What it costs per day

Cambodia remains one of the best-value destinations in South-East Asia, but the gap between a backpacker day and a comfortable one is smaller than people expect — because the cheap things are extremely cheap and the fixed costs, above all the Angkor pass, are the same for everyone.

Three budgets

A careful traveller runs on 25 to 35 dollars a day: a fan or basic air-conditioned room, local restaurants, shared transport, and paid sights only where they matter. A comfortable one runs on 60 to 90: a good three-star or small boutique hotel with a pool, a mix of local and Western meals, private tuk-tuks and a guide when it adds something. Above 150 a day you are into the best hotels in the country, private drivers throughout and fine dining.

What individual things actually cost

A bowl of noodle soup or a rice plate at a local place: 2 to 4 dollars. A main course at a mid-range tourist restaurant: 6 to 12. Draught beer: under a dollar. A litre of water: 50 cents. A short tuk-tuk ride on an app: 1.50 to 3. A tuk-tuk driver for a full day at the temples: 20 to 30. A licensed English-speaking guide for the day: 40 to 60.

The Angkor three-day pass is the biggest single line in most budgets and is not negotiable. Domestic flights sit around 60 to 120 dollars, and a good day bus between major cities is 8 to 15.

Where the money leaks

ATM fees, if you withdraw small amounts often. Street tuk-tuk fares negotiated cold instead of through an app. Hotel breakfasts at eight dollars when the noodle stall outside is two. And the eternal one: booking each night through an intermediary on the road at a worse rate than the hotel itself would give you.

Where to spend more

A guide for the first day at Angkor. A private driver for one countryside day. One really good Khmer meal. And a hotel with a pool for the hot afternoons — in a country this warm, that is not a luxury, it is what makes the middle of the day usable.

Common questions