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If you’re planning to travel Cambodia on a budget, don’t look any further. In this article, we’re going to tell you how to travel around Cambodia on only $18 per day. This may sound like an exaggerated claim, but it really is possible to travel around Cambodia this cheaply.
Believe us, we have lived in Cambodia for many years. When we lived in Cambodia, we ran a charity and lived on a shoestring budget (in fact, we lived on much less than $18 per day). Through our experience, we have learned the best savvy tips and techniques to save money in Cambodia and explore the country on a tiny budget.
Scraping by on a very low budget may not be your goal; perhaps your budget is bigger than $18 per day. We still strongly recommend that you take some time to read this article. Following our savvy tips and ideas will enable you to save money even if you are traveling on a higher budget, so there really is something for everyone in this guide.
FIND OUT MORE – How much is a one week trip to Cambodia really likely to cost?
SHOULD YOU GO TO CAMBODIA – Is it worth visiting Cambodia? – Full Guide
HOW LONG SHOULD YOU STAY – How long should you spend in Cambodia?
Budget Travel in Cambodia – Important Disclaimer
Here is a little disclaimer before you read on. When we are talking about traveling Cambodia on $18 per day, we are sharing an average price that includes food, transport, accommodation, and activities in Cambodia. However, we are not including the cost of visas or getting to and from Cambodia or the cost of travel insurance. These costs are personal and are likely to vary a lot. So when we talk about traveling Cambodia on $18 per day, this is the travel budget once you are actually in the country.
How to Travel Cambodia on $18 per Day – Budget Breakdown
Here is a budget breakdown showing how you can travel around Cambodia for an average of $18 per day. Keep reading to find out how you can travel this cheaply.
- Accommodation: $3 per night (per person)
- Food: $5 per day per person
- Water: $2 per day per person
- Transport: $2 per day (average)
- Activities: $6 per day (average)
Budget Money-Saving Tips for Accommodation in Cambodia
1 Solo travellers
You can often find dormitory beds starting for as little as $3 in Cambodia. You may even be able to barter this down to $2 per night. Staying in a shared dormitory is a great way to keep your cost down as a solo traveler. Staying in a dorm is also more sociable and a fun way to meet new people; however, you do compromise on privacy and security. If you are planning to stay in a shared dorm, we recommend checking that your hostel also has lockable lockers to keep your valuables safe while you sleep.
2 Couples travellers
If you are traveling as a couple, we recommend looking for a private fan room. Fan rooms tend to be cheaper than air-conditioned rooms (you may actually find it much nicer sleeping under a fan than air conditioning). You may also need to find a place with a shared bathroom to get the cheapest possible deals (this is not as bad as it sounds!). In some cases, hostels may give you a lower price if you agree to use a fan rather than air conditioning (in this case, the hostel reception will keep hold of your air conditioning remote control to make sure that you don’t use it).
3 Be willing to compromise
If you’re looking for budget accommodation in Cambodia, you will need to compromise on comfort, style, and hygiene. Budget hostels in Cambodia may have limited facilities and slow or unreliable Wi-Fi; however, you do not generally need to compromise on location. You can find budget hostels in Cambodia in some of the best locations.
4 How to find cheap accommodation in Cambodia
The best way to get cheap accommodation in Cambodia is to book carefully. Use a search platform like Agoda or Booking.com and then sort your results in order of lowest price first; this should bring up the cheapest hostels at the top of the list. You can generally find hostel beds starting for around $2 – $3 per night in Cambodia. If you are traveling as a couple, you can find private fan rooms starting at around $5 per night.
TOP TIP: If you are really traveling on a low budget, you can also contact hostels directly and see if they can do a cheaper deal. (You can normally contact hostels directly using their Facebook pages); sometimes, if you just turn up at a hostel later in the day, they may reduce the price if they have room available.
5 Have a Transport Plan
Consider your transport budget in Siem Reap. Siem Reap does not have a public transport system, so you will need to plan and budget for the Best Ways to Travel Around Siem Reap. One of the cheapest ways to explore the area is to rent a cheap $1 bicycle (these are generally available from Hostels & Guest Houses). However, if this is not a practical option for you we recommend travelling around by tuk tuk. Be ready to barter and if you find a food driver – keep their number so that you can continue to travel with them. Find out more about tuk tuks in Cambodia.
Money-Saving Tips for Food in Cambodia
If you are planning to eat a lot of Western and international food in Cambodia, this will increase your budget significantly. Local Cambodian street food is delightfully cheap and readily available. Here are some examples of common budget street food in Cambodia and their prices:
- Fried noodles and egg: Very cheap and common, normally $1 for a portion.
- Dried fish and rice: Relatively common and affordable, normally around $1 – $2.
- Sausage and rice: Cheap and pretty common, normally around $1.50.
- White baguette with pickled salad: Very common, normally $0.5 – $1.
- Local soup: Normally costs $1 – $2 depending on the ingredients.
- Fresh Fruit: You can normally buy fruit for $1 – $2 from local markets.
Finding food in Cambodia
If you are traveling on a budget but you do want to enjoy some international food, you will find many guest houses have cafes which serve mid-range food, including Western dishes. For example, you can normally find pancakes for around $2 per plate or yogurt and muesli for $2 per bowl. Bakeries are also relatively common in Cambodia, and you can find baked breads and cakes for $0.5 – $1. This is a great way to fill up if you are traveling on a budget.
