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

Should you visit Sihanoukville or Yaeyama Islands?

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

Should I visit Sihanoukville or Yaeyama Islands? 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 Yaeyama Islands?

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.

Yaeyama Islands

The Yaeyama Islands is a cluster of islands located in the southwestern part of Japan, close to Taiwan. There are nine different islands, varying from small islets to large holiday resort islands. The Yaeyama Islands are one of the most popular destination in Japan due to their beautiful beaches and underwater ruins. Yaeyama is also known for having their own language and writing system. For the most part, everyone on the Islands speak Japanese, but you'll often find the Yaeyama writing on T-shirts in souvenir shops or scattered around Yaeyama.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Bicycle Tours in Cambodia, The Best Adventure Tours to Cambodia, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Tokyo, and The Best 10-Day Tours from Tokyo.


Which place is cheaper, Yaeyama Islands or Sihanoukville?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

  • Sihanoukville Prices
    Cambodia Prices
    Yaeyama Islands Prices
    Japan Prices
  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    Sihanoukville $65
    Yaeyama Islands $118

The average daily cost (per person) in Sihanoukville is $65, while the average daily cost in Yaeyama Islands 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 Yaeyama Islands in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Sihanoukville $23
    Yaeyama Islands $56
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Sihanoukville $46
    Yaeyama Islands $112
Compare Hotels in Sihanoukville and Yaeyama Islands

Looking for a hotel in Sihanoukville or Yaeyama Islands? 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 Yaeyama Islands


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: Yaeyama Islands Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Sihanoukville $14
    Yaeyama Islands $19

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

Is it cheaper to fly into Sihanoukville or Yaeyama Islands?

Prices for flights to both Yaeyama Islands 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
    Yaeyama Islands $50

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
    Yaeyama Islands $8.93

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

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Sihanoukville $4.42
    Yaeyama Islands $6.51


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