phnom Penh: $57

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Te Anau

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

  • Lake Marian Guided Hike with Transfers, Lunch & Morning Tea: $184
  • Te Anau to Invercargill Small Group Transfer: $53
  • Kepler Water Taxi Transfer across Lake Te Anau: $17

Is it cheaper to fly into Sihanoukville or Te Anau?

Prices for flights to both Te Anau 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
    Te Anau $46

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

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Sihanoukville $5.37
    Te Anau $47

Tours and Activities in Sihanoukville

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

  • Small Group Sihanoukville City Tour: $59
  • 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
  • Day trip from Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh for Cruise Ship: $180
  • 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 Te Anau

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

  • Glowworm Caves Guided Tour: $75
  • Te Anau Glow Worm Caves Tour: $76
  • Evening Champagne Cruise on Historic 1935 Motor Yacht.: $84
  • Scenic Cruise & Guided Walk on Historic Motor Yacht Lake Te Anau: $86
  • Scenic Cruise & Guided walk on Historic Motor Yacht Lake Te Anau: $86
  • Champagne Sightseeing Cruise on Lake Te Anau: $98
  • From Milford Sound Coach Tour and Cruise: $119
  • Fiordland: Jet Boat & Nature Walk Experience from Te Anau: $119
  • Milford Sound Coach & Cruise Tour from Te Anau : $122
  • From Milford Sound Cruise & Scenic Coach Tour: $126
  • Award Winning Milford Sound Full Day Tour & Cruise from Te Anau: $128
  • Milford Sound Day Tour from Te Anau: $129

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Sihanoukville $4.42
    Te Anau $14


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


Which is Bigger, Sihanoukville or Te Anau?

Sihanoukville has a larger population, and is about 80 times larger than the population of Te Anau. When comparing the sizes of Sihanoukville and Te Anau, 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.