Is Cambodia Expensive for Tourists in 2026? Angkor Wat and Beyond

Cambodia is the country that keeps surprising people. You arrive expecting budget travel and the reality is even better than expected: street food for $1 to $2 a meal, tuk-tuk rides for $2 to $3 across town, hostel dorms from $5 a night, and some of the most extraordinary ancient architecture in the world accessible for under $75 for three days of unlimited access. Then you leave wondering why you did not stay longer.

The headline numbers are accurate but they need context. Cambodia runs a dual-currency system using US dollars alongside the Cambodian Riel, which simplifies budgeting considerably for most international travellers. Tourist pricing operates at 50 to 100 percent above local rates in many situations. And the Angkor Wat entry fee, which has no equivalent in Bangkok or Hoi An, adds a specific cost that needs to be planned for separately from daily living expenses.

This guide gives you the complete 2026 picture: what Cambodia costs day to day, what the Angkor pass actually covers and whether it is worth it, how Siem Reap and Phnom Penh compare on cost, and how Cambodia stacks up against the rest of Southeast Asia.

Cambodia Daily Budget Summary: 2026 Numbers

Cambodia ranks as one of the cheapest of the popular Mekong destinations. Daily budgets run approximately 22 percent below Thailand and 8 percent below Vietnam at comparable comfort levels, with the cost gap showing most clearly in accommodation and food. The Angkor Wat entry fee is the one area where Cambodia’s costs have no cheap equivalent elsewhere in the region.

Cambodia uses US dollars for virtually all tourism transactions. Prices at hotels, restaurants, guesthouses, tour operators, and major attractions are quoted and paid in USD. Cambodian Riel is used for small change under $1. Always carry small denomination USD bills since $50 and $100 notes are difficult to change at smaller establishments.

Search for cheap flights to Cambodia here and compare fares to Siem Reap International Airport (REP) and Phnom Penh International Airport (PNH). Both airports receive direct regional connections from Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, and Singapore.

The E-Visa: What You Need Before You Arrive

Cambodia requires most nationalities to obtain a visa before arrival or on arrival. The e-visa is the simplest option for most Western travellers.

Cost: $36 for a standard tourist e-visa (up from $30 in previous years). Processing: three business days through evisa.gov.kh, the official Cambodian government portal. Validity: 30 days single entry. Extension: extendable for 30 days inside Cambodia for $45 to $60.

Visa on arrival is available at international airports for $35 and requires a passport photo. The e-visa at $36 is slightly more expensive than the on-arrival fee but avoids queuing at the arrival visa desk, which can take 30 to 60 minutes at busy periods.

Citizens of ASEAN member states enter Cambodia visa-free. Several other nationalities also receive visa-free access. Check the official Cambodia Ministry of Foreign Affairs website for the current list.

Accommodation in Cambodia: Outstanding Value Across All Tiers

Cambodia’s accommodation sector offers some of the best value in Southeast Asia with a particularly strong hostel and budget guesthouse category.

Hostels and budget guesthouses: $5 to $20 per night

Hostel dorm beds in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh run $5 to $12 per night. The major hostel chains, Mad Monkey in both cities and Onederz in Siem Reap, offer social atmospheres, pool areas, and free breakfast at the lower end of this range. Private rooms at budget guesthouses start at $12 to $20 with fan cooling or basic air conditioning.

Mid-range hotels and guesthouses: $20 to $60 per night

A comfortable private room with air conditioning, hot water, and daily housekeeping at a well-reviewed mid-range guesthouse costs $20 to $40 in Siem Reap and slightly more in Phnom Penh. Boutique guesthouses in Siem Reap’s Old French Quarter and Phnom Penh’s riverside area offer excellent character and service in this price range.

Boutique and upscale hotels: $60 to $150 per night

Siem Reap has a particularly strong boutique hotel scene developed around the Angkor Wat tourism infrastructure. Heritage properties and design-led hotels in this price range deliver quality that competes well against equivalent properties anywhere in Southeast Asia.

Beach and island accommodation: $50 to $200 per night

Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem off the Sihanoukville coast have a growing resort scene with overwater bungalows and eco-lodges. Prices have risen significantly in recent years as the islands have become more popular. Budget bungalows start around $15 to $30 per night. Mid-range resorts run $50 to $100.

