Which place is cheaper, Siem Reap or Luxor?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Luxor or Siem Reap?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Luxor or Siem Reap? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Luxor or Siem Reap?
Luxor
Egypt is surely on the top of every history lover's bucket list. Nowhere is the history more engrossing than in Luxor. From amazing monuments dating back to ancient Thebes to rows of temples up the Nile, this remarkable city is full the stories of past greatness.
The East Bank – or the central part of Luxor Township – is the hotbed for tourism. This is where most of the hotels and resorts are, while the West Bank is home to the ancient ruins and archaeological wonders you'll want to explore.
Before traveling to Egypt, be sure to check on the current affairs and political climate. It could have a major effect on the amount of tourists visiting, and, if conditions are too dangerous, you may want to reschedule. Also note, ladies, to avoid any issues, dress modestly. This is a very conservative region of the world. The less skin showing, the better.
Siem Reap
Located in northern Cambodia, Siem Reap is the closest town to Cambodia's famous Angkor Wat. It is a comfortable and laid back town and most visitors use it as a base to explore the country's most visited destination. Although Siem Reap was once a quaint village, it has continued to grow and change to meet the needs of the many tourists who visit every year. Siem Reap has become a very touristy town with easy access to restaurants, hotels, and shops. It also has a large expatriate community and the western influences are unavoidable. Although prices remain quite low, they are higher than you might find elsewhere in Cambodia.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Sightseeing Tours in Egypt, The Best Luxury Tours to Egypt, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Phnom Penh, and The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Siem Reap.
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Luxor Prices
Egypt PricesSiem Reap Prices
Cambodia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayLuxor $33Siem Reap $94
The average daily cost (per person) in Luxor is $33, while the average daily cost in Siem Reap is $94. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Luxor and Siem Reap in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personLuxor $11Siem Reap $51
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomLuxor $22Siem Reap $102
Compare Hotels in Luxor and Siem Reap
Looking for a hotel in Luxor or Siem Reap? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Luxor Hotel Prices and Siem Reap Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Luxor $5.64Siem Reap $8.79
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Luxor
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Luxor:
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Taxi Ride$0.42
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Luxor
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Luxor:
- Horus, Kom Ombo and Khnum Temples from Luxor with Transfers : $53
- Luxor Airport Transfer : $15
- Luxor airport transfer : $35
- Private Transfer Luxor International Airport to Luxor Hotels: $20
- Private Transfer Service from Luxor to Hurghada: $128
- Private Transfer from Luxor Airport to Luxor Hotels: $30
- Transfer Service from Luxor to Aswan (Private): $51
- Transfer from Luxor Airport to Anywhere in Luxor: $15
- Transfer from Luxor Hotel to Luxor Airport: $35
- Transfers from Luxor Airport to Hotels or Nile Cruise: $17
- private transfer one way from Luxor to Hurghada : $70
- "Pet-Friendly Private Transfer: Luxor Station to Hotel": $6.00
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Siem Reap
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Siem Reap:
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Tuk Tuk Ride$13
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Bike Rentals$1.93
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Siem Reap
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Siem Reap:
- Airport pick up and Transfer (SIA): $35
- Angkor Airport (SAI) Private or Shared Transfers :Siem Reap: $10
- Angkor International Airport (SAI) Private/Shared Transfers: $9.00
- Angkor Wildlife & Aquarium with Private Transfer: $45
- From Siem Reap Airport: Tuk Tuk Transfer to Your Hotel: $38
- From Elephant Sanctuary Experience with Transfers: $99
- From Private Transfer to Mondulkiri: $395
- Kulen Elephant Forest & Tonlesap Lake Include boat /Transfer: $124
- Phnom Penh: Private Taxi Transfer to Siem Reap: $121
- Phnom Penh: To/From Siem Reap Private Transfer: $72
- Private One-Way Arrival/Departure Transfer: $50
- Private Overland Transfer Siem Reap - Bangkok: $125
Is it cheaper to fly into Luxor or Siem Reap?
Prices for flights to both Siem Reap and Luxor change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayLuxor $16Siem Reap $28
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Luxor
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Luxor.