If you are struggling to find cheap local street food, we recommend walking down some of the side streets and try to walk away from tourist hotspots. Many street food vendors use small carts which can be moved around; these are directed towards locals, so if you find areas with lots of locals, you will also find affordable street food.
Drinking Water in Cambodia
You will also need to consider the cost of water when you are traveling Cambodia. If you are staying in the same place for a few days, we recommend buying a larger bottle of water. For example, you can often find 1.5-liter bottles for around $2 (you may need to pay a little to rent the plastic bottle, and they will return this when you return the bottle). However, if you are traveling through the country more quickly, we recommend buying plastic bottles as you go; it costs $0.75 – $1 for a 1.5-liter bottle of drinking water.
Budget Tips for Traveling Around Cambodia
If you’re planning to travel around Cambodia on a budget, you need to find the cheapest methods of transport. If you are taking journeys around a town like Siem Reap, we recommend walking or using bicycle rental; you can generally rent bicycles in Cambodia for as little as $1 per day (old-style bikes). This is a great way to explore on a budget; you can even use a bicycle to explore attractions like Angkor Wat if you’re traveling on a very low budget (a tuk-tuk is likely to cost around $18 for a full day at Angkor Wat).
If you’re planning to travel around the country, you will need to consider this in your overall budget; the cheapest way to travel between towns and cities in Cambodia is to use long-distance buses; a long-distance bus journey is likely to cost $10 – $20 per person.
Other Costs in Cambodia
It is important to consider other costs; for example, you will probably need to work out a way to do laundry in Cambodia. The cheapest way to do laundry is to wash your own clothes in your sink and then dry them out in your room; although this is time-consuming and laborious, it can save you a few dollars on laundry if you’re traveling on a very low budget. If this sounds too extreme, you can pay to get your laundry done in Cambodia. It generally costs one dollar per kilogram, and the laundry is returned the following day cleaned, dry, and folded.
Activity costs in Cambodia
Many activities in Cambodia are either cheap or free of charge; however, some activities can be quite expensive. For example, a one-day Angkor Wat pass costs a shocking $37 per person. We have suggested an average budget of $6 per day per person for activities; your average daily activity cost will, of course, be higher if you only stay for a few days and visit Angkor Wat.
Here are some cheap or free activities in Cambodia:
- Explore a morning market
- Explore the villages by bicycle
- See a sunrise in the villages
- Visit a night market
- Visit some local Buddhist temples
- Visit Tonle Sap – but not the Floating Village (Siem Reap)
- Chill on the beach (Koh Rong)
- Take a jungle trek (Koh Rong)
- Walk by the river (Siem Reap or Phnom Penh)
- Walk up Phnom Kraom hill (Siem Reap)
TOP TIP: If you’re on a low budget don’t book tours and trips. Do it yourself! Trips and tours normally add a lot of costs to your trip – going independently is a great way to save lots of money.
Top Tips for Bartering in Cambodia
Don’t miss our FULL and in-depth guide to Bartering in Asia
One of the best ways to keep the cost of your trip down in Cambodia is to make sure that you barter effectively. The first rule of bartering is never to pay more than you are happy with; bartering is a fun and acceptable part of Cambodian culture; it is a way of connecting and building rapport with locals, so don’t feel uncomfortable bartering.
It is also very important to make sure that you have a reasonable understanding of a fair price before you start bartering; if you try to offer prices that are too low, locals will know that you are unaware of fair pricing, and this can actually make it harder to settle on a fair price.
It is also important to keep the interaction positive and friendly; there is no need to be negative about someone’s products. If you are not happy with the price, you can simply walk on and find the product elsewhere.
You can actually barter for a lot of things in Cambodia; it is very important to barter if you are shopping on a market stall; it is also very important to barter when you are arranging a tuk-tuk journey.
TOP TIP: Some Cambodians believe that their first customer of the day is lucky; if you are the first customer, they may offer you a lower price for good luck. So if you are planning to do some shopping in the night market, arrive nice and early so that you can be the first customer and get special discounts.
What Does a More Typical Trip to Cambodia Really Cost
In this article, we have shown how it is possible to travel Cambodia for as little as $18 per day; however, this is unrealistic for most travelers, especially if you are hoping to have an enjoyable and memorable time in Cambodia.
You may want to travel around the country and do lots of unique and epic activities (which will cost). You will probably want to buy some gifts in the markets, and you may want to stay in a slightly nicer guest house or hotel. If you are visiting Cambodia as part of a holiday, then you’ll probably want to enjoy some of the amazing food available. So $18 per day is not really a realistic holiday budget for Cambodia.
A much more realistic budget for a relaxing and enjoyable mid-range trip to Cambodia is around $30 per day per person. At this cost, you can afford a nicer room, enjoy some international cuisine, and travel around the country. Cambodia is genuinely an impressively cheap country, and your money does go a long way here.
If you are really looking to splash out on a luxurious Cambodian holiday, you will need to budget around $50 – $100 per day per person. For these types of prices, you can get private drivers and private tours; you can stay in luxurious 5-star resorts and eat gourmet cuisine.
Another thing to consider is you may want to find ways to give back and help out in Cambodia. Cambodia is genuinely a very poor country, and there are a lot of real needs. Helping out may well be one of the best things you can do in Cambodia.