Seasonal pricing

November to February is peak season when accommodation prices are at their highest, particularly in Siem Reap. The June to September monsoon season produces discounts of 30 to 40 percent across most accommodation categories. Siem Reap specifically sees the most dramatic seasonal swing since visitor numbers drop substantially during the wet season.

Compare Cambodia hotel and guesthouse options here across Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, and the islands for your specific travel dates.

Food in Cambodia: Extraordinary Value, Genuine Quality

Cambodian food is one of Southeast Asia’s most underappreciated cuisines. Built around fish amok (fish curry in coconut milk), lok lak (stir-fried beef), rice noodle soups, fresh spring rolls, and an extraordinary variety of street food, it is genuinely compelling in its own right rather than a poor relation to Thai or Vietnamese cuisine.

Street food and markets: $0.50 to $3 per meal

A bowl of kuy teav noodle soup from a market stall costs $1 to $2. Grilled skewers at the Siem Reap Night Market cost $0.50 to $1 per skewer. Lok lak from a street vendor costs $2 to $3. Fish amok from a local Khmer restaurant runs $3 to $5. A freshly made fruit smoothie from a street vendor costs $1 to $2. These prices represent exceptional value by any regional standard.

The Night Markets in both Siem Reap and Phnom Penh are the best concentrations of cheap, good food in both cities. Siem Reap’s Night Market near Pub Street operates from around 5pm daily and has dozens of stalls covering local Khmer cuisine, grilled meats, fresh fruit, and desserts.

Local restaurants: $3 to $10 per meal

A proper sit-down dinner at a local Khmer restaurant costs $5 to $10 per person for a main course, rice, and a drink. The restaurant areas two or three streets back from Siem Reap’s Pub Street tourist strip consistently produce better food at 30 to 50 percent lower prices than the tourist-facing restaurants immediately adjacent to the main nightlife area.

Tourist restaurants: $8 to $20 per person

Pub Street in Siem Reap and the Phnom Penh riverside tourist strip charge significantly more than neighbourhood equivalents for food that is often no better. A Khmer curry that costs $3 at a local restaurant costs $8 to $12 at a tourist-oriented venue on the main strip. Moving one or two streets back consistently halves the bill.

The Angkor Beer factor

Cambodia’s most famous local beer, Angkor, costs $1 to $1.50 at a local bar and $2 to $3 at a tourist-facing restaurant. A cold Angkor Beer after a morning at the temples, ideally on ice at a roadside stall for $1, is one of the most reliably satisfying experiences in Cambodian travel.

A realistic daily food budget for a mid-range traveller is $15 to $25 per day.

The Angkor Wat Pass: The Most Important Purchasing Decision in Cambodia

The Angkor Archaeological Park entrance fee is managed by Angkor Enterprise and represents the single largest planned expense for most Cambodia visitors. Understanding the pass structure before you arrive saves money.

The three pass options in 2026:

The 3-day pass at $62 is the best value for 78 percent of visitors. Three single-day passes would cost $111. The 3-day pass saves $49 and the days can be non-consecutive within a 10-day window, which gives flexibility to intersperse temple visits with other activities.

The 7-day pass at $72 saves only $10 over the 3-day pass but gives considerably more flexibility for slow explorers or those wanting to revisit favourite temples at different times of day. If you are spending five or more days based in Siem Reap, the 7-day pass is worth the small premium.

What the Angkor pass covers:

The pass covers the main Angkor Archaeological Park including Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom (the ancient city including the Bayon), Ta Prohm (the jungle temple), Banteay Srei, and most of the major temple complexes. It does not cover Beng Mealea ($5 entry, cash only at the gate), Koh Ker ($10, two hours from Siem Reap), or Phnom Kulen ($20 entry).

Buying the pass:

Passes must be purchased at the official Angkor Enterprise ticket office on the road to the temples, not at the temples themselves. The office opens at 5am to allow for sunrise visits to Angkor Wat, which requires purchasing a pass the evening before or on the morning of your planned sunrise visit. Credit cards are now accepted at the ticket office. Bring your passport for the photograph that goes on the card.

Children under 12 enter the Angkor complex free with valid passport documentation.