- Dinner on the River Nile with Belly Dancing: $31
- Riding a felucca at Sunset and Dinner an Egyptian House in Luxor: $40
- 3 Hours Culinary Journey with Family Food Tour in Luxor: $40
- Luxor City Private Walking and Food Tour: $50
- Dinner on the River Nile with Belly Dancing in luxor: $60
- Saray El Nile restaurant Dinner : $60
- Enjoy Lunch or Dinner on a Luxor Nile River Boat: $60
- Karnak Sound And Light Show With Dinner, Felucca : $64
- private day in east bank & dendera with dinner on boat: $86
- Luxor Karnak Temple Sound and Light Show with Dinner and Transfers: $95
- Egyptian cooking class and Luxor museum : $120
- Full day trip west Bank, Dandara and dinner on a boat.: $128
Typical Food Prices in Siem Reap
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Siem Reap:
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Breakfast for Two$5.59
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Siem Reap
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Siem Reap.
- A Spectacular Show with Optional Dinner: $18
- Apsara Dance Show with Dinner by Tuk-Tuk Roundtrip Transfer: $19
- Apsara Performance with Dinner include Pick up & Drop off: $22
- Apsara Performance Including Buffet Dinner & Hotel Pick up: $22
- Buffet Dinner Apsara Show with hotel transfers: $22
- Apsara Dance Show and Dinner with Hotel Pickup: $22
- Apsara Show Including Dinner & Hotel Pickup: $23
- Dinner and Traditional Show with Hotel Transfer: $24
- Apsara Dance Show with Buffet Dinner & Tuk-Tuk...: $26
- A Night To Remember: Apsara Dance Show with Buffet Dinner: $27
- Dinner Show Apsara Dance, Pickup round trip included: $27
- Apsara Theatre Performance include Dinner & hotel pick up: $29
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Luxor $10Siem Reap $30
Typical Entertainment Prices in Luxor
Here are a few typical costs in Luxor for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Boat Ride (for 2)$0.57
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Temple Karnak for Two$2.73
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Camel Ride for Two$1.26
Tours and Activities in Luxor
Here are a few actual costs in Luxor for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Full tour to Karnak and Luxor temples, and felucca: $5.00
- Private Tour Shopping in Luxor City : $6.00
- Historic Corniche Walking Experience with Refreshment: $8.00
- Half Day Tour: Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple & Mamnon: $9.00
- Tour in the East Bank of Luxor: $9.00
- Karnak Sound and Light Display Tour in Luxor (Private): $9.00
- Karnak Temple Sound and Light Show Experience in Luxor: $9.00
- 4 Hour Private East Bank Tour to Luxor and Karnak Temples: $10
- Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple Private Day Tour: $10
- Private Half-Day tour to Karnak temple: $10
- Half Day East Bank Tour to Luxor and Karnak Temples: $10
- Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple Day Tour: $10
Typical Entertainment Prices in Siem Reap
Here are a few typical costs in Siem Reap for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Angkor Tour Guide$8.24
Tours and Activities in Siem Reap
Here are a few actual costs in Siem Reap for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- FREE Market & Local Temple Tour: $1.00
- Satcha: Workshop Tour Guide incl. Free Soft Drink: $5.50
- City Walking Tour: $6.00
- Siem Reap Motorbike Rental - Temple and City Tours own drive: $9.00
- Siem Reap Lotus Silk Farm Tour with Pick Up downtown: $10
- Angkor Wat: Full-Day Guided Sunset Tour: $10
- Small-Group Full Day Angkor wat Guide tour with Sun set: $11
- Sunrise at Angkor Wat and Small Tour with Tours Guide: $12
- Angkor Wat 1 Day with Sunrise Combined tour with (Tuk Tuk): $12
- Angkor Wat Sunrise for Group or Private Tours: $12
- Angkor Wat Sunrise and Full-Day Sightseeing Tour: $13
- Angkor Wat Private Tour by Tuk Tuk: $13
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayLuxor $3.10Siem Reap $11
Sample the Local Flavors in Siem Reap
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Siem Reap:
- Mad Monkey Siem Reap Pub Crawl: $12
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Luxor and Siem Reap, we can see that Siem Reap is more expensive. And not only is Luxor much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Luxor is in Africa and Siem Reap is in Asia, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Luxor would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Luxor and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Siem Reap would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Siem Reap than you might in Luxor.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Luxor Expensive? and Is Siem Reap Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Luxor or Siem Reap?
Luxor has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Siem Reap. When comparing the sizes of Luxor and Siem Reap, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.