Table of Contents
If you are planning to visit Cambodia in 2025, you may be trying to work out how much your trip is likely to cost.
Working out your trip budget is an important part of planning any trip. However, figuring out a budget can be particularly challenging if you do not know the prices and costs involved in visiting a new country.
In this article, we’re going to give you realistic estimates for the cost of a one-week trip to Cambodia. To help make this article more relevant for you, we will give you a feel for different types of trips depending on whether you are traveling on a budget or looking for a more luxurious experience.
As a full-time travel family, we have a lot of experience working out how to see the world on a low budget. We lived in and explored Cambodia extensively, so we have a lot of knowledge of this area of the world. So, if you are trying to work out the likely cost of a one-week trip to Cambodia, please read this article carefully.
Find out more budget tips – Learn how to travel Cambodia on just $18 per day
Budget summary for one week in Cambodia
A one week trip to Cambodia is likely to cost in the range of $200 – $1,300 per person including food, accommodation, transport (in Cambodia) and activities.
This summary should give you an idea of the cost per person for a one week trip to Cambodia. These estimates do not include the cost of travel to and from Cambodia and other general costs like travel insurance.
| Low budget | Mid-budget | High budget | |
| Visa costs | $30 | $30 | $30 |
| Accommodation | $30 | $140 | $700 |
| Transport (in Cambodia) | $20 | $40 | $70 |
| Food | $70 | $100 | $200 |
| Activities | $50 | $100 | $200 |
| Total cost for one week | $200 | $410 | $1,300 |
It is possible to live in Cambodia even more cheaply than this! When we lived in Cambodia we lived on a few dollars a day. It may sound impossible but we stayed in a bamboo room with a fan and only ate local street food. We even saved money by topping up water at a local hospital! So you can live in Cambodia extremely cheaply. These estimates are based on travelers who are hoping to see experience and explore Cambodia.
1 Getting to Cambodia
If you are planning to fly to Cambodia from your home country, this will probably be the biggest cost in your trip. If you’re traveling on a very low budget, we recommend flying into Bangkok and then traveling into Cambodia overland. You can take a bus from Bangkok to Siem Reap for $10 – $20. In general, it is slightly cheaper to fly to Bangkok compared to flying to airports in Cambodia.
In this article, we are not going to include an estimate of flight prices because you could be flying from anywhere in the world. We will, however, recommend that you book your flight as early as possible. It is generally very difficult to find good deals last minute, so the earlier you book, the better.
2 Cambodia visa costs
If you are trying to work out your Cambodia budget, you will also need to consider the price of your visa. The cheapest way to get a visa is to get a visa on arrival. It costs $30 to get a visa on arrival, and you can obtain your visa at the border. We do not recommend paying any travel agent or third parties because this is more expensive (and you may not even get a valid legal visa). In order to find out the visa costs and requirements from your home country, we recommend visiting your Cambodian consulate website.
You can also get an e-visa from the official Cambodian e-visa website (again avoid looking at other expensive 3rd party websites! Just go straight to the source for a valid visa and the best prices). A tourist e-visa costs $36 per person.
3 Accommodation costs in Cambodia
Apart from the flight, the biggest cost in your trip will be accommodation. So, if you are planning to travel Cambodia on a budget, we recommend spending some time researching and planning your accommodation. It is possible to stay in Cambodia relatively cheaply. If you are a solo traveler, we recommend looking for hostels with dorm beds. You can normally find a bed in a shared dormitory starting at around $2 – $3 per night. Staying in a shared dorm is a lot of fun; however, you do compromise on privacy and security. Make sure that you keep your valuables safely in a locker. If you are planning to stay in a shared dorm, you will also need to be prepared to have a shared bathroom.
On the other hand, if you are traveling as a couple on a budget, then you can also find relatively cheap double and twin rooms. If you are happy to take a fan room, you may be able to save a little bit of money. In Cambodia, you can generally find double rooms starting at around $10 per night. At this price, you should be able to get a reasonably comfortable room in a reasonably good location.
If you are looking for something with a little more style, character, charm, and comfort, then you will need to be prepared to pay a little more. You can find lots of stylish independent boutique hotels in Cambodia with luxurious and comfortable rooms starting at around $30 per night. Luxury accommodation in Cambodia is relatively affordable. You can find very luxurious resorts with rooms ranging in price from $80 – $200 per night. If you are looking for luxury accommodation, you really do get a lot for your money at the higher end.