Getting Around Cambodia: Transport Costs

Tuk-tuks: the essential Siem Reap transport

Tuk-tuks are the standard transport for getting around Siem Reap and to and from the temple complex. A round trip from central Siem Reap to the main Angkor Wat entrance costs $5 to $8 for a shared tuk-tuk, or $12 to $20 for a private tuk-tuk hired for a full day of temple touring. A private tuk-tuk driver hired for a full day who knows the temple complex well, the timing for different light at different temples, and the less-visited routes between major sites is genuinely worth the $15 to $20 daily rate.

Grab and PassApp

Grab operates in Phnom Penh and provides fixed upfront pricing that eliminates tuk-tuk driver negotiation in the capital. PassApp is a Cambodian equivalent that operates in both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Both apps deliver more reliable pricing than street-hailed tuk-tuks and are worth downloading before you arrive.

Buses between cities: the budget intercity option

Giant Ibis is Cambodia’s premium bus operator and runs comfortable coaches between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap (six to eight hours, $15 one way), Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville (four hours, $12), and Phnom Penh to the Vietnamese border crossings. Giant Ibis buses include Wi-Fi, power outlets, and a consistent standard of service. Other budget operators cover the same routes for $5 to $10 but with less comfort and reliability.

The Phnom Penh to Siem Reap domestic flight on Cambodian airlines costs $40 to $80 and takes 45 minutes versus six to eight hours by bus. For a short trip where time is the priority, the flight is worth considering. For a budget trip, the Giant Ibis bus at $15 is the standard choice.

For airport transfers with a fixed price, book a private transfer here before you land to avoid negotiation at the arrivals area.

Compare car rental options for Cambodia here if you are planning to self-drive between provinces, though hiring a car with driver is more commonly done and often better value than self-drive for most Cambodia itineraries.

What to Do in Cambodia: Entry Fees and Attractions

Siem Reap and the Angkor temples

Beyond Angkor Wat itself, the archaeological park contains hundreds of temple structures ranging from the extraordinary to the intimate. The Bayon temple within Angkor Thom is many visitors’ favourite: a dense cluster of towers each carved with four-sided faces of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, creating one of the most distinctive and atmospherically powerful temple environments in Asia. Ta Prohm, where enormous fig tree roots have engulfed the stonework, is the other unmissable complex. All are covered by the standard park pass.

Banteay Srei, a 10th-century temple carved in pink sandstone with some of the most intricate decorative stonework in the Angkor region, is 25 kilometres north of the main park. It is included in the standard pass and worth the trip for the quality of the carving.

Phnom Penh’s essential sites

The Tuol Sleng Museum and the Killing Fields together provide the most important historical context for understanding modern Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge period. Both are sobering and essential visits. The combination costs $14 and represents some of the most significant historical documentation of any conflict-related site in Asia.

The islands: Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem

A speedboat from Sihanoukville to Koh Rong takes around 45 minutes and costs $17 to $25 return. The islands have white sand beaches, bioluminescent plankton in the water at night, and accommodation ranging from basic beach bungalows to mid-range resorts. Sihanoukville itself has become heavily developed with casino infrastructure aimed at Chinese tourists and most independent travellers use it only as a transit point to the islands.

Kampot and Kep: the underrated south

Kampot, a riverside town four hours south of Phnom Penh, is one of Cambodia’s most pleasant places to spend a few slow days. Pepper plantations, riverboat tours, and a colonial French architecture streetscape make it the most underrated destination in the country for independent travellers. Accommodation here runs $10 to $30 for mid-range options. Kep, a small beach town 25 kilometres from Kampot, is famous for its fresh crab market.

Browse Cambodia tours and activities here including Angkor Wat sunrise tours, Tonle Sap floating village visits, Mekong river cruises, and Kampot cooking classes.

Cambodia vs Vietnam and Thailand: A Direct Cost Comparison

Since we have detailed cost guides published for both Vietnam and Thailand’s capital, Cambodia positions directly in the budget tier comparison across the region.

Cambodia’s strongest cost advantage over Vietnam and Thailand is in accommodation, which runs noticeably cheaper at the budget and mid-range levels. The major cost disadvantage is the Angkor Wat pass, which at $37 to $62 has no equivalent in Bangkok or Hoi An. On a day when you are at the temples, Cambodia’s daily cost can be higher than Vietnam or Bangkok despite its generally lower base prices.

Our full cost guides for Vietnam and Bangkok cover both destinations in the same format for direct comparison.

