How Much Should you Budget to Backpack Cambodia?
Cambodia not just home to Angkor Wat, Cambodia also has gorgeous countryside, stunning beaches and paradise islands to explore plus , wonderful people to met and in very interesting history. Cambodia is amazing and luckily it’s one of the cheapest countries to backpack in the world. Still, It’s useful to know how much to budget when planning and saving for a trip so I thought it would be useful to post a brief rundown of my average costs when backpacking Cambodia to help others save for their Cambodia backpacking budget.
My costs reflect my travel style and this is just a rough guide, your costs may vary. I have to admit I am not the kind of person who obsessively records every penny, cent or rupee I spend. I backpacked Cambodia on a budget but not rock bottom shoe string and splashed out on nicer accommodation or meals every now and then so these are average guideline prices.
Your costs for backpacking Cambodia could be less or more depending on your style of travel and comfort level. If you travel as a couple or with a friend it is cheaper as you can split accommodation and taxi costs.
These costs are for a average guideline only and it is always, always better to take more money to account for incidentals, emergencies, impromptu shopping sprees or a splurge on a posh hotel or internal flight. Doing activities like scuba diving, trekking, courses and tours will also push your budget.
I have displayed costs in local currency, British Pounds and US Dollars but be aware that exchange rates change. In Vietnam and Cambodia US Dollars are widely used.
My Average Daily Backpacking Cambodia Budget (per person) takes into account;
- Accommodation shared between two people, (apart from in countries where dorm beds have been the only budget option)
- 2 restaurant meals per day,
- A street food or convenience store like 7/11 snack,
- 3 bottles of water,
- A couple of beers,
- A long distance (12 hr) bus or train journey
- 2 short taxi or public transport rides
- Visiting an attraction.
My Backpacking Cambodia Budget:
| Item | Cost in Riel | Cost in GDP £ | Cost in US$ |
| Guesthouse Room for 2 | 36,000 Riel | £5.40 | $9.00 |
| Restaurant Meal | 20,000 Riel | £3 | $5.00 |
| Street Food | 4,000 Riel | £0.60 | $1.00 |
| Long Distance Bus/Train | 28,000 Riel | £4.20 | $7.00 |
| Local Transport & Taxis | 4,000 Riel | £0.60 | $1.00 |
| Bottle of Water | 2,000 Riel | £0.30 | $0.50 |
| Beer | 2,000 Riel | £0.30 | $0.50 |
| Attractions | 20,000 Riel | £3 | $5.00 |
| Average Daily Budget Per Person | 128,000 Riel | £19 | $32.00 |
| Average Weekly Budget Per Person | 896,000 Riel | £135 | $225.00 |
| Average Monthly Budget Per Person | 3,882,667 Riel | £585 | $980.00 |
So hopefully this gives you a guideline cost so you can work out your backpacking Cambodia budget and how much you need to save up for how long you want to be backpacking Cambodia! Also think about saving for any extra activities like scuba diving courses, cooking or yoga lessons, trekking, sightseeing, shopping, souvenirs and wild nights out drinking that you do on your trip. For me, it’s well worth it for the adventure of a lifetime!
Please be aware that prices and currency conversions are always changing. For more info on budgeting an excellent resource for backpacker costs is Price of Travel which lists cities in order of price. Asia is the cheapest region in the world with cities in Nepal, Vietnam, India, Thailand and Laos dominating the top 10 cheapest from US$ 14 per day See here for cheapest cities in Asia
Cambodia is one of the cheapest places in the world to backpack – check out this post for more cheap backpacking destinations.
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What was your backpacking Cambodia budget? Share your thoughts and help out others travellers
1 comment
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