Cambodia offers one of Southeast Asia's best value-for-money ratios for European travellers, with a reference daily budget of around €50/day/person travelling as a couple or in a small group. This figure covers varied realities depending on travel style.
A backpacker can travel comfortably on €25-35/day: night in a decent guesthouse (USD 10-20 with fan, USD 18-30 with air conditioning), meals in local comedores and markets (USD 1.50-4 per authentic Khmer meal, USD 0.50 a skewer), bus transport for long distances (USD 10-15 Phnom Penh-Siem Reap) and tuk-tuks for daily urban travel (USD 1-3). The mid-range traveller — double room in a boutique hotel (USD 40-90/night in a Siem Reap 4-star, USD 60-150 in Phnom Penh), mid-range restaurants (USD 8-15 per meal), private guided excursions — lands between €50 and €90/day. The luxury traveller, staying at Raffles Grand Hôtel d'Angkor (Siem Reap, USD 350-700/night), Belmond La Résidence d'Angkor (USD 300-500), Sofitel Phokeethra Phnom Penh (USD 200-400), with spas, gourmet restaurants (Cuisine Wat Damnak in Siem Reap, USD 70-90 tasting menu) and private transfers, will easily exceed €150-300/day.
By expense category: Accommodation (40-50% of budget) — dorm USD 5-10, basic double USD 10-25, comfort hotel USD 40-90, 5-star USD 200-700. Food (15-20%) — market meal USD 1.50-4, mid-range restaurant USD 5-12, Siem Reap gourmet USD 30-80. Sites and activities (15-20%) — 1-day Angkor pass USD 37, 3-day USD 62, 7-day USD 72; Phnom Penh National Museum USD 10; S-21 and Killing Fields USD 10-15 with audioguide; Apsara show with dinner USD 20-40; Khmer cooking class half-day USD 25-40. Transport (10-15%) — Phnom Penh-Siem Reap bus USD 10-15, domestic flight USD 60-90, tuk-tuk day at Angkor USD 15-25, Phnom Penh taxi day USD 25-40.
A few practical tips: the US dollar (USD) is universally accepted and often preferred to the riel for tourist transactions. Bring USD bills in good condition (damaged, torn, or written-on bills are refused) and in small denominations (1, 5, 10, 20 USD — 50 and 100 USD bills often don't pass in small shops). The Cambodian riel (KHR) serves for very small transactions (under USD 1 = about 4,000-4,500 KHR returned as change). ATMs (ABA Bank, Acleda Bank, Canadia Bank) are numerous in tourist cities, dispense USD and KHR by choice, fee USD 4-5 per withdrawal (cap USD 500/transaction). Buy a local SIM Cellcard or Smart at the airport (USD 3-5 with 5-10 GB for 7 days) or an eSIM Holafly/Airalo. Wifi is free in most hotels and cafés. For tipping: not mandatory but appreciated (10% at restaurant, USD 1-2 to guide or driver per half-day).
Read also
- Siem Reap and Angkor — The Angkor archaeological site (UNESCO), Bayon, Ta Prohm and the base-city of Siem Reap.
- Phnom Penh and the South — The capital, Royal Palace, S-21 and the Killing Fields — memory and present of Cambodia.
- Cambodian south coast — Kampot, Kep, Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem archipelago: paradise beaches.
- Angkor Wat — The world's largest religious monument, UNESCO 1992, jewel of the Khmer Empire.