When to Visit Cambodia

November to February: peak season, best weather

Cambodia’s cool and dry season runs November to February with temperatures of 25 to 30 degrees Celsius and minimal rainfall. This is the most comfortable period for temple touring at Angkor, where the heat between 10am and 3pm can be intense in other months. Accommodation prices are at their highest during this window, particularly in Siem Reap. Book three to four weeks ahead for quality guesthouses.

March to May: hot season

Temperatures climb to 35 to 40 degrees Celsius, making midday outdoor activity genuinely difficult. Tourist numbers drop and accommodation prices ease from peak rates. Early morning temple visits are the practical strategy: at the temples before 8am and retreating to air conditioning by 11am.

June to October: monsoon season, best value

The wet season brings afternoon rains and occasional flooding. Tourist numbers drop substantially and accommodation discounts of 30 to 40 percent apply across most properties. The Angkor temples surrounded by lush green vegetation rather than the dry season brown are actually more visually striking in the wet season and significantly less crowded. Serious temple enthusiasts often prefer visiting in October when the rains are tapering off, prices remain low, and the landscape is at its most verdant.

Practical Money Tips for Cambodia

The ATM fee problem

ATMs in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh charge $5 to $6 per withdrawal. This is one of the highest ATM fee structures in Southeast Asia. The solution is to withdraw larger amounts less frequently. Bring some USD cash from home if possible. Exchange houses in Phnom Penh’s Central Market area offer better cash exchange rates than airport or hotel exchange counters.

Bring USD in small bills

$50 and $100 notes are difficult to change at smaller restaurants, guesthouses, and market vendors. Arrive with a supply of $1, $5, $10, and $20 bills. The $1 bill is the most useful denomination in Cambodia and runs out faster than you expect.

The sunrise Angkor Wat visit logistics

The Angkor Wat sunrise is one of the most photographed moments in Southeast Asian travel. The temple faces west, meaning the sunrise appears behind the temple from the main causeway approach, reflecting in the rectangular water pools in front of the entrance. To do this you need a pass purchased the evening before (the ticket office opens until 7pm) and a tuk-tuk arranged for 4:30am departure from Siem Reap. Your guesthouse or hostel can arrange both. Arriving at the main reflection pool before 5:30am gives you a position before the crowds compress in the pre-dawn hour.

Flight delays and compensation

If your flight to or from Cambodia departs from a European airport or is operated by a European carrier and is delayed by three or more hours, you may be entitled to EC261 compensation of €250 to €600 per person. Our flight compensation guide covers the full eligibility criteria. Check your claim through Compensair here at no upfront cost.

Total Trip Cost: A Realistic 10-Day Cambodia Budget

Add the e-visa ($36), the 3-day Angkor pass ($62), and any additional attraction entry fees ($40 to $60 for a comprehensive Phnom Penh day). International flights from Europe run $500 to $900 return. From Southeast Asia, $100 to $200.

A mid-range 10-day Cambodia trip covering Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and the Angkor temples, and one or two nights on the islands realistically costs $700 to $1,100 per person on the ground all-in. That delivers one of the most culturally rich travel experiences in Asia at a price that competes with a long weekend in Amsterdam.

The Honest Verdict

Cambodia in 2026 is genuinely one of the best value destinations in Asia. Not because of rock-bottom prices across the board, but because of the extraordinary quality-to-cost ratio at the experience level. Angkor Wat is one of the greatest achievements of human architecture and you can spend three days exploring it for $62. Phnom Penh’s museums tell one of the most important and difficult stories of the 20th century for under $15. The islands offer white sand beaches and bioluminescent water for $20 a night on a beach bungalow.

The travellers who feel Cambodia is expensive are almost always those who stayed exclusively in tourist-strip restaurants and did not explore the neighbourhood streets behind them, or who took taxis rather than tuk-tuks, or who did not buy the 3-day Angkor pass and ended up spending $111 on three individual day passes.

Make the right decisions on those specific things and Cambodia consistently outperforms its reputation for value.

Search flights to Cambodia here and compare hotel and guesthouse options here to start planning your trip.

Planning a wider Southeast Asia trip? Our cost guides for Vietnam, Bangkok, Bali, and Sri Lanka cover the full cost picture for each destination in the same format. And for the regional overview, our solo travel in Southeast Asia guide covers how Cambodia fits into a wider multi-country itinerary.