4 Transport costs
Don’t miss our full guide to Transportation in Siem Reap
Your transportation costs will depend on exactly what you want to see in Cambodia and how you choose to travel around. Because every itinerary is personal, we can only give you an idea of what you may pay for transportation if you are spending one week in Cambodia.
Most people who spend one week in Cambodia only visit one destination. It may be that you spend your week exploring Siem Reap and its surrounding areas. Alternatively, you may be interested in exploring the south of Cambodia. You could spend a week in Phnom Penh. Alternatively, you could spend a week visiting one of the islands in the south of Cambodia (we recommend Koh Rong Sanloem for a nice, beautiful, and peaceful experience).
The most convenient and popular way to travel around Cambodia is to use a tuk-tuk (a small cart pulled by a motorbike). Don’t miss our Full guide to tuk tuks in Cambodia. If you are taking short journeys around town, it is likely to cost $1 – $3, depending on the distance. You can take a long day trip by tuk-tuk for around $10 – $20, depending on the time and distance. If you are traveling on a budget, it is important to barter in order to get a fair and reasonable price. Find out everything you need to know about bartering in Asia.
You can also rent motorbikes to explore Cambodia. Motorbike rental generally starts at around $8 per day. This is a good way to save money if you are doing a longer trip, for example, exploring the Angkor Wat temples. Find out about Motorbike Rental in Siem Reap.
5 The cost of food in Cambodia
Food and drinks in Cambodia are relatively cheap, especially if you are planning to eat lots of local street food. You can find plenty of delicious fresh local street food throughout Cambodia. Street food generally starts at around $1 for a simple dish such as fried noodles or rice and dried fish. If you are looking for slightly nicer and more creative options, you can find tasty street food for around $2 – $3.
Water is also relatively cheap; for example, you can buy a 1.5-liter bottle of drinking water for around 3,000 riel ($0.75). If you are staying in the same location, you can save money and reduce single-use plastics if you buy a large water dispenser (10 – 15 liters). You can then use this to top up your water bottle. It normally costs around $1 – $2 for a large water bottle, and if you return the container, you will also be given a small deposit back.
If you are on holiday and you have a bigger budget, you can find a wide range of exciting and tasty international food in Cambodia (especially in touristy areas). International food is relatively cheap in Cambodia compared to many other countries; however, international food is a lot more expensive than local Cambodian street food. For example, most international dishes range between $3 – $8 in Siem Reap restaurants. So, your budget on food very much depends on how you choose to eat in Cambodia. If you are a budget traveler, you can eat fresh, tasty food relatively cheaply and easily. However, if you are on holiday, you can also find some very tasty international food.
6 Activity costs in Cambodia
When you are working out your budget for one week in Cambodia, you will need to figure out what activities you want to do to determine your activity budget. Fortunately, most activities in Cambodia are very affordable and will not add a lot of money to your budget. However, if you are visiting Cambodia, we do recommend exploring the iconic and impressive Angkor Wat temples. This is one of the most expensive activities in Cambodia, so you need to make sure this is included in your budget.
A one-day Angkor Wat pass costs $37, and you will also need to consider the cost of transport for your day trip (It generally costs around $10 – $20 by tuk-tuk). If you are traveling on a budget, we recommend organizing your trips and activities independently. For example, if you are on a low budget and you want to visit the Floating Village near Tonle Sap, why not rent a motorbike ($8 per day) and drive there yourself? This will keep your budget very low.
This is the cheapest way to see and experience Cambodia. However, if you have a larger budget, you may wish to book trips and tours online in advance. Although it is more expensive to book a tour online, it can feel nice to have all of your ducks in a row before you travel.
Savvy budget tips for traveling in Cambodia
Here are a few tips to help keep the cost of your Cambodia trip down:
- Bartering is both an acceptable part of the culture and necessary if you are hoping to get a fair and reasonable price. You can barter for products on the market; you can barter for transportation, such as tuk-tuks, and you can also barter for accommodation.
- Use affordable local street food to fill up and then have the occasional treat. Local street food is readily available, fresh, tasty, and very affordable. This is the best way to fill up. From time to time, you can still have a more treatful meal without blowing the budget.
- Stay in cheap hostels and guest houses. Find an affordable room, and you will save a lot of money on the overall cost of your trip. If you are really traveling on a low budget, you can also contact the hostel in advance and ask for their best prices. Booking directly is normally a lot cheaper than booking through a platform.
- Taking a direct flight into Cambodia is generally more expensive than flying to Bangkok and traveling overland to Cambodia. On the other hand, if you only have a limited amount of time for your trip, you may not want to lose a full travel day taking this route.
