Which place is cheaper, Sihanoukville or Surabaya?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
Should I visit Surabaya or Sihanoukville? 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.
Surabaya, also known as the "city of heroes," is the capital of East Java and the second largest city in Indonesia, following Jakarta. While it doesn't highlight as many typical tourist monuments as other cities, Surabaya serves as a takeoff point or a landing base for travelers visiting Mount Bromo and Bali.
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.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Indonesia, The Best 10-Day Tours in Indonesia, The Best Budget Tours to Cambodia, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Siem Reap.
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Surabaya is $63, while the average daily cost in Sihanoukville is $51. 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 Surabaya and Sihanoukville in more detail.
Looking for a hotel in Surabaya or Sihanoukville? 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.
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Surabaya:
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Sihanoukville:
Prices for flights to both Sihanoukville and Surabaya 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.
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Sihanoukville.
Here are a few actual costs in Surabaya for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
Here are a few actual costs in Sihanoukville for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Surabaya and Sihanoukville, we can see that Surabaya 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 Surabaya would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Surabaya 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 Surabaya Expensive? and Is Sihanoukville Expensive?.
Surabaya has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Sihanoukville. When comparing the sizes of Surabaya and Sihanoukville, 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.