Cambodia on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Yes: Cambodia is an excellent budget destination, with a realistic minimum of about US$42 per person per day (bed US$12, food US$12, sights US$10, transport US$8). The Angkor pass is the one cost to plan for.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | US$12 | US$35 | US$100 |
| Food & drink | US$12 | US$25 | US$50 |
| Sights & tickets | US$10 | US$20 | US$35 |
| Local transport | US$8 | US$15 | US$40 |
| Per person, per day | US$42 | US$95 | US$225 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Cambodia day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Walk Sisowath Quay along the Tonle Sap river in Phnom Penh at sunset
- Browse Siem Reap's Old Market (Psar Chas) and the night markets
- Battambang's French-era shophouses along the river and the 1930s Psar Nat market
- The bat exodus from the cliff at Phnom Sampeau at dusk
- Kampot's riverside and faded shophouses
- Free tours with tastings at Kampot pepper farms such as La Plantation
Cheap eats
- Fried rice or noodles at a local restaurant, about US$3–6
- Fish amok, the coconut curry steamed in banana leaf, about US$3–6
- Num banh chok (rice noodles with green fish curry) at markets, about US$1–2
- Kep crab with fresh Kampot pepper, about US$5–10 a plate
- Lunch at the Russian Market food stalls in Phnom Penh, a few dollars
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in guesthouses near Siem Reap's Old Market, on the Battambang riverfront and in Kampot's old town, often with a pool, at about US$15–35 for a double; dorm beds are roughly US$5–10.
Getting around cheaply
Buses and minibuses are cheap (US$8–15 between main towns) and app-booked tuk-tuks cost US$1–4 per ride. Siem Reap's new airport is about 50 km out, roughly an hour by shuttle bus, which is cheaper than a taxi. In Kampot, a scooter costs about US$5–8 a day.
A sample budget day
- Morning: Sunrise at Angkor Wat, then Angkor Thom and the Bayon (part of the 3-day pass, about US$21 a day)
- Lunch: Khmer lunch near the temples, about US$4–5
- Afternoon: Rest by the guesthouse pool, then Phnom Bakheng; shared tuk-tuk about US$10
- Evening: Amok and a beer near the Old Market, about US$6
- Total: about US$42 with a shared guesthouse double
More ways to save
- Travel in the rainy season for lower prices and greener temples; rain usually comes in afternoon bursts.
- Cycle around the closer Angkor temples instead of hiring a tuk-tuk every day.
- Carry a refillable bottle; many guesthouses offer filtered water refills.
- Take the day bus rather than a domestic flight between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.
- Buy sarongs or T-shirts for temple dress codes at markets, not at site gates.
- Combine Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek in one shared tuk-tuk morning.
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Common questions
Can you backpack Cambodia on a budget?
Yes: about US$42 a day per person covers a guesthouse, local food, temples spread over a multi-day pass and buses.
Is the 3-day Angkor pass worth it?
Usually yes: at about US$62 it costs much less than three single days and lets you see the outer temples like Banteay Srei.
What is the cheapest way to get between cities?
Buses and minibuses, about US$8–15 for routes such as Siem Reap–Battambang or Phnom Penh–Kampot.